It's OK showing yourself some love.

The only person that I'm really feeling - because she has an identity of her own, even though she has listened to Mary J. Blige - is Jill Scott.

You know a lot, but you don't know everything.

In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took responsibility for every part of my life. No more pity parties. I've gotta love me more than anybody else loves me.

No one compares to you. Just remember that. There's no one out there - there's only one of you, and that's it. And whatever you believe about you that's great, no one else has it. And I can't look like you, there's no way I can slip into your body and be you, and you can't slip into my body and be me. This is all we're gonna get.

I can tell you I didn't feel good when I could not articulate properly. Getting my GED was important and I want other women to feel that.

It's challenging to find an identity as a young person if you don't have the sustenance of love, because you're being shipped around.