Monica (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monica
Monica in 2019
Born	Monica Denise Arnold (1980-10-24) October 24, 1980 (age 44) College Park, Georgia, U.S.
Education	North Clayton High School
Occupation	Singer rapper songwriter actress
Years active	1991–present
Works	Discography filmography songs recorded
Spouse(s)	Shannon Brown ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2019)​
Children	3
Relatives	Polow da Don (cousin) Ludacris (cousin)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B soul hip-hop soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	MonDeenise Music RCA J Arista Rowdy

Monica Denise Arnold (born October 24, 1980) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She grew up in College Park, Georgia. Monica started performing when she was a child and joined a traveling gospel choir at age ten.

In 1993, Monica signed with record producer Dallas Austin's label, Rowdy Records. She became well-known after releasing her first album, Miss Thang, in 1995. Her next albums were also very successful. Her second album, The Boy Is Mine (1998), is still her best-selling album. It featured three songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "The Boy Is Mine" (with Brandy), "The First Night", and "Angel of Mine".

Monica later joined Clive Davis's new label, J Records, in 2000. Her third album, All Eyez on Me (2002), was released only in Japan and did not do as well. However, parts of it were re-released as After the Storm (2003), which became her fourth album. This album was her first to reach number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. Rapper Missy Elliott helped produce it, and the song "So Gone" became a top ten hit.

Her fifth and sixth albums, The Makings of Me (2006) and Still Standing (2010), also did well on the charts. Still Standing even received two Grammy Award nominations. Her seventh album, New Life (2012), debuted at number four. Her eighth album, Code Red (2015), was her last release with RCA Records.

Monica also started an acting career. She appeared in TV shows like Living Single (1996), Felicity (2001), and American Dreams (2003). She also had roles in movies such as Boys and Girls (2000), Love Song (2000), and Pastor Brown (2009). In 2008, she was an advisor on the NBC show The Voice. Her song "Still Standing" (featuring Ludacris) and her personal life led to her own reality TV series, Monica: Still Standing, on BET.

Monica has sold more than five million albums in the United States. In 2010, Billboard ranked her among the Top 50 R&B and Hip-Hop Artists of the past 25 years. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and won one for "The Boy Is Mine" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. She has also received a Billboard Music Award, a BET Award, and a Soul Train Music Award. In 2020, Monica was honored with the Lady of Soul award.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Monica Denise Arnold was born in College Park, Georgia. Her mother, Marilyn Best, worked for Delta Air Lines and used to sing in church. Her father, M.C. "Billy" Arnold Jr., was a mechanic. Monica's mother is African American, and her father has African American, Indian, and Irish heritage. She has a younger brother named Montez and a half-brother named Jermond Grant. Monica is also a cousin of record producer Polow da Don and is related to rapper Ludacris through her mother's second marriage.

When Monica was just two years old, she started singing regularly at the Jones Hill Chapel United Methodist Church. Her parents separated in 1984 and divorced in 1987, so Monica grew up in a single-parent home. She kept practicing her singing and often entered talent shows, winning more than 20 local competitions as a teenager. At age 10, she became the youngest member of "Charles Thompson and the Majestics," a gospel choir with 12 members that traveled around. She went to North Clayton High School with rapper 2 Chainz. Monica finished high school in 1997 when she was 16, having studied year-round with a private tutor.

Music Career Highlights

Early Success with Miss Thang and The Boy Is Mine

In 1991, when Monica was eleven, music producer Dallas Austin discovered her. She was performing Whitney Houston's song "Greatest Love of All" at the Center Stage auditorium in Atlanta. Dallas was very impressed by her voice and offered her a record deal with his label, Rowdy Records. He also asked rapper Queen Latifah to be Monica's first manager.

Dallas and producers Tim & Bob then started working with Monica on her first album, Miss Thang. It was released in July 1995 and reached number 36 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 1.5 million copies in the United States and was certified triple platinum by 2000. Miss Thang had three hit songs, including her first, "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)", and "Before You Walk Out of My Life". These songs made Monica the youngest artist to have two number-one songs in a row on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. The album also earned Monica an American Music Award nomination.

Monica's popularity grew even more after this album. In 1997, her song "For You I Will", which was recorded for the movie Space Jam: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture, became another pop hit. The next year, she teamed up with singer Brandy and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to record "The Boy Is Mine". This song was the first single from both of their second albums. Released in May 1998, the duet became a huge hit, staying at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for thirteen weeks. It won them a Grammy Award and sold millions of copies.

Jermaine Dupri, David Foster, and Austin helped with the album The Boy Is Mine, which came out later that year. It became Monica's biggest-selling album, selling over 2 million copies. By June 2000, it was certified triple platinum. The album had two more U.S. number-one hits: "The First Night" and "Angel of Mine". Monica also appeared on TV shows like Living Single (1996) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1997, 1999).

New Beginnings and After the Storm

In 2000, Monica made her movie debut in Love Song. She played Camille Livingston, a young woman who has to choose between her parents' plans and a new world she finds after meeting a musician. The movie also featured her song "What My Heart Says." Monica also acted in Felicity (2001) and American Dreams (2003), where she played Mary Wells and sang "My Guy".

Also in 2000, Monica sang on "I've Got to Have It" with Jermaine Dupri and rapper Nas. This song was the theme for the movie Big Momma's House. The next year, she released "Just Another Girl" for the Down to Earth movie soundtrack.

A year later, Monica put many of her personal experiences into her third album, All Eyez on Me. This was her first album with Clive Davis's new label, J Records. The first song, "All Eyez on Me", did not do very well in the U.S. charts. Another song, "Too Hood", also received a quiet response. Because of this, the album's release was delayed several times.

After All Eyez on Me was released in Japan, Monica was asked to change the album a lot with new producers. She worked with songwriters like Kanye West, Jazze Pha, and Jermaine Dupri. The new version, called After the Storm, was released in June 2003. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 185,500 copies in its first week. This was Monica's first and only time reaching number one on that chart. The album was later certified gold and sold over 1 million copies. Critics generally liked the album. The main song, "So Gone", written by Missy Elliott, became one of Monica's biggest hits in years, reaching the top ten. After the Storm also had three more songs released, with "U Should've Known Better" reaching number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

New Albums and Reality TV

Monica performing at the DC Black Pride in 2007

In late 2006, Monica released her next album, The Makings of Me. It was named after a song by Curtis Mayfield. She worked again with producers like Elliott, Dupri, and Bryan Michael Cox. Critics generally liked the album, but it did not sell as well as her previous ones. Songs like "Everytime tha Beat Drop" and "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)" did not reach the top 40 pop charts. In 2006, she also had a small role in the movie ATL as a waitress.

In August 2008, Monica appeared in a TV special called Monica: The Single. This show followed her as she recorded the song "Still Standing" for her album of the same name. The next year, she sang on "Trust", a duet with Keyshia Cole, which became a top five hit on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She also joined the cast of the movie Pastor Brown.

In 2010, because the 2008 special was so popular, Monica got her own series on BET called Monica: Still Standing. The show focused on her trying to find a hit song for her album while also balancing her life as a mother and dealing with her past. The first episode was watched by 3.2 million viewers, making it one of BET's most successful new shows.

The album Still Standing was released in March 2010 and received good reviews. It debuted at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart and number two on the Billboard 200, selling 184,000 copies in its first week. This was her highest-charting album in years. The main song, "Everything to Me", became her biggest hit since "So Gone" in 2003. The album was certified gold, meaning it sold 500,000 copies within a month. Both the album and "Everything to Me" were nominated for Grammy Awards. Monica met NBA player Shannon Brown in June 2010 while filming the music video for her song "Love All Over Me". In 2010, Monica also went on tour with Trey Songz, her first North American concert tour in ten years.

Recent Music and Projects

Monica performing in 2014

In 2011, Monica became an advisor to musician coach Cee Lo Green on the first season of the TV show The Voice. In April 2012, her seventh album, New Life, was released. This was her first album with RCA Records. Critics had mixed feelings about the album. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album had two preview songs, "Anything (To Find You)" and "Until It's Gone", both reaching the top 30 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The main song, "It All Belongs to Me", another duet with Brandy, also did well. In the same year, Monica and Fred Hammond were featured on James Fortune and FIYA's song "Hold On," which became a top five hit on the Christian Songs chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In October 2013, Monica sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the movie The Best Man Holiday. In December 2015, her eighth album, Code Red, was released. It received mixed reviews and debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The main song, "Just Right for Me", with Lil Wayne, reached number twelve on the Adult R&B Songs chart but did not do well elsewhere. Monica went on her first solo concert tour in years, The Code Red Experience, to promote the album. In November 2016, Monica announced she was leaving RCA Records.

In December 2018, Monica released the song "Be Human" to introduce The Be Human Foundation, a non-profit organization she started. In January 2019, she released "Commitment" on her own label, Mondeenise Music. This song became a number one hit on the US Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart in July 2019, her first number one in nine years. She then released "Me + You" in April 2019 and "Trenches" featuring Lil Baby in August 2020. The release of "Trenches" happened around the same time Monica and Brandy appeared on the online music battle series Verzuz on August 31, 2020. Over 1.2 million people watched the battle.

In October 2020, Monica was featured on the song "Pink" with Dolly Parton, Jordin Sparks, Sara Evans, and Rita Wilson. This song was released to help with Breast Cancer Research.

On July 15, 2022, Monica released the song "Friends", featuring Ty Dolla Sign. This song became her first top forty hit on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in three years. In 2023, she worked again with singer James Fortune on the duet "Trusting God". Released on March 3, 2023, it reached the top 30 on the US Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart. "Letters", another song, was released on June 30, 2023. The video for "Letters" featured the Game. In December 2023, Monica appeared with Nicki Minaj and Keyshia Cole on the song "Love Me Enough" from Minaj's album Pink Friday 2.

On June 21, 2024, Ariana Grande released "The Boy Is Mine (Remix)", which features both Monica and Brandy. In late July 2024, Monica re-signed with WMA agency. Her R&B album MDA and her country album Open Road, produced by Brandi Carlile, were planned for release in 2024, but no official announcement or release happened.

Upcoming Tour with Brandy

On June 24, 2025, it was announced that Monica would go on a tour across the United States with Brandy. The tour, called the Boy Is Mine Tour, is set to start in October 2025 and end in December 2025. It will also feature other artists like Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and Jamal Roberts.

Singing Style and Inspirations

Monica has an alto singing voice, which Billboard described as "perfect." Elysa Gardner of the Los Angeles Times compared her "husky, dramatic alto" voice to that of singer Toni Braxton. Many people believe Monica has one of the best alto voices of her generation.

Monica has often said that Whitney Houston is her biggest inspiration and influence since she was a child. Another major influence for her is Mary J. Blige. She also looks up to other artists like Betty Wright, Gladys Knight, and Anita Baker.

Personal Life

Monica's career slowed down around 1999 due to personal challenges. In July 2000, she was with her former boyfriend, Jarvis Weems, at his brother's gravesite. Sadly, Weems took his own life there. Monica later shared that she often wondered what she could have done differently.

Monica met rapper Rodney "Rocko" Hill after this difficult time. They started dating in late 2000 but broke up in 2004. A few months later, they got back together, and Monica became pregnant. On May 21, 2005, she gave birth to their son, Rodney, who now performs as a rapper under the name "Rodneyy." Monica and Hill got engaged on Christmas Eve 2007, shortly before their second son, Romelo Montez Hill, was born on January 8, 2008. The couple separated in early 2010.

In June 2010, Monica met NBA player Shannon Brown when she was looking for someone to be in her music video for the song "Love All Over Me". In October 2010, she announced her engagement to Brown on Twitter. They secretly married on November 22, 2010, in Los Angeles. Their marriage became public in January 2011. A second wedding ceremony was held for family and friends in July 2011. On September 3, 2013, Monica gave birth to her third child, Laiyah Shannon Brown. After eight years of marriage, Monica filed for divorce from Brown in March 2019, and their divorce was finalized in October 2019.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Studio albums

• Miss Thang (1995)
• The Boy Is Mine (1998)
• All Eyez on Me (2002)
• After the Storm (2003)
• The Makings of Me (2006)
• Still Standing (2010)
• New Life (2012)
• Code Red (2015)

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Monica (cantante) para niños