BLACKBEAR

I feel like I just learned a whole new world when I was studying under Ne-Yo when I was about 17. I was living on Ne-Yo's manager's couch, making three songs a day.

There was a time where I was really confused about who I was and what I was doing, and I was just kind of depressed.

I wanna live long. As long as I can.

I'm an honest person. I've nothing to hide.

I just really love being the first to do something and that drives me to think, 'What are people not doing right now, and how can I be the best at it?'

It's important to reinvent yourself often, because if you don't, someone else will and squash you like a bug.

People beat around the bush so much, and I try to be really blunt in my music.

I was such a huge Ne-Yo fan.

I was the only real punk rock kid in my school, with, like, the plaid pants and the Rancid t-shirt.

My family was very unsure, and they told me to have a 'plan B' - until I did my publishing deal at 21 for over a million dollars. Then I tattooed my neck to prove I'll never become a lawyer.

I have several guns. I have several dirt bikes and ATVs, good old country-boy things.

I don't do all the things I say I do in my songs, but nobody does.

I wanted a guitar when I was 4 or 5, and I learned how to play guitar by the time I was 6. Just self-taught.

I don't really like living in a very small space, like a tour bus, even though I have an amazing tour bus, and I've had multiple tour buses. It's still not a lot of room.

I respect anybody that is very in tune with their feelings.

I'm somewhat of a perfectionist.

I've done arenas, and sometimes it feels like you're the only one in the room.

Fame is weird.

As soon as I got rich, it was mimosas every morning. I was taking my friends to Six Flags every weekend. We were flying to Hawaii; we did whatever we wanted.

I like to be the captain of my ship and be involved with everything from stage production, merch, art, and rollouts.

I'm not like any other artist, point blank.

I was diagnosed with necrotizing chronic pancreatitis, and it definitely put a pause on live performances for a while.

I was poor my whole life.

Music's a hobby to me.

Fighting to get up in the morning, fighting to get on stage, fighting to make music that makes people feel good when I don't - that's been a struggle.