I learned to trust women's ears when it comes to hearing music a lot more than other men.

There are two people that probably influenced me more than anybody out of all the artists out here: that's Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson.

I refused to be disrespected. So, at 16, of course, I was a gentleman about it, but I told them and it cost me my job.

I believe it also says that I am a friend to everyone and enemy to no one.

Well technology has changed a lot of things, making it possible for just about anyone to make music. But not everybody is a songwriter, so that puts me in a completely different ballpark than the other DJs out here that are writing and producing tracks. I don't stop at tracks, I try to complete the whole package with the song. So working at that level has put me in a completely different place.

Timing is everything. It is not so much about who you know, especially now with the Internet, because anybody can become a superstar overnight.

There is always a point in the party where I wouldn't say I have people in the palm of my hands, but when there is a point in the evening... if you have been to any great party, you know when the whole room becomes one.