Quotes About Self-expression

To me, that's what music entails. It's freedom, it's having the undeniable confidence to express yourself in a way that you know is right.

I definitely wasn't cool in high school. I really wasn't. I did belong to many of the clubs and was in leadership on yearbook and did the musical theater route, so I had friends in all areas. But I certainly did not know what to wear, did not know how to do my hair, all those things.

Once you get everything out of your head about what everybody else is going to think, will radio play it - and I hope they do, I really do - once you shed all of that and just be who you are, that's who I am. That's taken a lot of growing up. I've come into myself musically and as a woman, and I hope to keep growing. If you don't grow, you die.

There was a time, early on in my career, when it was very important for me to be liked by everyone. It meant that I was musically less honest with myself.

I figured out that it was important for me to have my identity, just live independently and like being myself, musically.

I can't sing, so... I don't know if I will be doing any musicals.

When I tried to play characters that strayed from who I am it ended in disaster. People didn't expect me in comedies or musicals.

I did musicals. It's funny, because I can hide behind a character and a voice, but when I have to bring myself and my own voice to it, it's very nerve-wracking.

I grew up in musicals, and if you looked like me and sounded like me, you were the character; you were never at the center of the story.

I don't consider myself a musician. I'm an artist.

I'm not trying to save the world. As a musician and artist, it just ain't me.

TLC has helped me to know that as a musician, I can talk about anything; that there are no barriers, and that you can be yourself. That's what I love about them. Left Eye in particular helped me to stay on top of my A game. She's one of the best female MCs that I've heard.

I didn't want to wear a checked shirt and grow a mustache - that's what you had to do, and everyone did.

I had beautiful wavy hair and a waxed mustache.

I had hair down to my shoulders, a beard and mustache. I was crude and rude.

I had a mustache for 10 years.

The idea that feeling confident and feeling misunderstood are mutually exclusive really bugs me.

The idea that feeling confident and feeling misunderstood are mutually exclusive really bugs me. So a lot of what 'Rookie' is about is just showing that you can be both, and you can like whatever you want.

I've always found that fashion is, first of all, mainly for yourself. So my two icons are, on one side, Little Edie from 'Grey Gardens' and, of course, like all my generation, I'm influenced by Kate Moss.

Whether you say I'm too black, I'm not black enough, this is me. I hope people realize that my journey to love doesn't have to be any different just because my skin is.

I'm a black woman and I'm so happy to represent myself in that respect, but I don't want it to be something that defines me and my journey for love. I definitely don't mind talking about it and addressing it.

I'm in my own little lane, doing just me. I don't have to fit in.

I am my own secretary; I dictate, I compose, I copy all myself.

I know who Michael Jackson is, I know who Prince is, I know the Isley Brothers, all that. Still, I got my own thing going with this music.