Quotes from Goapele

I'm looking to immerse myself more in the entertainment community and possibly get into doing some acting. Music is my first love, what I was most naturally drawn to and choose to study. Getting into the acting world is like a new exciting challenge.

There are some parents who always have their daughter's hair whipped. Mine wasn't always like that, but I appreciate that both my parents were into me having natural hair, so they did find Anota Scott, who I was going to for my cornrows and wrapping last year and a couple years before that.

Our hair can be a fun outlet for self expression. I love wearing cornrows and getting my hair thread-wrapped because it feels ancient and African.

But I was waiting for some magical moment, that would prove to me, forever would be fine. Meanwhile, my first love was standing first in line.

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've experienced a lot of creative freedom because I'm on a family label. It was nice to put out what I wanted to say and do what I wanted to do.

Good soul music should make you feel something in your heart, in your body, and in your spirit. That's what I try to do both in the studio and on stage.

Mos is a true artist who has a story to tell and gives back through his music. He remixed my song 'Different' in 2005, and the song we're working on now will be one of my future projects.

I care about a lot of social issues, and I care about fashion.

I did struggle with what I want to say socially, but it's important to reflect where I'm at mentally.

I feel, in my live shows, I can be as dynamic as I want. It's my comfort zone. When I get in the studio, it's more of a solitary experience, which can be good creatively.

'Break of Dawn,' musically, is still soulful and eclectic, but I think I opened up a little bit more vocally. It's a little more intimate. It's a little more sensual than before - and pensive.

I have a lot of family in South Africa, but I grew up in California. I feel like my name keeps me connected to a long line of people that have been through a heck of a lot. It reminds me to stay grateful, and it reminds me to try and step my game up if I'm slacking.

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 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.

I believe, as artists, I do think we have a responsibility, and there's also a place for a lot of different artists. It is nice when music captures the honesty of the time but also what we're going through in that moment.

I feel happy with myself when I go to the steam room and steam my face. But truth be told, my ultimate beauty indulgence is lip balm - I can't go an hour without lip balm.

I tend to write a lot of love songs, but I always want there to be something real and authentic that people can connect to, and I want to not just do it in a stereotypical way.

How I started my musical career, officially, was really, like, my family and I deciding to put out, you know, the 'Closer' album that started really small, you know, with a vision that we'd make it pass there.

Sometimes I'm just like, 'I cannot hold onto this anymore,' and it's time to say something. And at the end of the day, I've just got to let it go and be true to myself. Whatever comes out comes out.

Sometimes it's isolating, but just being in the music industry that is just dominated by men, I think it means I have to be comfortable and confident in myself and not really care that people think I'm bossy and opinionated and also try and balance that energy.

I want people to feel inspired. I want people to feel good. I want people to feel something. I want people to strive for what they want in their life, and I want them to heal from anything that's hurting them.

'Stay' is all about how to stay in a relationship past the newness and love stronger.

When I first was putting out music, I was like, 'I don't want to be overly sexy or do too much with the imaging or show too much skin, and I want to make sure my lyrics are balanced.'