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.

All I had was a CD with beats. I wrote to every beat on that CD, and when I got off punishment, I put out my first mixtape. I passed it out all around school. I started going to the studio. I started doing shows.

I have been singing since I was kid.

I'm learning how to work my voice. I got some songs that you probably wouldn't even know it's me singing on there. I will sit there and take 20 takes until I hit that note right. It's different on stage - you've got to hit the notes that one time.

Sometimes the best music is when you just put it out there.

I was on the pom pom team, I was on the cheerleading team, I sang. I played football with the guys 'cause I didn't know how to play double dutch. Anything to get out the house.

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