I am always hesitant to call myself an activist, mostly out of respect for the activists who are using their bodies and voices to protest or activists online who are constantly engaging and educating others.

I have been and continue to be committed to art as a tool to ignite, comfort, and discomfort.

Art can sometimes be separate from the artist.

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.

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

When I was writing, I wanted every word to be not only deliberate, but musical. Precious.

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.