LESLIE ODOM JR.

I'm so excited about my new partnership with the talented and motivated team at S-Curve Records!

For most of your career, what you're trying to do is to step into other people's shoes.

Until you make a name for yourself, they're like, 'Be a little more Denzel,' 'Be a little more Wesley Snipes.'

You hear a song like 'Wait For It,' you hear a song like 'Dear Theodosia' - if you get one of those songs in a musical - one - it's worth dropping everything to sing that one song.

I'm in no way running from 'Hamilton' or its success or these beautiful songs that I've been blessed to be able to be the one to introduce them. I certainly won't be the last to sing them, but to be the first, I feel very lucky.

When I step on the stage and sing 'Wait for It,' I'm singing that for everybody. I don't mean I'm singing it for them; I mean, you are their voice.

I think I spent most of my childhood, and my early years as a performer, in student mode. And I think that's OK - I mean, it led me to where I am.

I think for a lot of us, you know, what 'Hamilton' gave us the opportunity to, what it gave me the opportunity to do, was to go, 'Here's what I've learned in 35 years.'

I'm the nap champion.

I started out with this 'La Boheme' fantasy, but as you get older, the 'La Boheme' fantasy becomes less sexy, believe me.

The record company felt wisely that we should get something out before I left 'Hamilton' or around awards time, and that deadline was not easy.

I know what not being able to pay your bills feels like real well... I know that way better than a room full of beautiful people and Tony awards and Grammy awards.

You go see a great production of 'Romeo and Juliet,' where those kids are full of life and love, you hope and forget.

If I'm allowed it, I'm really looking forward to a little time on the couch and a little time on a beach in Brazil.

I grew up in the Canaan Baptist Church.

The bad guys have way more fun, in my opinion. 'Bad guys' in quotes.

Nothing lasts forever in my profession.

It is said an artist spends their whole life trying to get to the place where their heart was first opened up. 'Rent' was that place for me.

I've dedicated more than 15 years to this theater and television thing; I want to spend the next 10, 15 years or so devoted to music.

It's not about doing something that's as big as 'Hamilton.' That may never happen again, and that's okay.

You must be an artist and a citizen of the world. You must speak to this stuff that's happening. You must do what you can to shine a light on it, help people through it.

We don't get to get swept up, because we have to start over every day at 8 o'clock.

'Hamilton' has restored my faith in theater.

Making $1,260 a week at 17 years old? That was a million dollars a week to me!

If you're an open channel when you're onstage, if you're just a vessel, things are going to come out that are stored away deep in your DNA.