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" When I was little, like 7 to 15, there was nothing I wanted to do but go to church and go to school. "

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" When life is real, it's not going to be smooth. "

" There are people out there who want to provoke me and bring back the old Mary but I'm not giving them the satisfaction. "

" When you come from so many damaged places you don't ever want to spiral back there, so you gotta continue to check yourself. "

" By the time I was a teenager, when I went outside the house, it was about hip-hop all the time. Nothing but hip-hop, block parties. "

" If we didn't have understanding of our journey, we wouldn't be able to go on. We'd be stuck, like, 'Why me?' "

" Don't give up, be positive and if you know someone who knows someone at a record company don't stop beating down their door till you get heard. Don't ever say it'll never happen or it'll never happen. "

" Thank you so much for supporting me from the day I stepped foot into the music industry. It really means something to me to have Maya Angelou speak on my behalf. It also means a lot to have Oprah on my speed dial! "

" When you know what pain is, and when you have to make a choice, you learn that it is a decision. People think it's a fairytale thing, love and happiness, but you have to work hard. And then - you feel it deeply. "

" If you're not confident in yourself, you're going to waver. I've wavered, and I've lost. "

" It's challenging to find an identity as a young person if you don't have the sustenance of love, because you're being shipped around. "

" I felt ashamed about everything. Me dropping out of high school, me not, you know, just not being beautiful enough. I just didn't feel like I was smart enough or beautiful enough, you know, for years. "

" You demand respect and you'll get it. First of all, you give respect. "

" The music business is not a good place for people who don't know things. "

" I suffered from self hatred so much. It's like I didn't want to look like that any more. I didn't to feel like that any more. It had to be another way. "

" God comes first - if I don't love him, I can't love anybody, and if I can't love me I can't love nobody. "

" I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them. "

Beautiful Woman

" Nowadays, with the state of the music business, for any artist, whether you're up-and-coming or you've been in it for awhile, you have to explore different revenues and different ways of expressing yourself. "

" I've been a tomboy my whole life. But then you get older, you get married, you soften up. "

" I'm my worst critic, and I like the fact that I can listen to myself now and make fun of myself, listen, make changes - 'Oh, man, that's messed up. Okay, I need to work on that; I need to work on this.' "

" I believe this generation should know their history and they should know that the struggle's not over yet. "

" When you tell your truth, you are coming from a real place, so you are automatically a leader. "

" I used to think I was ugly. I thought I looked like a camel. A person who doesn't love themselves, they will see anything that pops up on their face. I've seen squirrels, I've seen a bird, and I've seen all kinds of animals on my face. But that is the result of self-hate. I've learned to say: 'You know what? I am a beautiful black woman'. "

" I believe there should be no more drama, but it's everywhere you go. It's just about how you get out. You've gotta bob and weave because it's everywhere. How do I keep the drama low? It's about using your head. "

" Once you climb to another level, you have to figure out how to sustain it. "

" As long as I live, I know I'll have feelings. And that's what I'm passionate about. "

" You either learn from your experiences or go back and do the same thing, and I learned from my experiences. "

" Everything is scary if you look at it. So you just got to live. "

" My main exercise is cardio. The treadmill is fine, but running outdoors gives me the best results. I try to log 6 to 8 miles a week. I could be in the worst mood, but when I do my cardio, I feel much, much better. "

" When you wake up and learn to love yourself and want to take care of yourself, things are harder because people don't like the idea of it. But when you get in trouble, it gives people things to talk about. "

" I cannot save the world; that's not what I'm trying to do. I guess I'm just trying to walk the walk and be an example to those that want it. Not everybody does, but if Mary J. Blige can come out of that same hole you were in, then you can do it, too - that's my goal: to do that without saying it, but actually live it. "