I've always been who I've been. I've always been this person.

I come from a very small, poor town just outside of the Chicago area and I know what it's like to dream and accomplish some of your goals, but I would never want to do a show where I am preaching to anyone because I do not like being preached at. I want to learn right along with my audience and every show will be a collaborative effort. I am so thankful to Debra Lee and everyone at the BET Network for providing me with this unique opportunity and platform.

We need to stop separating ourselves by how dark or how light we are.

When you've been blessed, you have to share your gifts, and you also have to help others give their gifts away.

I've always been who I've been. I've always been this person.

I decided to not be so dismissive of my music in favor of my acting. Acting has been such a consistent thing for me; a lot of times in the past, I wouldn't have had the confidence with my music to really make it a part of my schedule. I would easily push it to the side, or I would easily take up time that was needed for it. I'm not that way anymore. Now, I really want to make everything work. I want to continue to do both at the highest level that I can.

You should never look at somebody and say, 'I wish I had their life,' because you never really know what struggles they're going through.