I know in the movie it looks like my grandmother is condoning it, but she really wasn't. But back in those days, men beat women. She was trying to tell me something without being judgmental, trying to help me understand that's what men do.

Dre couldn't have given me those words to write, and he couldn't have given me that voice to sing. I couldn't have given him that musical talent or the ability that he has. What we made came from putting things together. I've always said that.

No one country can confront them alone…the only way forward is together.

We had everything. We were young kids. We were driving cars our parents couldn't afford, living in big houses. For me to sit here and say, "Oh my God, I didn't enjoy any of it" - no, I did. Of course I did.

It's one of many ways that Barack shows me and the girls how special we are. And that's the thing that touches me about him. I don't care what's on his plate. I don't care what he's struggling with. When he steps off that elevator into our residence he is Barack and dad. And there's just those little things that you do that remind you, that you know, I still got ya.

I'm not all dolled up. We tried to keep it as real as we could. We're telling you something that happened. It's a part of history. I hope this movie [ 'Surviving Compton'] gives you a little bit of me and of my music and my heart.

I was appearing on the reality show R&B Divas and when I started to fall apart it was very public. But I am glad that it happened that way. It made me see myself. And it made me transparent.