I feel like when you are really appreciative, it makes it easier to have a better outlook and perspective of life in general.
Interestingly, I matured as a musician and as an artist before I matured as a man. What I mean by that is, I was ready to be completely vulnerable and honest with myself and unapologetic when it comes to how I express myself in my medium. But I wasn't as secure in doing that when it came to just being myself.
Historically, black music has influenced other cultures and other genres and created other genres.
It was important for me to remind people that there's no formula... there's no boundary to R&B music.
The extremes of who I'd love to be onstage are David Bowie, Prince, and, I don't know, Bjork.
I feel like R&B as a genre has become a caricature of itself.
I just think that Jack White is the consummate artist - an artist's artist. I'm a huge fan.
I think your conversations are indicative of your tastes - even your diction.
I could speak Spanish fluently growing up, but I'm so out of practice, and I have such a tremendous respect for songwriting in the Spanish language.
I fell in love with funk music through my father - Funkadelic - as well as soul and classical early on.
I grew up in Los Angeles when the racial tensions between blacks and Mexicans were very high. Gang violence was very prevalent.
At the end of the day, as a grown man, I don't really care what the sexuality of the next man is.
I think that the best part of music is when it comes from a real place and has an ability to kind of connect on a much larger scale. It no longer is a personal thing, it becomes everyone else's thing as well.
Art is based on emotion, but being macho is based on ego; the wall protecting that emotion.
I'm a nice guy, but I like to get into trouble.
'SNL' is probably one of the premiere outlets that a musician can perform on that isn't obviously a music outlet.
I'm really excited to put music out that is a clear projection of my lifestyle.
I have this propensity to just come out and say things. That's how I am in real life.
I believe dreams represent the purest form of fantasy we unleash through our subconscious. They represent the truest freedom we can experience. Totally unrepressed and totally creative.
