I had a few artists that I really looked up to when I was starting out, like Slick Rick, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane and others. But my all-time favorite was LL Cool J. When I heard his first songs on the radio, I stopped my car and pulled over to the side so I could really focus and hear what he was saying. He really made me want to do music full-time. Even today when I make a song, I wonder what LL would think of it.

I think it can be very hard for some artists to maintain their relevance. I've been very lucky in the fact that I've been doing this for over 13 years. And as the years go by, I get more and more love from the fans. As long as you make great music and have hits, which I've been able to do, you will get the record label and promotion support that you need. I know that I continue to grow musically and lyrically with each album that I release.

Obviously, Miami is a different way of life than New York. My grittier street songs are definitely influenced by New York. Just driving down the Bronx in my old neighborhood can inspire me every day. You never know what you are going to see or hear. I can't really say there is one thing that most inspires me from New York. But the city as a whole always gives me material to write about.

I sense a frightening surprise in that category. It's a very tough category. Each of those artists have their constituency with the voters, and none of them are going to be big enough ... to steal the constituency of someone else.

Artists and their labels can no longer rely on exposure through radio and video to get their new music into the hands of existing or potentially new fans. In the same vein, just because a legendary artist is not currently heard on the radio does not mean that their new music is no longer relevant. Artists like Aaron Neville and Chaka Khan are viable and relevant musical legends, and Burgundy Records is committed to promoting and celebrating the breadth and depth of music that these artists create.

I thought most of the great soul artists were either relegated to the oldies circuit or being stuffed into what R&B has become. I had in mind this idea of a long, continuing series of records.