My dad knew I was mad about music. While he worked as a barber he would hear songs on the radio and we'd have endless discussions about them. So I got my first record player when I was 11 years old.

Believe it or not, I thank my mom for how she raised me in a neighborhood where I had to jump and chase daily. It only made me what I am today.

I was a veteran, before I was a teenager.

If there's not drama and negativity in my life, all my songs will be really wack and boring or something.

I'm a Loser,' 'Help,' 'Strawberry Fields,' they are all personal records. I always wrote about me when I could. I didn't really enjoy writing third person songs about people who lived in concrete flats and things like that. I like first person music. But because of my hang-ups and many other things; I would only now and then specifically write about me.

Five or six songs leaked from the original version of 'Encore.' So I had to go in and make new songs to replace them.