I always said if a man would have done half the records that I've done, we would know about it. But we don't know all the records I've done for other artists.

I felt like, 'How do I fit in'? I'm battling. But then I never fit in!'... I thank God for somebody like Pharrell who stayed in my ear. For him, at that time, 'Happy' was everywhere; he didn't have to share anything with me.

I'm blessed to be living this dream of writing and singing, but that's not the real dream I had. The real dream was to make enough money to take care of all the pain and suffering that my mother has been through.

A lot of people don't know a lot of records that I've written or produced, so that's a highlight for me as a woman.

I didn't want to just be an artist and let someone else have all that control over me. I knew I would have to produce.

And basically I always said when I was little that if I ever became successful or a celebrity, I would buy her this huge house and she would never have to work anymore. And I've done that. So I feel happy about doing that.