A certain administration which I won't call by name took the arts out of the schools, and that left the brothers out on the street with nothing, so they went to the turntables and started rhyming. Then they had a way to express themselves, and that's the birth of hip-hop.

At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own lives. If anything happens to us, don't blame somebody else. Backtrack and look at what you did to contribute to that. You also contribute to your successes. Once you learn that, you're on your way.

I don't sit back and count up what I've done. There's just always something else to do. There's always a challenge ahead.

I influence people, hopefully on the positive side.

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.

When my agent told me he had a voice-over job I thought it was a Disney thing.

I love soul. But I love a tune that has some meat in it. Something I could hang my hat on. Because music is universal.