I`ve had enough boyfriends and enough issues. I`d seen enough train wrecks.

Well, honey, I had the million dollar houses, I had the car, I had the horse, I had the barn; I had everything. Was I set free? I didn`t even know what that meant.

I touched a lot of people internationally, and Rodney`s a very smart business man, he knows you have to go for a broader and bigger audience.

I smoked some pot as a kid, but I just never did drugs.

My tastes and inspirational artists were always rather eclectic and diverse.

I`m not looking to go out there and make a rhythmic Timbaland track.

That`s really my goal now. I`m trying to be a positive role model to my kids and to just enjoy this ride, because it`s hard. It`s hard to enjoy it when you`re in it.

If anything changes shape or takes off without me, I`ll come after you and kill you. I`m too type A.

This is one hell of a business I picked to be in.

I just try to get out of my own way because if anyone is their own worst enemy, it`s usually you.

And I`m also looking for a comeback record and it has to touch a lot of people.

When I first came out, like a lot of the artists at that time, I had a very polished, very overproduced sound.

I have to be very careful about diet and exercise.

I came out the box and for seven years I had a huge career. And then it`s done, it`s dumped. But I ain`t gone, and I refuse to be gone.

Last thing I need is to take LSD or mushrooms.

All you needed back then was a blow dryer and a dream.

I started working out with a trainer and I immediately saw results.

I do boot camp now. I go to Barry`s. I really enjoy it because it`s for one hour and it`s just balls out. You`re dying by the end of the hour.

But once you strip that down, you realize it`s all about a voice, like a Norah Jones - that`s inspiring to me.

I grew up in New York and my friends and I were hanging out on 2nd Avenue and 8th Street. I wore a lot of clothing by Nasty Habits.

My current mantra is that sometimes we need teachers in our lives. I never had that in my life, parents and stuff like that; I tried to stay on the outside of them or anybody that had that kind of influence.

By the second tour I had rice cakes and hummus with me, and I was jumping rope in my room.

So when I`m working out I do things extreme.

My first tour I was on the road for 18 months. You`re just out there promoting.

I never even did blow; I had no desire.

Plus, I am paranoid by nature. I need to be in control.

Did people think I sounded black? Totally, but that was a marketing tool as well, but also this is how I grew up and these are my influences.

If we were truly in the studio making a record, it would have been more time consuming, and certainly I would have been more involved in the writing process.