I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.

I feel what they feel. And people who listen to me know that, and it makes them feel like they're not alone.

I applied for a scholarship to Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. I knew I was good enough, but they turned me down. And it took me about six months to realize it was because I was black. I never really got over that jolt of racism at the time.

My love is like the wind and wild is the wind. Give me more than one caress, satisfy my hungriness. Let the wind blow through your heart for wild is the wind.

I tell you what freedom is to me: no fear.

Music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel... through music... Whew... you can feel the vibrations of everybody in the world at any given moment.

I don't like rap music at all. I don't think it's music. It's just a beat and rapping.