I DJ all the time, as much as I possibly can. I’ll never stop. That’s my security blanket, that’s what I’m good at. I still consider myself a better DJ than a singer. I can DJ in my sleep.
Even when I was a hip-hop DJ I always kept it classy. The motto is always ‘flashy but classy.’ You’ve got to be original and stand out from the crowd and take some chances. But you’ve always got to keep it classy.
I was a hip-hop head. When I really found my own lane in music, it was hip-hop. I wanted to make hip-hop music. And I did, I made a lot of hip-hop music.
A big part of the Motown formula was, they took music and turned it into this sort of automotive assembly line. They were cranking out 10 songs a day in that studio, or more.
I didn’t appreciate Mick Jagger until I got older, and mainly because of the Mick Jagger swagger. He defined that for the world. He was bold and adventurous with it, too – just the ultimate rock star.
That’s one of the most important things to me is that Detroit and Ann Arbor got my back. If you don’t have hometown love, then what’s the point?
I was really fortunate growing up to have a broad musical education. My parents listened to all kinds of music, rock, soul, Motown, jazz, Frank Sinatra, everything.
I never have, but I would love to pick R. Kelly’s brain.
I make soul music for hip-hop heads. It’s music I’d want to sample if I were a rapper.
I love doing things that people don’t expect.