<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  MARIE CLAIRE: When did you realize you wanted to become a musician?JANELLE MON\u00C1E: Creating and being an artist and musician is part of my DNA. I don&amp;#039;t remember a time when I had a choice to be anything else\u2014you have that calling. You feel it inside of you. MC: In what ways did growing up in Kansas influence who you are today? JM: It&amp;#039;s kept me very grounded. I grew up in a working-class family. My mom and dad wore uniforms, whether they were janitors or post-office employees. They worked hard to make sure we had clothes on our backs and food in our mouths. I never, ever want to forget them, so I always wear my uniform\u2014a jacket and pants in black-and-white\u2014to pay homage to them and to remind myself I have work to do. MC: How have you arrived at your R&amp;amp;amp;B sound? JM: My family is very musically inclined. Both sides have a very unique style. One is kind of classically trained, and the other is more raw/soul/James Brown. I think that&amp;#039;s why I can do a &amp;quot;Smile&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Sincerely, Jane,&amp;quot; then go to a &amp;quot;Tightrope&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;Cold War.&amp;quot; I see the soul in a lot of genres, and I take the soul of that genre and I put it in me. MC: What do you want your audience to take away from this record? JM: I want people to aspire to be electric ladies. I want to continue to tell universal stories in unforgettable ways\u2014stories that can enrich our lives and lift us when we&amp;#039;re down and bring us wings when we&amp;#039;re weak. I&amp;#039;m inspired to write music for those who need it most\u2014the oppressed who feel like they&amp;#039;re living check to check and will never get out of the system. I write to uplift the underdogs. @janellemonae "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/music/a8117/janelle-monae-interview/>