I think it's important to raise your kids, start 'em early. Teaching them the values and morals, so when they get out there on their own, you know they have it. They just have to remember to use it, but they have it.

I decided early on that I was going to put on my crown and rule my world by acting right and treating myself like a queen.

It's not always easy to do the right thing. But, doing the right thing makes you strong, it builds character, it forces you to make decisions based upon your beliefs and not what other people think. In life, and in business, you have to stand for what you believe in and sometimes you have to stand alone. But, what makes you a leader is having the courage of your convictions.

I was taught from a young age that many people would treat me as a second-class citizen because I was African-American and because I was female.

Having Black hair is unique in that Black women change up styles a lot. You can walk down one street block in New York City and see 10 different hairstyles that Black women are wearing: straight curls, short cuts, braids - we really run the gamut.

I feel strongly that women who look like me should feel great. So I am not changing.

I've never wanted to be put into a box, not musically.