During my time in prison, I told myself that I wanted to be a part of the solution and not the problem.
There's no denying it: I was a crappy baby who failed his way into this world, and I've been making the best of it ever since.
From Drew Barrymore to Robert Downey Jr., there's a long list of people who have faced their troubles, wildly overcome them, and succeeded.
Growing up, I think I was arrested 20-odd times by the Boston police. The good news is that I've been able to use those experiences in a lot of my roles, and that has been a blessing.
While awaiting sentencing, I decided to give stand-up comedy a shot. The judge had suggested I get my act together, and I took him seriously.
I was one of those kids, inner-city youth and finding my way. I made it. I made a success out of myself, surprisingly.
Before I was making music, I was homeless. I didn't have all the girls or any friends - and now I have everything that I wanted.
I hated high school and got to college and realized they didn't care if I showed up because I'd already paid. So I decided, 'I'm going to turn this around.' And I did: I got straight A's and was named 'outstanding senior.'
I served my time and came out of prison when I was just 26 and have worked with the government for 37 years. But people only remember me for what I did before that.
I spend a lot of time hanging out with kids in their early twenties who feel like they've messed up and have really screwed up in a lot of ways. We spend a lot of time talking to them and saying, 'You can change that.'
