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Muni Long
Muni Long interviewed in May 2022.png
Muni Long in 2022
Background information
Birth name Priscilla Renea Hamilton
Born (1988-09-14) September 14, 1988 (age 36)
Gifford, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active 2008–present
Labels

Priscilla Renea Hamilton (born September 14, 1988), known professionally as Muni Long (pronounced "money long”), is an American singer and songwriter. She is from Gifford, Florida. Early in her career, she signed with Capitol Records under her birth name, Priscilla Renea. She released her first album, Jukebox, in 2009. Critics liked the album, but it did not become a big hit.

After that, she spent about ten years writing songs for other famous artists. Some of these songs became huge hits around the world. Later, she returned to singing her own music. She started using the stage name Muni Long. In 2021, her song "Hrs and Hrs" became very popular. It reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This success led her to sign with Def Jam Recordings. "Hrs and Hrs" also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Her album Public Displays of Affection: The Album came out in 2022. In 2023, her song "Made for Me" was also a big success. Her latest album, Revenge, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2024.

Early Life and Discovering Music

Priscilla Renea was born in Vero Beach, Florida, in 1988. Her father was in the Navy. She started singing when she was only two years old. However, she felt shy about singing in front of other people until she was older.

She later found YouTube and began sharing videos of herself singing in her room. Her very first video was her singing "Cry Me a River." She entered it in a contest where the winner would sing with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy Awards. She did not win the contest, but she kept making videos. She even recorded herself singing the dictionary! Her YouTube channel grew to over 30,000 followers. This led to an opportunity to be on MTV's Say What? Karaoke.

Music Career Journey

Starting Out: Jukebox (2009–2010)

In 2009, when she was 21, Priscilla Renea signed with Capitol Records. This happened after she became popular on YouTube. Her first album, Jukebox, was released on December 1, 2009. Before the album, she released a song called "Dollhouse". This song did not make it onto the main Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, it did well on other charts, like the Heatseekers singles chart.

Priscilla Renea performing in 2009
Hamilton performing in December 2009

Jukebox sold about 1,200 copies in its first week. It did not appear on the main Billboard 200 album chart. But it did reach number twenty-three on the Billboard Heatseekers album chart. Even though it didn't sell many copies, music critics really liked the album. Billboard magazine said she was good at mixing words and poetry with catchy beats. The second song from the album, "Lovesick", was released in 2010 but did not chart.

Writing Hits for Other Artists (2010–2018)

After her first album, Muni Long began writing songs for other singers. In 2010, she helped write "Promise This", which became a number-one hit in the UK. She also co-wrote "California King Bed" for Rihanna's album Loud. She continued writing songs for many famous artists. These included Demi Lovato, Madonna, Selena Gomez & the Scene, Chris Brown, and Little Mix.

In 2013, she was featured on B.o.B's song "John Doe". In 2014, she helped write "Worth It" for Fifth Harmony. This song reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also co-wrote "Somethin' Bad" for Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert. This song was nominated for a Grammy Award and reached number one on Billboard's Country Chart.

In 2015, she sang on the song "Be Right There" by Diplo and Sleepy Tom. In 2016, she worked with Pusha T and Meek Mill on "Black Moses" for a movie soundtrack.

In 2018, she released her second album, Coloured. This album was special because it was an African-American country album. Songs like "Family Tree" talked about feeling strong. "Land of the Free" asked for understanding for people who worry about unfair treatment.

Becoming Muni Long and Breakthrough Success (2019–Present)

Around 2019, Priscilla Renea started using the name "Muni Long." She explained that Muni Long is like a "protector of Priscilla." In 2020, she released the song "Midnight Snack" with Jacob Latimore. She also helped write songs for Ariana Grande's album Positions. She released her first short album (EP) called Black Like This in November 2020. This EP celebrated Black culture. Another EP, Nobody Knows, followed in 2021.

In November 2021, she released an eight-song EP called Public Displays of Affection. She said that putting her feelings into this music was her own "public display of affection." The song "Hrs and Hrs" from this EP became a huge hit. It went viral on TikTok in early 2022.

In March 2022, Muni Long signed with Def Jam Recordings. Vogue magazine noted that Muni Long's new name also brought a new, strong fashion style. She released another EP, Public Displays of Affection Too, in July 2022. This included songs like "Pain" and "Baby Boo" with Saweetie. Her full album, Public Displays of Affection: The Album, came out in September 2022. It included all the songs from her earlier EPs plus new ones. Her 2023 song "Made for Me" was another big hit. Her latest album, Revenge, was released in 2024.

Personal Life

Muni Long has lived in Atlanta and later in Los Angeles. She has been diagnosed with lupus, which is a health condition. She is also autistic. She has said that challenges with her music labels and past managers helped inspire her music. She runs her own music label called Supergiant Records. The name comes from "the biggest star in the galaxy."

Her song "Family Tree" was inspired by a time when she was a teenager and had to leave her family's home. She went to Vero Beach High School. Muni Long has one son, whom she brought on stage during a concert tour with Chris Brown.

Awards and Recognition

Muni Long has received many awards and nominations for her music.

Year Award Show Category Nominated Work Result
2022 American Music Awards Favorite R&B Song "Hrs and Hrs" Nominated
Favorite Female R&B Artist Herself Nominated
BET Awards Best New Artist Herself Nominated
Give Her FlowHERS Awards The Bloom Award Herself Won
Grammy Awards Album of the Year Back of My Mind (as songwriter) Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Push "Baby Boo" Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Push Performance of the Year "Baby Boo" Nominated
People's Choice Awards The New Artist of 2022 Herself Nominated
Soul Train Music Awards Song of the Year "Hrs and Hrs" Nominated
The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award "Hrs and Hrs" Won
Video of the Year "Hrs and Hrs" Nominated
Best New Artist Herself Nominated
2023 Grammy Awards Best New Artist Herself Nominated
Best R&B Performance "Hrs and Hrs" Won
Best R&B Song "Hrs and Hrs" Nominated
2024 MTV Video Music Awards Best R&B "Made for Me" Nominated
2025 Grammy Awards Best R&B Performance "Made for Me" Pending
Best Traditional R&B Performance "Make Me Forget" Pending
Best R&B Song "Ruined Me" Pending
Best R&B Album Revenge Pending

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