When I sing, I have to live in that moment, so my audience can feel that. That is my reason for doing art.

I'd been told that when you first put your feet on African ground, you'll be hit by a feeling of overwhelming understanding, like you've returned home and suddenly belong. Quite frankly, I didn't feel that.

I'm a girl who enjoys a great meal with great friends, so I'm not really that concerned about weight loss.

I did an internship at the Ardent theatre company in Philly after dropping out of college. I was earning $165 a week building sets and cleaning the toilets. Cleaning toilets is a good way of getting in touch with your creativity. That's when you find out if you got anything going on in your head.

Every community needs a rec center.

I like to be in the now, now. Sometimes musicians have to wait for me to be genuine with it. As an actor, I don't have that luxury. You have to make it legit when they say 'action.'

For me, hair is an accoutrement. Hair is jewelry. It's an accessory.