Drake doesn't realize, in many ways, he was like the big brother I never had. He set the example and paved the way for me to be myself. Now, whether I'm at the Grammys or whether I'm here or there or whatever, he'll show me love... People don't realize what that's like, what that means.
I'm not just going to get a deal; I'm going to get the deal. And in my deal I got by signing with No I.D. to Def Jam, I got full creative control, the money was great, the contract was good, and I got to create the album that I wanted.
I want y'all to know that all of the music I make is for the people that truly appreciate it and care about it.
On the second half of 'Under Pressure,' I talk about my family, and there are voicemails on my phone from when I was on the road that actually make up the second half of the nine-minute song. I transcribe them and rap them as if I were my sister, my brother, or my father.
Not to sound cliche, but some of the first things that I bought were for my homies and my team: making sure the people that helped me and ensured my security and safety during my come-up, while I was broke, had the opportunity to be okay.
Black folk who don't realize I'm mixed will treat me like I'm some racist person, or when white people find out I'm black, they treat me with racism, and I don't feel like I belong or fit in anywhere.
There are certain artists that get into the little circle in hip-hop, and everybody is talking about them, and they are buzzing. But they can't go out and sell out tours, perform in front of 3,000 people a night, and things like that. We did things backwards; with Visionary, we got all the fans first.
I truly believe that if I'm out partying and not in the studio, there's somebody out there who will be. When I'm asleep, somebody else is working. So, I have a lot of sleepless nights.