TYKA NELSON

Inside of me, it was like my soul and what I had to do to feed my family was always split. I was writing lyrics while I was supposed to be working. I'd look up, and there's my supervisor.

I love to perform, to give glory to God with my own brand of funky gospel music. I think it's my mission to show people that God, that Jesus, can be cool.

I'm definitely not afraid of death. It's like I'm looking forward to it, really. I'm probably a little more afraid of living.

I'm not really any religion. I still study with Jehovah's Witnesses, so I say I'm Apostolic Pentecostal Jehovah's Witness Seventh-Day Adventist Jew.

For a long time, I didn't want to live.

I grew up in a bubble. I just watched TV. I thought that's what you were supposed to do in life: sing and dance and act.

God is the new drug.

I've always believed there is a better place somewhere. I feel like I'm E.T. and I'm just passing through.

I was a single mother, and my boys were babies. I sold my body for food, money, and Pampers.

I posted some songs on MySpace, and right away people started asking, 'Where can I get a CD?'

Inside of me, it was like my soul and what I had to do to feed my family was always split. I was writing lyrics while I was supposed to be working. I'd look up, and there's my supervisor.

I'm definitely not afraid of death. It's like I'm looking forward to it, really. I'm probably a little more afraid of living.

My brother, he just thought I was crazy.

Being Prince's sister might get me in the door, but it is my own talent that keeps me on the stage.

I love my brother. But I'm not a yo-yo. He can't just keep spinning me in and out of his life.

I posted some songs on MySpace, and right away people started asking, 'Where can I get a CD?'

I was a single mother, and my boys were babies. I sold my body for food, money, and Pampers.

I love to perform, to give glory to God with my own brand of funky gospel music. I think it's my mission to show people that God, that Jesus, can be cool.

God is the new drug.

I grew up in a bubble. I just watched TV. I thought that's what you were supposed to do in life: sing and dance and act.

I'm not really any religion. I still study with Jehovah's Witnesses, so I say I'm Apostolic Pentecostal Jehovah's Witness Seventh-Day Adventist Jew.

For a long time, I didn't want to live.

I've always believed there is a better place somewhere. I feel like I'm E.T. and I'm just passing through.

I'm very quiet. In the beginning, my brother would play the piano, and I would sing, because that's what my mom and dad did. And then along the way, somebody teased me for even thinking that I could get up there. That stayed with me, and I became very shy.

I was the overweight kid who didn't have a boyfriend. I listened to other people say, 'You're ugly, you're fat, you're stupid,' and I believed it.