Julia Jones

It is so gratifying to hear from people who look up to you and see you in these places that they never thought they could ever dream to be. It's emotional. You really feel like you're opening up people's minds, who otherwise thought that they couldn't dream big. That's such a huge opportunity. It's such a gift.

You make your first album, you make some money, and you feel like you still have to show face, like 'I still go to the projects.' I'm like, why? Your job is to inspire people from your neighborhood to get out. You grew up there. What makes you think it's so cool?