I came out of UCB and, before that, punk rock, and the whole deal was you do it yourself. Get up and rent the space, get up and press your own records, get up and silkscreen your own tees, get it done yourself. That sort of self-reliance will only serve me. Any time I lose sight of that, my career suffers.

I guess that's the big challenge of any art: Do you want to be something for everyone or everything for someone?

Your kids have these big emotions they can't put into words.

There's a certain steely resolve when you decide to live in a city and decide to raise children in the city. And if you're doing it properly, you have sort of a heightened awareness anyway.

As a family, we were always active. Lots of walking, lots of running as well as riding bikes with dad.

I may adopt. I love children and I do feel the need to take the legacy forward. I am open to it, but emotionally you have to be ready for it. Raising a child is really a huge responsibility. And I should have that time and emotional energy to give to child. How and when is a decision my mother and I will take a few years from now.

The power of collecting money from the people is not to be rejected because it has sometimes been oppressive. Public credit is as necessary for the prosperity of a nation as private credit is for the support and wealth of a family.

I was raised in a very religious home with two parents who were deeply involved in the black church. When I was young, I went to a small black AME church in New Jersey.