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 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 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.

I like to go in the corner, in the quiet, 'cause I got to hear my thoughts. If I hear the beat for, like, five seconds, I basically got the tempo, and I don't need to hear it no more. I just focus and write.

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.

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?

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.