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I'm a big fan of '70s records where artists could draw on whatever influences they wanted.

As far as rap goes, I grew up in Hollis, Queens, so early influences were people like Run DMC and LL Cool J.

I am really into '70s music, like The Rolling Stones, The Doors and what not.

I'm a child of the 70's; influenced mostly by albums that had a wide variety of style.

That's the great thing about music. You can find some '60s pop record and feel completely invigorated by it, even though it's so old.

At a certain point, I got into the older, cooler crowd, and they listened to hip-hop. I was desperately trying to fit in.

I love '50s music, all that stuff from the '50s.

I'm a huge hip-hop fan from way back in the day.

I've only been on MTV once as one of their 'Closet Classics,' with some bootleg footage of a 1970 tour I did in Holland. They didn't know what to make of my music, but they finally invented a name for it - world beat music.

With the '60s era and Motown, my grandparents actually introduced us to that when I was younger, so I grew up listening to the Jackson Five, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Supremes and Diana Ross' solo stuff. I just loved it.