Grades were important in our house. I was reading by two. My mom would sit there and read with me, read with me, read with me. It was wonderful.

I think everything happens for a reason and all of my choices have led me up to my solo album and made me stronger, not only as an artist but as a person. I want to do more the Black Eyed Peas albums and more of my own albums. I'm in this for the long run.

I don't want to have a song like 'My Humps' and it be sagging down, so I pay attention to that area. A lot.

I think a lot of young teenagers try to get esteem from accolades from other people, or boys, and what you learn as you get older is that you have to create that within yourself.

I was a child actor. I was this spaz kid diagnosed with ADHD, and I worked all the time.

I've already got notebooks full of ideas for new music, so I'm gonna kind of nurture that just like I do all of my ideas and perfect it until it's ready and then I'll just let it go.

I'm not going to lie: There are times I play mind tricks on myself, like that the french fries are poison. With desserts, I'll let myself have just one bite, but I'll look like a freak when I'm eating it, like when I did Duncan Hines commercials as a kid, just savoring every morsel.