When you take care of yourself, you're a better person for others. When you feel good about yourself, you treat others better.

I love hip-hop. I have gone through many difference phases in my love affair with hip-hop.

When you think back in history about producers and artists or writers who've had good synergy, a lot of times they date, or they're married, or there's a friendship and a kinship.

I can tell you what I really love: when I run into people on the street that tell me they have connected with my music.

My son spends as much time with his dad as he does with me.

I have more to offer than music that is automatically dance.

I think it's really important for every mother to find their own way.

My sound is Solange. It's definitely not Destiny's Child.

I grew up seeing my sister in the studio. I would go to recording sessions and take notes.

I really enjoy my privacy and being able to walk my son to school every morning and pick him up every afternoon.

My mom's best friend growing up was diagnosed with AIDS, and he basically raised me when my mom was launching her business. Although I didn't understand at the time what HIV or AIDS was, I knew that's what he passed away from.

Mainstream media tends to showcase a very specific kind of Mardi Gras, but my experience of Mardi Gras is very different; it's very cultural.

The Fela Kuti Queens - the band members and wives of the late African musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti - are my fashion icons.

I really feel like because I had my son so young, I didn't want everyone's help. I think people felt entitled to give advice, so I'm always very sensitive to moms and letting them feel their way out.

My name, Solange, means 'Angel of the sun,' and I'm completely enamored of my African history. The culture is so expressive.

I felt like when I took my weave out, I wasn't pretty, I wasn't noticeable.

My sister and I were not allowed expensive clothes. We so badly wanted these Fila sneakers as kids, but my mother took us down to the flea market and got imitation ones. Look at the early Destiny's Child videos. You'll see.

Motherhood is such an evolving journey.

When you're younger, you get shoved a lot. You don't really have a say-so.

You're just so excited that you have this record deal or this movie opportunity that you don't stand up for yourself and say, This is what I want to do.

Traveling is definitely something that your average 17-year-old doesn't get to do. One week we're in Japan, one week we're in Australia, one week we're back home going to football games.

We are getting an education of a lifetime. We're actually out there in the real world.

The Hadley Street Dream is a tribute to making a vision come to life. My father built a compound on a dessert city block, he saw something in that space we couldn't see. It was years later the album was born right there on Hadley St. He built the studio I started recording the album at.

I have been writing songs since I was 9 years old, so writing has and always will be my first love and passion.

It is always an honor to work with those that share your passion for music and just enjoy making great music.

I actually love my natural hair when it's in a twist out and it's been slept on for five days and revived by the steam of the shower.

Through style, you can communicate to the world who you are and what you stand for.

My beauty ethos? Well, I'd love to tell you it's something like 'less is more,' but honestly, it all starts with happiness. If only someone could bottle that up - when I'm happy, I'm at my most radiant and glowing. It does me better than any product ever could. And I stand by how cheesy and cliched that sounds.

My ultimate beauty icon is Diana Ross.

Whether it be a red eyeliner or a graphic line on the crease of my lids, I'm more attracted to the ideas of something interesting than being 'pretty.'

You have Vampire Weekend who have more African references musically than most African-American artists.