Smile, it's easier than explaning why you're sad

It's about the stories. If I write 14 stories that I love, then the next step is to get the environment of music around it to best envelop the story and all kinds of sonic goodness.

With my art, it's the one thing that I know will outlive me and outlive my feelings. It will outlive my depressive seasons.

The first four and a half years was me in the studio every day, writing songs for other people. I had jobs, too - eleven jobs. I worked at Kinko's, Fatburger, Subway - I was a sandwich artist - and I was a claims processor at Allstate Insurance.

People are just afraid of things too much … Sure, evil exists, extremism exists. Somebody could commit a hate crime and hurt me. But they could do the same just because I'm black. They could do the same just because I'm American.

Distance sometimes lets you know who's worth keeping and who's worth letting go.

I don't know if I ever told you this before, but you're the only one I ever waited for this long.