I'm really excited about breaking new acts. While I'm trying to preserve the culture and make sure I fight for the acts that the major labels have thrown away, you can't throw away Musiq Soulchild, Kelly Price and Jon B.

Don't be lazy. Learn your instrument and the kids should be learning that stuff. We have to get back to the musicianship of the music. It's called music, so at some point somebody has to learn how to play an instrument.

The major labels, they roll with whatever is making money. I don't know if R&B turned into making banjo music and it sounded like blue grass, they'll buy it if it's selling.

Prince didn't want to sound like Michael Jackson. Neither of them wanted to sound like Luther Vandross. They didn't want to sound like David Bowie. They were all different, but brilliant.

People are getting record deals and they can barely sing. We have these new terms for artists that can dance, but they can't sing.

I'm usually writing or producing for other people. I'm like Burger King most of the time; I let people have it their way like "You want it like this? I'll give it to you like this."

I can move around the way I want to. It's a beautiful thing. I don't know how long it'll last, but I'll certainly take advantage of it and try to be part of shifting and shaping the culture and preserving it.