I believe there should be no more drama, but it's everywhere you go. It's just about how you get out. You've gotta bob and weave because it's everywhere. How do I keep the drama low? It's about using your head.

I do consider myself part of black history.

It hurts when you have to smile and you don't want to smile, but the best thing to do is to smile.

The music business is really, really small. The real music is becoming almost extinct, if you don't stay true to who you are.

I can't just make a song people can dance in a club to... it still has to be real.

The fact is that everyone at the labels wants to do what everyone else is doing. You have to look like her; you have to be like her; you have to sing like her, and no one can express themselves. I look at Rihanna and I am so proud of her. She speaks loudly! You have to stand up and clap. She expresses herself through fashion. She actually can sing. And her songs mean something, even to me, you know?

I'm on my way to a place where I'd never dreamed I'd be, and that's perfection.