I make soul music for hip-hop heads. It's music I'd want to sample if I were a rapper.

I never have, but I would love to pick R. Kelly's brain.

I think that what happens is that all of my modern influences blend together with the older soul influences and you get Mayer Hawthorne.

I don't want kids listening to my music thinking it's for their parents. I want them to feel it's theirs.

I really love rap music. I grew up in the '80s and '90s with Public Enemy, N.W.A., LL Cool J - I'm a hip-hop encyclopedia. But I got kind of frustrated with the chauvinistic side of rap music, the one that makes it hard to write songs about love and relationships.

I consider myself to have a decent sense of humor. What's life without a sense of humor?

My grandma Ricky - that's where I got classic look from. She was the most stylish person ever. She had her own clothing store and even her furniture was stylish. I got my "Flashy, but classy" motto from her, too. Whenever she walked in the room, she was always the most stylish person in the room.