I'm trying to do something real different; I'm trying to bring the street to real pop. I'm trying to bring the street to pop. Not watering it down, no nothing.

I've always tried different stuff in the studio. I use rakes, spoons, cans... I'm a surround-sound type of guy.

Most of all I want to make pop music that has something real behind it.

It's so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that's really close to me, something I've been through, it's a totally different thing.

I been through some junk. It ain't all been peaches and cream.

I'm a grown man. I ain't got time for all that 'you say, she say.'