It's a gift that I have and I became good at it. When I heard my first song I didn't even know that I could write songs.

I listen to all types of different music. I go to different festivals. I'm around music.

You're put in certain situations and it kind of opens up those doors and it opens up your eyes to realize what your true calling was.

Brandy is one of my favorite vocalists. Jay-Z is my favorite emcee outside of Biggie.

I really was kind of like a musical nerd. I would watch VH1's 'Behind The Music.' That was heavy when I was a kid. I would sit up and want to watch that all day instead of going outside sometimes.

A song is a song and a hit record can change a life.

When you're an artist, you can only do your own stuff. Even if you only write for other people, you're really more focused on yourself. So while everybody's out touring, I'm working on records.

There's a bunch of people who sit around and make excuses for themselves and get upset with artists, but you already know what this is - it's an ego-driven business.

I really want to work with Rufus Wainwright. Michael Stipe from R.E.M. I would love to work with Kanye West.

I don't believe in writing people off.

Not to be arrogant, but I have a lot of hits, so my phone stay ringing, but it's consistent.

All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.

We need to let ourselves be evangelized by the poor. They have much to teach us.

AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' is the greatest meshing of vocal, guitar, and content I've ever heard. That's what I aspire to.

Live with your lips pressed against your fears, kissing your fears, neither pulling back nor aggressively violating them.

It's almost a work-shopping process to create the characters with the actors.

I would rather not work than play in a movie that nobody watches.

I'd be a terrible secret agent. I can't keep a secret and I'm not sneaky.

No one can think a thought for me in the way that no one can don my hat for me.

The real & lasting practice for each of us is to remove what obstructs us so we can be who we are.

I mean, who wants to live waking up... at least I don't want to live waking up everyday about revenge.