That's the message I want to give to every up-and-coming artist: Do everything that is going to help you later. If you clone somebody else, that's all they're gonna keep wanting from you.

When you come from so many damaged places you don't ever want to spiral back there, so you gotta continue to check yourself.

I just want fans to walk away knowing that no matter what's going on, no matter how happy you are, no matter how sad you are, we did it. We're strong in this. We've come a long way, and life is not just one thing.

I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them.

I cannot save the world, that's not what I'm trying to do. I guess I'm just trying to walk the walk and be an example to those that want it. Not everybody does, but if Mary J Blige can come out of that same hole you were in, then you can do it too - that's my goal: to do that without saying it, but actually live it.

When I was a child I didn't care about getting an education, and I didn't finish high school.

I like what I see when I'm looking at me when I'm walking past the mirror.