For 20-year-old English soul singer Joss Stone [ tickets ], growing up in the music industry has been a tough ride. Despite a Grammy win, a bit part in a major motion picture and Brit Award nominations, it's been an uphill climb for the bohemian artist.

"You can't be a baby in this industry," Stone told LiveDaily. "If you're a baby, people aren't gonna be like, 'Awww. Let's look over her.' Oh no, no, no, no, no. They're gonna be like, 'Ha ha. Let's f--- her over because it's easy to.

People in the music industry "don't have hearts," she continued. "When money is involved, hearts are not. That's what I learned. It doesn't matter how young you are. They pretend they want to look after you. But they don't care. They're not your family. They're making money from you. It sucks. But, hey, that's life. It is the way that it is. It's a shame that it had to be learned in such a small period of time. It's very condensed for me. In a way, I'm very blessed: I didn't have to wait until I was 30 to find out."

Stone began her music career as a schoolgirl in England, making her first public appearance at Uffculme Comprehensive School in Uffculme, Devon, performing a cover of Jackie Wilson's 1957 "Reet Petite."

At the tender age of 16, she released the covers album "The Soul Sessions," which featured the hits "Fell in Love with a Girl," a reworking of The White Stripes' 2001 hit, and a second single, a cover version of Sugar Billy's 1974 "Super Duper Love."

Stone is now on to her third album, "Introducing Joss Stone," whose curious title refers to the singer's newfound musical freedom.

Stone, riding on a tour bus 60 miles south of Las Vegas, talked with LiveDaily about her musical evolution, working with Tony! Toni! Tone's Raphael Saadiq and standing up for women of all ages.

LiveDaily: It's been kind of interesting and fun--I'm not sure if "fun" is the right word for your feelings--to watch you evolve from your first record, for which you did covers, to a third album that contains your own material. It seems like you've had a lot more say with this album.

Joss Stone: The first and the second one, they're my lesson, my schooling. I went through it and I learned a little more each time. The first one, I pretty much sat there. I did what I wanted, but I had to sit back, watch, listen and learn. I was lucky to learn from such great people. I did the second one while I was able to write my own lyrics and things like that. The third one I feel like it's my graduation. This is where I left school and I actually made something of myself. I actually created something for myself and that was really nice.

Was it difficult to share exactly what you wanted to do with this album?

No, actually. I thought it was going to be, because the last two were really difficult. I was so young. But this time I worked with Raphael Saadiq. But bloody hell he listened. I was shocked. It was really refreshing. It was like, "OK, what do you want?" If he didn't get it, I would let him know and he would change it. He really tried to understand me. Now we have an understanding that's so easy. We have a language that sometimes you don't even need words. I'll look at him and he'll know.

That must be awesome to work with someone like that.

It's amazing. It's the best thing I've ever had in my life. He actually gets it. I'm now free to make the music I wanted to make. I don't have to pull teeth to do it because he understands. He has the means to do that. I'm a musician. I need somebody who understands.

What's the most important thing you learned from Raphael?

I think the most important thing I learned from him was really the business side of it. I know what I wanted musically. I had already been thinking about that for five years. So I knew. But businesswise and the way I run my business, I had no idea. I didn't care for it. But then he was like, "Joss, come on, you have to take control," and now I manage myself and I have for the last year. So it's interesting, but he's the one who gave me the strength to do it. He does it himself. When you see somebody doing it it's like, "OK, he can, I can, right?"

How's it going? Is it difficult?

It's great. I love it. Now I know what's going on. I find it's easier for managers to keep you in the dark. Now I know if I'm going to do something, I've approved it. Nobody else has the right to do so. There's things that come to me and I can say yes or no; it's as simple as that. Life is a lot quicker now. You don't have to go to five people. You just come to me. Sometimes a lot of people find it difficult to treat me as a manager because I'm an artist. It's kind of annoying. Just ask me. I'm right here. Sometimes people will walk up to Raphael and say, "Will she do this?" when I'm right in front of him. He's like, "Well, she's right there. You want to ask her? I'm just going to turn around and ask her." It's difficult for people to make that switch. A lot of people say, "Isn't somebody else managing her?" Like, "Can't I talk to someone else?" They want to talk to someone else. I'm completely capable of answering your question. We all are. All of us artists are. We're not stupid. I think it doesn't seem that way. Some artists, they don't want any involvement in the business because it's kind of cold and it can be kind of cruel. I've decided, you know what? I'm the only person I can trust. Everyone else is crazy. So, like, you can't trust anybody with your life. That's really what you're doing. They're not my family.

Tell me about the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network.

I think women are sometimes made to feel like they can't do certain things. I try to prove everybody wrong. We can do these things. We can do them all--especially young women. You have to fight to get people to believe you or with you on something, especially young girls. They seem to be so fragile and seem to be precious and all these little things. But, hey, we can do the same as men--if not more. We lay down and push people out of our vagina. Come on. We can do that, we can do anything.

Tell me about your songwriting process. Do you write at home, or on the road?

I do both. When I'm at home with my mom and that, I can't write. I don't do anything. I might be there for a week. I go to my home base and I clean around the house. I do my errands. I help my mom cook dinner. I just do the normal s--- that normal people do. Sometimes I write. My mom has a studio in the house now, so it's hard to kind of stay away from it. She has kids come in and they write and they sing. Young kids, like 10. I'll go in and help them sometimes. But, usually, when I'm at home, I'm chilling. I don't do anything like that. There's not much time to do anything else. When I take the time to write, I'll go to a different place and I'll just do it.