It is hard for a black man to just be himself. We spend so much time in defense of something that is indefensible because there is nothing to defend.

Dad made it to Gold Shield Detective, so he always busted Robin, my oldest brother, and me. Always got caught, whatever we were doing.

Serious musicians are finding it harder and harder to have a voice in the world of music these days.

The belief that we are what the media says we are, what people perceive we are, is soon to be what we think we are. We are treated based on this warped perception. It is hard to get away from it.

If you play jazz, then you play with your fingers. If you're playing rock, you use a pick. There's really no rhyme or reason to that other than that's just the way it has been.

I was playing violin for a long time, about 6 years. It takes a while. You need very patient people in your house when you have a violin.

James Brown is the reason I play guitar.