I like to get judged on my talent and, when you see me, how I look.

I like to make songs that are gonna be here for a long time, not for five months that they play on the radio.

You've gotta be humble. That's what I've been throughout my whole career.

I know music is just powerful in itself and to have someone say the words that I sat down and wrote changed their life or made them feel a certain way, that hits something in you.

We can't control everything in our lives. Sometimes you're No. 2, 3, 4 or 5. That doesn't matter. What matters is that you strive to be No. 1.

Look at the New Kids on the Block, the Back Street Boys and *NSYNC... all those boy bands happened because of New Edition.

It's always good to have friends, but it's really about family. When you're younger, that isn't always clear. With friends it's about going out and kicking it. You learn that's not where it ends up.

People who come to see me have expectations. If I don't live up to those expectations, I'd be a failure.

When you're doing good, everybody praises you. But when everything's all gone, a lot of people are nowhere to be found. So you always just believe in yourself, do it yourself and you won't be let down.

I don't like the way a lot of music is going these days. No one buys it.

It's important to show love to the people that came before you.

Absolutely I view life from a different perspective than I did in my past. It's rewarding, to me, because it actually lets me know that I am growing up.

I don't look at certain things on TV anymore. I don't listen to certain music anymore. I make sure my kids don't listen to it. It's funny because back in the days I could look at comedy shows and all kind of stuff and you didn't even realize how much cursing it had in it.

Once you put your mind to something, your mind is very strong.

I've always been attracted to acting as soon as I did my first video.

I'm not the same young man I was when I first got into music.

It's good to plan, but you just never know.

Differences' is the biggest song in my career. It beat 'Pony,' it beat 'So Anxious' and 'None of Ur Friends Business' as far as popularity and spins.

I thought I could get myself into the music business by doing paralegal work. I was just trying to get in any way I could.

I've pretty much always been in the limelight. A star in my own right.

When people come to see me, they'll see what they know me for. Hits from the past, but I always mix in a little something new. New stuff. Old stuff. It creates a great show. There's a lot of crowd participation. A lot of interaction and energy. That's what I do best.

Everybody plays basketball in D.C. Not on a team. Just around the way. Anywhere. I actually loved basketball.

Even though I didn't continue with my therapy, I went to church and received counseling from my pastor and got straight spiritually. I was able to turn away from all those things that were destroying me and finally think clearly.

My heart always likes to give, and if I'm going to help somebody it might as well be someone who can't help themselves.