I wasn't the biggest hip-hop fan, because I had to listen to whatever my parents listened to, so growing up, it was a lot of Dolly Parton, Elvis, and Whitney Houston. When they finally put a TV in my room and I got to listen to MTV Jams I was like: 'Here I am!'

Words do cut, and they do hurt. It was one thing growing up where you were bullied, but you'd just come home. Now you can't really escape it. It's to a point where you turn off that phone, you live your life, and you try not to let the words of others offend or stop you from being you and living your life.

Growing up was very interesting for me. If you were Haitian, people just automatically assumed that English was a second language. So they had a special class for my brother and I, but we spoke proper English.

Growing up in America, even in the rougher parts of Elizabeth, I had two nice playgrounds to choose from as a child.

I am an incurable romantic. I am even in love with the idea of being in love, and hence, I write a lot of love songs.

Before marriage, a man declares that he would lay down his life to serve you; after marriage, he won't even lay down his newspaper to talk to you.

When I talk about the importance of the institution of marriage, I think of the commitment and the significance of standing in front of those closest to you and promising fidelity to your partner 'til death do you part.'

Marriage changes everything. I want full control over my life. When you share your life with somebody else, you can't have full control. You have to give a lot of control away. You share each other's lives.