I watched the MTV Video Music Awards every year, telling myself that one day I'm going to be there, and it's like, finally - I made it!

Blues and soul and jazz music has so much pain, so much beauty of raw emotion and passion.

You used to have to sing and convey emotion, and now, well, technically you can do anything with technology. It sucks for music today, but that's why that old music feels so good to me.

I always wanted to have my own album released before I graduated from high school.

I'd really like to make my first movie before I make my next album.

It had elements of Miles Davis and Billie Holiday and little horn pieces. The way he combined that, I was like, ?Hmm. I bet he would get where I?m trying to go with this record.? It was taking a chance. God knows if he would even do it because it was kind of his first time, I think, even venturing into the ?pop? world. I knew that it would be a different and new thing for him.