As a person of color, I know race can't be stripped from admiration or preference.

Music is my first love, where my artistic journey began.

I am more likely to get paid for my art if it's presented alongside a white artist, so the questions around value and agency arise: What choices should I make, or do I have to make, if I want to be compensated for my work? Why isn't my art valued on its own?

I worry about what Trump will inspire in Canada, especially given incidents that have already occurred here since the election.

I used singing as a safety measure. I would pay attention to what songs the popular girls liked, learn those songs from the radio or library cassettes, and then "accidentally" sing or hum these songs in class. This would impress the girls, who would then defend me from the boys.

Despite the fact that I'm not highly skilled in any visual art, aesthetics have always played a strong role in my art, including my first albums.

I think white artists have a responsibility to be not only naming white supremacy, but to be using their power and privilege to support artists of color.