I was born in Mount Sinai hospital on University Avenue in downtown Toronto, and from the ages of zero to 18 years old, I lived at 20 Yellowstone Street, in the Jane and Finch community of Toronto.

I should rewind three years: When I was 15, I got my first record deal, and I traveled to New York City with my mom. It was my first time there and my mom's first time there. She'd seen Times Square on TV and stuff, but she'd never seen it in person. It was a big deal for a single mom raising kids - she'd never been able to afford it. And when I scored my deal, they flew us out there, which was really exciting.

I moved to Richmond Hill (just north of Toronto) when I was turning 19 - well, in my head I was already 19 - and I stayed till I was 25. In that time, I landed my other record deal. I traveled to LA, and I got to see the Hollywood sign.

Now let's stretch over to age 27. I bought my own house and moved to Markham, which was a big deal for me. I'm the first one in my family to own my own home in Canada. It was a goal of mine to own a piece of property before I turned 30, and I did it. When I was growing up, we lived in government housing. My mom worked, so she had to pay market rent, which was about $1000. Meanwhile, the neighbour's paying a dollar a month. It's these little details that make you who you are. They affect the decisions you make and they give you a perspective on life.

These days, I'm still in Markham. I set another goal to move my mom into a condo, and that happened last year. And that's where we are now.

Oh, and along the way, there was some other travel: I went to Bangladesh in 2004, which was huuuuge for me. I had a fear of flying, but that changed my life. I went to South Africa in 2006, and 2010 was everywhere: France, the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore. It's the most international travel I've done. I realized my fear was really a control thing - you've got 400 people up there in that plane, and only 2 people in control. I just had to let go. And these days, it's like I'm on roller blades now when I'm up there.