When I write a song, I tap into the emotion and the feeling and then I use the emotion to write the words. It's the opposite when I act. I use the words and tap into the emotion.

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

I have a few caftans just for lounging purposes. When I want to feel free, it's the closest thing to feeling naked without being naked.

I didn't leave home until 27. I was an only child raised in Philadelphia by my mother and grandmother. My grandmother controlled the stove. She made a lot of potato meals - mashed potato, potato souffle, potato pancakes. When we didn't have electricity we ate romantically, by candlelight.

When I get onstage, I automatically feel beautiful.

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.

I've been enjoying playing with fashion - gold grills and diamond grills have just become a part of that.