I knew that the artists that I loved the most had something about them that was very unfiltered and very rough.

People had an idea of what R&B artists or pop artists usually say, which was like, 'Talk about sex, talk about partying, and be positive; don't be too much of a downer.'

I wasn't anything special as a father. But I loved them and they knew it.

We knew that (working in New Orleans) was going to be rough and we were all ready to buck up and do what had to be done. In all of our imagination, we had no idea (the city) was going to be such a disaster.

When I was in New York, the whole vibe was really just not matching with me. I was kind of super depressed in New York. It just had this vibe of 'Get out,' you know? I would try to get out, and we'd look back and just see the city and feel like, 'Oh, I have to go back to prison again.'

We all knew each other in the neighborhood. I loved living in El Paso. I had a wonderful childhood there.