You can't really put a time limit on how long someone will grieve.

In America, there are some artists who are more of an image than music; if your star status goes down there, you're finished.

Back in the day, even if they were singing about the same things, each artist was unique. That's why I try to stay away from the big-name producers, so I can prove that it's not about the producer, it's about the artist. A lot of R&B artists have gotten away from being artists and are just chasing after the next hot producer and it all starts to sound the same.

A lot of times with my more up-tempo music, I try to take the approach of a hip-hop artist, but when it comes to imaging, I've been following the pattern of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna.

With the artists that I named - Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna, every time they come out with a new album, something's slightly different. In the case of Madonna, she'll come with one joint that'll be left, and then come totally right, but it's always hot. She's just got style. So, at the end, I want my name to be up there with those artists; for people to say, he's one of those iconic figures you can't put in a box.

I have to apologize with one of my album because I called it Unleash the Dragon but I didn't really unleash - I kind of stayed in the Dru Hill vernacular, and that's why the album was so ballad-heavy.

I come over here and a lot of people are like, "What's with the new hair?" I'm like, "Y'all must not have been looking - every album, I change."