It's possible and available to any artist to be himself or herself on their own terms, to be accepted and embraced by black people. You don't have to be a thug to get love from black people.

I'm really quite bipolar, and the depressed times, when everything felt like night, sometimes you get to such a low point that you physically beat at it until it bleeds - as you would say - bleeds till sunshine. You get to a point where you say, 'I will not take it anymore! I'm gonna do something drastic if I stay this depressed. I've got to break out of there!'

Hip-Hop went from selling crack to smoking it

To me, it's like happiness is about happiness, but happiness is a fight.

I don't have advice for people on how to dress. People should dress based on what they find beautiful. My best advice: Keep your clothes clean.

But even creeps deserve to live someplace halfway decent.

I like to read the 'Financial Times' when I'm traveling. 'Economist.' 'Ad Busters.'