Goapele

My hair story has been unique because my mom's a German Jew, so her hair is way different than my hair. She was always learning on my hair growing up, but I would sit there for hours, and she did learn how to braid hair. Early on, it was a lot of tears while my mom was braiding my hair.

Women, goals, empowerment, well-being, and women's health has always been important to me.

I think it's possible to be a great mother and have a successful career. I like that more women are doing this.

Africa doesn't look like it's changed that much to me since I first went in '94. There is still a major economic divide, but the rights of Africans have changed and progressed.

When I feel better looking in the mirror, it makes me feel more uplifted. I feel like what that image has been has shifted in different ways, and that's probably why I'm always changing: because I start getting bored, and I don't like feeling locked into anything.

I'm extremely proud I was born and raised in the Bay Area and loved representing Oakland. I started recording in the Bay Area and worked with a lot of different producers. But I always wanted to collaborate with different writers and get different perspectives.

I think glass has so many different forms. Sometimes it comes off as something so breakable and fragile, but it's amazingly strong. It starts as sand, and it takes on different lives, but it is breakable.

I enjoy being able to do different kinds of music, not just to be eclectic but because those are all a part of me.

I don't wear that much makeup. I'll do a little concealer here and there and apply some mascara. It just depends on how I'm feeling that day, but I try and go days without makeup just because I think it's healthier for skin to breathe.

When I'm singing, I can see so many people, and I can see their response and everything. And being somewhere like the Hollywood Bowl, I'm seeing those immediate people in front of me, but other than that, it's just dots, and I'm just imagining who's out there and imagining their responses.

I'm thankful that my daughter's father has allowed me to do what I do because that really makes a difference. I do believe a woman can have it all.

I say that I do soul, R&B music. I have so many influences, from Billie Holiday, Nina Simone to Stevie Wonder and Prince and even Al Green and Bjork. And a lot of hip hop music has influenced me a lot - you know - De La Soul and Digital Underground and A Tribe Called Quest.