My grandmother had 11 children and although we didn't have a whole lot of money, what we did have was a lot of love. My grandmother was the matriarch. If you didn't have a place to stay, if you needed food, if you were just coming out of jail or rehab, you went to her. Watching her in our family and our wider community was what inspired me and still does.

We have to do something about gun laws. And we also have to do something about police brutality towards African American people. We need more allies. People need to continue to speak out about the way African American people are being treated. An injustice to one black man or woman is an injustice to everybody.

I had a strong visceral reaction to the Moonlight (2016) script, partly because I felt I knew all of these characters. I grew up with a drug dealer like Juan in my neighborhood who was a mentor to local young people. I had a family member who was addicted to crack, like Paula. Chiron himself reminded me of my little cousin - they were all characters I could relate to from my upbringing. And I've played the role of Teresa in real life: my family and friends always have a shoulder to lean on with me.

I've never viewed myself as "just" a musician or singer. I'm a storyteller who wants to tell untold, meaningful, universal stories in unforgettable ways. I want to do it all, study it all and find my place in it.

[observation, 2014] I'd be honored to experiment more with holograms and maybe make a whole band - but I love my band. I wouldn't want them to be holograms.

I feel myself becoming the fearless person I have dreamt of being. Have I arrived? No. But I'm constantly evolving and challenging myself to be unafraid to make mistakes.

I've always wanted people to ask questions about the music. Some songs you get. Some songs you may not. And I think that's the beauty of art: to question and to ask, to understand the deeper meaning after two or three or four listenings. I appreciate that as a writer because sometimes the mystery, when it's gone, is not as interesting. I love the mystery behind things.