Missy Elliott

I want kids of this generation to see that everything is cool, that there's some kind of unity in hip-hop. We all found something that's really important to us, and music is all we've really got.

You don't make any money being an artist. Writing and producing? You get your money from that. You live comfortable.

The person I eventually find will have to like me and my style.

The fun part of being an entertainer is that you call up Six Flags, and you say, 'I'm coming,' and you get to get on all the rides before everyone. I hate standing in line.

There's that saying: 'God gave you talent, and if you don't use it He'll take it away from you.' And I always said, 'I don't want God to come down and take my talents away.' So, by using all these talents and being successful in all of them, I've always got something to fall back on.

Music is a male-dominated field. Women are not always taken as seriously as we should be, so sometimes we have to put our foot down.

I've learnt to be happy by myself.

A lot of people don't do this. You can count on a couple of hands probably how many artists also produce and write, both for themselves and for others, and are able to be successful at both things.

I think Aaliyah has influenced artists like a Ciara.

I know that some people shy away from what I say. They think it is too blunt, but when you don't give people that, they feel like you are being fake and you're not telling the truth. So it's like, you want me to tell the truth, but when I do, it's too much for you.

Women are not always taken as seriously as we should be, so sometimes we have to put our foot down.

I wasn't born a superstar.