You can't hold the record forever, and I know that. I'm not stupid.

I'm convinced that we Black women possess a special indestructible strength that allows us to not only get down, but to get up, to get through, and to get over.

Competition is great. And as long as it's friendly and not a malicious thing, then I think it's cool.

What I love about Gaga is her story, where she came from. Before she made it, before anyone knew who she was, I knew who she was and, to see her finally make it, I was so happy. If we were to work together that would be cool.

The pain is necessary. Sometimes pain is the teacher we require, a hidden gift of healing and hope.

I was two when we left Indiana, and I don't really remember it that well.

I was sheltered, and there's good and bad to that. The good was not getting into the drugs and the alcohol and the really sorry stuff, and the bad was finally coming out into the real world and trying to deal with it, which was hard for me.