“I think ‘selfies’ are fun and expressive, as long as you don’t get carried away with it.”

I’m no dancer. I got rhythm, I can dance if I need to but I’m not Chris Brown. He’s an amazing dancer. If I’m not going to be amazing at it, I’m not gon’ do it. I’m gonna do what works for me and you’re going to feel it ’cause it’s me.

A lot of people are wanting him [Barack Obama] to be the president just because he’s black. But I think he does have some good views.

I’ve been in front of the camera a million times as a musician, and even directed a few music videos. So, I know a lot about spacing, focus, blocking, etcetera. So, acting isn’t totally new for me. Still, I find it fascinating, because you actually get to be another person.

Success is what you envisage it to be. You have to go into any profession knowing what you want because people will place expectations on you and their idea of success could taint yours.

I don’t really do glasses. It’s a good look, but I’m not big on wearing clear glasses for fashion. And I don’t wear too many shades because my fans love to see my eyes.

The people who support me and my dreams make me feel like I’m on top of the world.

I love music, so if I wasn’t singing, I would probably still be working in the music industry. I love songwriting, so I’d probably be a songwriter.

As blacks, all we got is sports and entertainment. That’s the only way out the hood sometimes.

I wish I never fell so deep in love with you and now it ain’t no way we can be friends.

I don’t think music can be held. I don’t think artists can be put into boxes or places. It’s all about creating and making the best music you can.

I think everybody gets lonely sometimes. I don’t know if people can ever understand how you can be in a room full of people and be lonely sometimes.

Change is a natural form of progression.

From the music I make, to the things I do in my life, I’m true to my R&B core.

I love Calvin Klein underwear. That’s the only kind of underwear I wear.

Petersburg, growing up at home, all by my family and friends, Petersburg really, city-raised me, you know everybody there.

I’ve never really been settled. I don’t think I’ve ever known what it was like to be a person that was used to sitting still. I think it’s given me the ability to detach from any situation.

Women can be vivacious. We are allowed more varieties of facial expression and gestures. Men must be rocklike.

With a lot of comedians, one of their major attributes is that they look comedic, with a certain hangdog or manic expression. I look like the neighborhood bully. That doesn’t elicit laughter.

Fashion has a reason to be, because in fashion you can find new kinds of expression about human beings. It’s my way to communicate.

People generally express more in between their sentences when they’re not speaking. Words are usually there to disguise who someone is or what they’re feeling.

Once I get onstage the tension explodes and I’m fine. I’m in another world – in a trance almost, doing what I love best, expressing myself through guitar.

It is painful to relive things that have caused emotional crises or whatever and find ways to express that musically.

I wanted to become an engineer, or get a masters in business. But I had the opportunity to do films when I was about 25 and it was a great way to express myself.

It’s not the face, but the expressions on it. It’s not the voice, but what you say. It’s not how you look in that body, but the thing you do with it. You are beautiful.