When I was growing up, music was music and there were no genres. We didn't look at it as country music. Popular music in Tuskegee was country music. So I didn't know it in categories. It was the radio.

By growing up in Alabama, I had a melting pot of the whole pie: R&B, gospel, country.

It's quite interesting that in my growing up I had several influences. We had gospel music on campus. R&B music was, of course, the community, and radio was country music. So I can kind of see where all the influences came from.

People, as critical as it looks, we're OK. We are in control, whether we feel it or not.

Fairy tales opened up a door into my imagination - they don't conform to the reality that's around you as a child. I started reading when I was three and read everything, but I wanted to be an actress.

Thank God for being a writer, because you do sort of find out what you think by the process of writing.

I take conscious breaks for myself 'cause I like to rejuvenate and get my creative juices flowing. I also like to take my time with my creativity; I think it's important.

Creatively, I'd like to achieve not only being an artist, but being a businessman and having my own music home.