The story that I wanna tell is pretty much about the way I grew up. Being bi-racial, growing up in a big city and being an artist.

It was amazing to me that, all of a sudden, I was hearing my music on the radio and coming out of cars.

I feel like I'm only in the beginning of my career. I've only made five albums. It's not a lot.

My career has been a gradual climb. I think that's part of the reason why I've had longevity.

My whole premise has been, right from the beginning, that it would take me a lifetime to learn to explain myself as an artist. As you grow older, you learn what to do and what to leave out. You kind of simplify your work and get the same thing done with fewer strokes. It's pretty interesting to me.

The important thing to remember, if you are trying something that is an innovation, is not to think too much about it. Because if you take too long, by the time you get there, the world will have changed. You take a risk, and if it doesn't work, you make a change. We are not betting our lives on it.

What the Olympics and other mega-events have shown is that the significant investment required to host an international games successfully has the power to transform a region, and even a nation.

Bureaucracies tend to grow and to brag about their growth based on how many individuals they have and how much money they spend.