“I feel it’s my job to continue being a student of music if I want to continue being an artist and a producer of other artists. You have to keep filling your mind with other music. You have to be ahead of the curve.”

You pick up some fans and a handful of haters along the way.

I know I’m probably much too late to try and apologize for my mistakes.

You know, I just do whatever feels right to me! And so that’s what you’re gonna get!

A grown man should always carry cash, right? I don’t know who told me, but someone told me that a long time ago, and the biggest turnoff is when a guy doesn’t have cash on him.

I just write songs that I strongly believe in and that are coming from inside. There’s no tricks. It’s honesty with big melodies.

Ever since I was a kid, this was all I wanted to do. I’ve wanted to do music. I wanted to sing. It’s all I know.

We all grew up idolizing another musician. That’s how this works. That’s how music is created.

I don’t think anyone ever plans to change line-ups, but it’s something that comes with being in bands. I was in a band once and there were always problems – members come and go – and some of the world’s biggest bands have changed line-ups loads!

You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready.

I love artists like Prince, who hold on to that element of mystery.

Music is not math. It’s science. You keep mixing the stuff up until it blows up on you, or it becomes this incredible potion.

Doo-wop is special music to me because it’s so straightforward and melody-driven and captures emotions.

I definitely don’t plead guilty to being a heartthrob.

And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while.

You gotta know what you are, who you are and how you want to be portrayed.

I just know that I’m a fan of all different kinds of genres. You’re supposed to be free doing music, and that’s how I feel.

Zhang Yimou is an artist. Sometimes we did only two or three shots a day because we were waiting for the sun.

Ignorance and arrogance are the artist’s and entrepreneur’s indispensable allies. She must be clueless enough to have no idea how difficult her enterprise is going to be and cocky enough to believe she can pull it off anyway.”

I came out to L.A. to be a songwriter and not an artist, and I’m so excited because I always secretly wanted to be an artist.

The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want.

The amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.

Every artist should want to be like Michael Jackson.

I sometimes just don’t like to see the Ultimate Fighting. I just find it, as a martial artist, I just find it too violent.

If I’ve made it a little easier for artists to work in violence, great! I’ve accomplished something.