Janet Jackson is the prominent progeny of the Jackson family, which produced, among others, the iconic Michael Jackson. To have two Hall of Fame solo acts in one family is incredible and while Michael may be the biggest solo artist of all time, Janet is right up there with him.
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But what does the five-time Grammy Award-winning artist have to say about her life, career, family and the the world at large? That is the subject of today’s inquiry. Here below, we present the 20 best Janet Jackson quotes.
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1. “I would hope my legacy would be bringing smiles to faces. Happiness with my music.”
2. “I like to collaborate on my music. The creative process is fun, and you get a lot of ideas from having discussions about it. Ultimately, the final decision is mine.”
3. “We’re all driven to premieres or nightclubs and seen the rope separating those who can enter and those who can’t. Well, there’s also a velvet rope we have inside of us, keeping others from knowing our feelings.”
4. “As a child, I had to get up early for school or work. I’d get ready by myself. I’d set my alarm to wake me up very early in the morning, and be off to work, the family driver driving me every morning. I did it alone, my parents never coming in to wake me up.”
5. “I like myself a lot more than I used to. I had a very difficult time in my twenties especially. It was hard for me to look in the mirror and find something that I liked about myself.”
6. “It’s really about being pleased with yourself.”
7. “There are people that regardless of what it is, if it’s something that’s stressful, whatever it may be, they don’t eat, they lose a lot of weight, a divorce, they get real thin. I’m the opposite.”
8. “That’s always—that’s been another dream of mine, to do a Broadway play. An award-winning Broadway play.”
9. “I’ve always been a tomboy. I’ve always liked to wear red, black, and white, and mostly pants.”
10. “I’m flattered that other artists consider me a role model.”
11. “I was a very quiet kid. A really sweet kid, I might add.”
12. “I really don’t know anything else because my brothers were famous when I was 2 years old. So I know nothing else, no other life.”
13. “No word is absolutely wrong or dirty or insulting. It all depends upon context and intention.”
14. “Dreams can become a reality when we possess a vision that is characterized by the willingness to work hard, a desire for excellence, and a belief in our right and our responsibility to be equal members of society.”
15. “You don’t have to hold onto the pain to hold onto the memory.”
16. “We all have the need to feel special.”
17. “When I was younger, I thought you had to be in control of your own life. That takes a lot of discipline, hard work and focus. You just can’t let it all fall by the wayside. Later on, I learned that God is really in control of everything. But you still have to put your best foot forward and be the best you can possibly be.”
18. “It has taken me most of my adult life to come to terms with who I am. To do that, I had to break free of attitudes that brought me down.”
19. “My parents are very competitive, so we are very competitive as kids. But it’s a good kind of competition; it’s not a jealousy. You always want to do your best, and if it can’t be you, you want it to be your brother or your sister, you know what I mean?”
20. “I’ve never been one for keeping a journal, so my songs were my journals. They allowed me to express my feelings and let people know what was going on with me. I knew that somebody would relate.”
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage
