But now I realize that this record business really needs me. No one else is trying to take a chance or do something different.
Well, if you look at all of the cultures in America, this is a great opportunity for us to really get acquainted with the rest of the world. America is the only place you can do that, but we don't have sense enough to take advantage of that.
It's almost like a lot of black people in America, a lot of young black men, are born with this cloud over their heads. It's their penitentiary cloud, this philosophy we all have, that it's harder for us.
I thought the Billie Holiday comparison was beautiful. I think, Wow, what a wonderful, creative, helpful spirit. She's someone who wanted to help others by sharing her emotion. That's what I do, too, so I think that's a great comparison.
I love putting the music together. It's like art.
I don't read music or anything, so when I produce, I go basically by ear.
I knew it would happen. I knew I'd be No. 1. I'm a new artist; I don't know the rules. Nobody told me it wouldn't happen.
Man, I don't want to have nothing to do with computers. I don't want the government in my business.
I'm a woman who has gone through many heartaches, enough to dedicate my whole life to trying to figure them out.
Honey isn't really that good for you.
I'm a performance artist first; I'm a recording artist second.
I've had two children. I've had three boyfriends. I've had a lot of things happen that can change your opinions and values and philosophies.
I'm a Pisces, so I'm a very closed-book kind of person.
I can be Erykah the human being more than the celebrity.
I grew up with all mothers, all women. I come from a long line of matriarchs, very strong women.
I don't have one song that sounds like another one in my entire catalog.
I don't have any particular thing I do ritualistically. I do the same thing every day. I get up. Drink a lot of water. Have a wheatgrass shot. Drink some green juice. Eat as healthy as I can.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 19.
I don't sing melodically. Rhyme pattern is how I sing. I also write like a lyricist or an MC because that's what I was before I was a singer. I just took those elements and put them into music.
Hip-hop was created out of necessity. We needed to create some digitized things to help us understand what we were feeling.
