I was a good student. By 8th grade, you've basically learned everything. By senior year, we was drinking, we was kickin' it, we was rapping. It wasn't really like business, hard work.

I used to sing when I was younger. I left it alone for a long time, 'cause I was like, I don't even know if I know how to sing for real.

My daddy was the type that if you asked him, "Dad, am I going to get off punishment soon?" - he would extend it. It was like jail.

Writing was something I always did but that turned into singing and rapping. That something that came out of my writing.

I was really artistic. I did a lot of poetry, a lot of writing.

I used to do poetry and write stories and stuff - I never really had anybody standing over my shoulder, like, "What did you write? Let me hear it." I hate that type of stuff.

It was dope to the point where I felt like Common almost admired me as much as I admired him. He took us to the hotel, and then he was going through his phone, rapping his raps to me. I was like, Is Common rapping to me right now, trying to get my feedback?