She [my mother] said, "You are fiercely protective of your inventions because you are your fans." She helped me understand my own feelings. When someone has pulled the wool over my eyes, I feel that they have pulled the wool over the eyes of millions of fans around the world. She helped me to forgive. You can't force people to have the same world consciousness and awareness as you do.

Fight and push harder for what you believe in, you'd be surprised, you are much stronger than you think.

My talent matters more to me than the money does.

Making ziti for the Chicago Fire Department! I hope they're not too busy today, but this should fill their bellies I hope they like it!

If there was some sort of mathematical equation for beauty, I don’t know if I would be the algorithm. I’m not a supermodel. That’s not what I do. What I do is music. I want my fans to feel the way I do, to know what they have to offer is just as important, more important, than what’s happening on the outside.

They say that this country is free, and they say that this country is equal, but it is not equal if it's 'sometimes'...We need change now. We demand actions now.

In fact, my courage and my bravery at a young age was the thing I was bullied for, a kind of 'Who do you think you are?'