There are people out there who want to provoke me and bring back the old Mary but I'm not giving them the satisfaction.

If we didn't have understanding of our journey, we wouldn't be able to go on. We'd be stuck, like, 'Why me?'

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.

The streets respect me because I kept it real with me. You gotta be real with yourself, and the streets recognize game.

Working in the studio is a more personal experience whereas on stage in front of a billion people, its more exciting performing live.

It's not just songs and glamour. It's sweat, blood, broken toes, and mistakes... It's life.

I'm my worst critic, and I like the fact that I can listen to myself now and make fun of myself, listen, make changes - 'Oh, man, that's messed up. Okay, I need to work on that; I need to work on this.'