When I was growing up, I didn't have a hometown hero.

Coming to a team like the Spurs, you're automatically going to learn how to play the game the right way.

Coming in, I wanted to be a great player, and right now at the beginning of my career, I'm showing some slight sunshine that I can be the player I want.

I'm never trying to break a career high out there.

Even though the music I make gathers influences from all over the place, I feel that the core of what I do comes from the jazz tradition. In terms of improvisation, interaction, feel and overall concept, Jazz is my main source of information and inspiration.

Inspiration is one of my favorite things. That's all I want to do - I want to inspire people.

Very often, unfortunately, people may believe something, but they go along with a group of people because they don't have the courage to stand alone or stand up for themselves.

One motivation for the 'Soul Train' awards was the grumbling that all of us in the industry have heard about the way black music tends to be viewed as a secondary phenomenon by the other awards shows.