The most valuable lesson my family ever taught me was that love is never unconditional. The realization that I did not have to love the people I was supposed to opened up the possibility that I could wholly love those who did deserve it…

My mom is my best friend. When she acts like a mother, it honestly confuses me…

Seeing movies by yourself is the greatest experience. It is the only time that you can laugh loudly, weep openly, and feel invested without others around you asking, “Why?”…

Never doubt the power of a nice shirt, a comfortable pair of dark jeans and a colorful pair of sneakers…

Race is always an issue. The true danger is how racism breeds self-hatred and doubt, forcing minorities to always think of themselves as “different.” Rather than punishing the bully, I wish my teachers would have told me that he’s actually “wrong,” rather than assume I understood it  implicitly, because for most of my life, I didn’t…

People who don’t love Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions…are probably not going to get very far with me…

Act professional. Have a business card. Write formal emails. Follow up. Shake hands. Your status as a professional is based on how you do business, not the business that you represent…

Real friends don’t ask to be on the list. Real friends know that the cover charge pays your rent…

Quitting your job is the most powerful feeling in the world. The memory of sitting across from someone who needs or wants you, and you saying “I don’t care” can get you through the hardest day supporting yourself. I’ll carry it with me forever…

Steer clear of the peoplewho always comment on how busy you always are. Befriend the people who don’t mind. Try to work with the people who seem busier than you…

Write. Record. Perform. Everything is practice for one of those three things…

I love artists who make me think, “I bet I could do better.” Even if it’s delusional, it still moves me to create…

I hate artists who make me think, “I have done better.” Their art is nothing but a waste of time…

I am forever indebted to artists who make me think, “I could never do better.” They make me push harder in a different direction. They force me to define myself, so I can figure out a way to distinguish myself so we never have to directly compete..

True fear is the first few seconds before you start speaking into that mic. At that moment, you’re not sure if you’ll be terrible or amazing. It’s not a fear of failing, it’s a fear of not knowing which it’ll be. It’s the possibility that it could be great, and that you may not fulfill that potential…

That gut reaction is always right. I had the opportunity to do music full-time after college, and I went to law school instead, even though I felt like music was the right choice. Almost seven years later, I had a second chance, and I got that same feeling. This time, I trusted it…

Even if it all fails, it was definitely the right choice…