I had to pawn my clothes just to pay my rent.

Music to me is like breathing. I don't get tired of breathing, I don't get tired of music.

Now Listen You know I work so hard, all day long Everything I try to do, Seem to always turn out wrong That's why I wanna stop by on my way home and say Let's go get stoned

I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water.

You never can overwhelm an instrument. You will never get out all that's in an instrument. An instrument will bring you to your limits.

I'd like to think that when I sing a song, I can let you know all about the heartbreak, struggle, lies and kicks in the ass I've gotten over the years for being black and everything else, without actually saying a word about it.

I don't think any of us really knows why we're here. But I think we're supposed to believe we're here for a purpose.