Janelle Monáe arrives at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Often appearing in tuxedos, Monáe honors her roots through her style.

"I wanted black-and-white to be my uniform," she told CBS News' Tony Dokoupil. "I wanted people, when they saw me in my 'uniform,' saw me in a tuxedo or in black-and-white, to remember that this is where I come from - I come from a mother and a father who were custodian workers."

Janelle Monáe performs "Tightrope" on "Dancing with the Stars," September 28, 2010.

Recording artists Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Janelle Monáe attend the second annual Essence "Black Women in Music" event at the Playhouse Hollywood on February 9, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. 

Janelle Monáe performs onstage during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Beyonce and Janelle Monáe attend the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Musicians Janelle Monáe and Bruno Mars arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala on May 2, 2011, in New York

Indie pop band "fun." performs their mega-hit "We Are Young" with Janelle Monáe during the Grammy nominations concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., December 6, 2011.

Singer Janelle Monáe arrives at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre on June 3, 2012, in Universal City, Calif.

Singers Nate Ruess of Fun., and Janelle Monáe perform onstage during the 2012 MTV Movie Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre on June 3, 2012, in Universal City, Calif.

Musician Janelle Monáe performs onstage during Day 2 of the 2013 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 13, 2013 in Indio, California.

Janelle Monáe performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre on June 30, 2013, in Los Angeles.

Singer Janelle Monáe performs during VH1's "Super Bowl Blitz: Six Nights + Six Concerts" at Lehman College on January 28, 2014 in New York City.

Janelle Monáe added a splash of color when she attended the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. 

Artist Janelle Monáe performs at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 13, 2014 in Manchester, Tennessee. 

Singer Janelle Monáe attends the 18th Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Palladium on November 14, 2014 in Hollywood, California.

Recording artist Janelle Monáe performs onstage during the 18th Annual Hollywood Film Awards at The Palladium on November 14, 2014 in Hollywood, Calif. 

Janelle Monáe attends the BRIT Awards 2015 at The O2 Arena on February 25, 2015 in London.

Janelle Monáe arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating "China: Through the Looking Glass" on Monday, May 4, 2015, in New York.

Singer Janelle Monáe attends the Giambattista Valli show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2016 on October 5, 2015, in Paris.

Janelle Monáe performs a medley of songs in tribute to the late singer Prince at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles, California, June 26, 2016.

Musician-actress Janelle Monáe attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Janelle Monáe attends the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Expo Hall on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles.

Actors Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe and Taraji P. Henson accept the award for Cast in a Motion Picture during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles.

Recording artist Janelle Monáe attends the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City.

Watch Tony Dokoupil's profile of Janelle Monáe on CBS' "Sunday Morning" April 29, 2018.