To be compared to Will Smith is probably one of the coolest things because that's who I came up admiring.

In the hip-hop community, it's about how real are you, or how strong can you be, and really my music just reflects me. If you can accept me, then you can accept my music

I was 16 years old, driving to LA, and sleeping in my car, just trying to make it happen.

Just speak yourself into existence. Whatever you want, speak it. You can see it.

Saturday morning, you knew what was cool by what was on 'Soul Train.'

I'm definitely light-spirited, but I just felt like my music had to have a little more depth.

A lot of the girls my age were impressed by silly stuff like money and fame. I wanted to be able to have intellectual and spiritual conversations with someone who was on the same page as me.