BJ the Chicago Kid Quotes

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.

I've watched songwriters, writers, producers, even artists that I've written hits for come and go. But to the world, it looked like Justin Bieber was my first success.

I mean there are tons of reasons. Well first of all. I write my own record. I don't take other people's materials. And I have a job which is being Willa Ford on top of getting back in the studio and writing and recording.

Every leading lady I work with, I'll see if I can get a song out of them and put it on an album.

I've honestly never worked with Beyonce. It would be awesome, though; I would love that.

I was with PolyGram; that was the big label that I was with for the longest, like 12 years.

I often thought that if I had been working with Mark James at American Studios, I would have had a pop hit before I ever moved out of Memphis. But that didn't happen.

I didn't think you could just become a rock and roll singer.

I'm now 23 and feel like it's been a full 'crash course' in the music industry - I've only just found my sound.

I did a track with Khao, out of Atlanta, who's worked with T.I. Did a track with Maylay, who did a lot with John Legend's album. I got in the studio with Kanye West; we did a song. The dedication for the career takes a lot of work, but if you love it, it's worth it.

As far as working with Kanye and Solange, that was amazing. After 'Swing Lo Magellan', I needed a change. Getting to work in that capacity, writing for other people and working for other people as a writer and as a person who's not representing it as the front person or whatever - it's such a different perspective you can get.

I do see myself doing more than just playback singing.

When we got with Dallas Austin, he was just getting on. He was kinda like the fourth member of TLC.

I got to meet Kanye West because we were shopping my artist deal, and I was interested in his label. When I met him, I played him all the records I had. He introduced me to Rihanna, and she recorded and cut some of those records.

Even at my biggest, I want to be writing for other artists. Even at my peak - the highest I can be as an artist - I always want to be keeping my creative juices flowing, keeping money in the bank, putting my intellectual property out there.

The only person I've worked with on my album was Kanye. And between the stuff that I've done and the stuff that he's assisted on and produced for me for this album, I don't even need anything else.

I made a living being a background singer for years.

I become more seasoned, it's less interesting to try and compete in the pop market.

All I want to do is sing on other people's records.

I want to be a soul singer.

There was never really a Plan B for me - I always wanted to be a music artist.

I've written songs for Shirley Bassey, Marianne Faithfull, and Linda Thompson. I sort of focus on these wonderful, aging divas. But maybe that's because I think I'm Christina Aguilera.

My plan was always to leave school and live in a flat with some friends, have a 9 to 5 job, and try to get as many gigs as I could. I wanted to keep writing and then eventually, in my twenties, head to a record label and hope they'd sit down and listen to my book of songs, sign me as a songwriter and maybe an artist in development.

When I came back to California in the early '60s I was hanging out with Jimmy Bowen, Phil Spector, and I wanted to be a record producer and work with other artists.

Like Noel Brown and Scotty, they recorded as the Chosen Few, and I recorded as Dennis Brown then.