Then, when I had the opportunity to go to Africa and visit the villages, I heard the real, raw, true rhythms and realised the origins of the old Negro spirituals I grew up with in the South.

Don't slip into the traps, and don't forget about your 'hood, the kids in the 'hood. Remember, you're disposable, so take advantage while you can.

If you enjoy the fragrance of a rose, you must accept the thorns which it bears.

I always keep my head down, working, doing things, moving forward. That's what I've done all my life. Then you stop and realize what you've done.

I was going through some emotional turmoil. You can tell by the tunes on the album that I was going through a break-up of my marriage. It was the only way I could express myself.

Self-expression is always a right, but its still not there to be abused.

There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry toward religious beliefs... begins.