Musician

I love Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, and The Supremes, because I'm kind of old-school at heart.

I want to give my daughter that Caribbean influence. But also, just being a black girl in this country, I want her to grow up with culture and confidence, and with love.

A lot of people don't know, but I love soul food. I love fried chicken and pork chops, all of that.

I think a lot of young people don't realize the price of fame is a lot higher than they imagine.

I hike quite a bit when I'm in L.A., so that helps me clear my head. But usually I recharge by going to church, having family dinners, girls' night out, or just simply relaxing at home watching one of my favorite movies.

I was pretty young when I decided I wanted to, well, more so be a singer. I started singing in church in my hometown, East Orange, New Jersey. I knew when I was about five or six that I wanted to be a performer.

Starz is a network that's going for the content that's extremely honest and pushing the envelope and is provocative.

I feel like being pregnant and entering this new stage has made me stronger and more excited about life in general. Everything seems so much more purposeful.

My whole life has been about working and being in the girl group and being on stage and being an actress, but now I get to really enjoy a bigger purpose, which is motherhood, so I'm really excited.

I want to do stories that inspire people.

I feel truly blessed to be one of the many black women who are leading ladies on television.

If I think something is wrong, I'm going to say it.

I'm a true singer who grew up singing in church, so I love singing my heart out.

I was excited to play Lil' Kim and I wanted to do the role justice. I worked really hard on that role, whether it was performing the rhymes, studying the dialect, her swagger and her stage performances. I wanted people to see my range and stretch my wings as an actress.

As a black actress you've got to work doubly hard. But it doesn't ever get me to the point where I give up on myself. It just motivates me to be more prepared, focus and disciplined. That's why I care so much about doing black films and making sure that we represent and are represented correctly.

I love to push myself! Stepping outside of my comfort zone is what will make me a better artist.

I think sometimes if you let it all hang out, it makes you a target.

Professionally, I want to be remembered for how hard I worked and how I put my heart and soul into my work. Personally, I want people to remember my heart.

To me, singing and acting have always gone hand and hand.

Singers have a lot in common with actors because you have to dig deep into a song and show the audience what you are feeling as you sing.