Before doing any interviews I like to know who I'm meeting with and get a bit of an idea of their sensibilities.

My daughter's birth was like a rebirth for me.

In my coming-of-age time, there was no internet, no social networking, nothing. It was just show after show, hoping one day somebody would notice you.

Things were a lot simpler in Detroit. I didn't care about anything but boyfriends.

New York wasn't everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms. The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time.

When we take a picture, we have a negative. We put the right solution on it and, suddenly, the picture comes to life. So what do we do? We take the negative and turn it into a positive.

I don't doubt love for a second. I'm living for love. Listen to my songs!