The Memoir Of Ms. Butterfly

Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at age ten. Monica was born on October 24, 1980. At four, she began singing in her local church choir. After entering many talent shows, Monica was spotted by Dallas Austin, a record producer who has put albums out for big-name artists, such as TLC.

 Amazed by her voice, Dallas offered her a record deal with his Artista-Distributed Rowdy Records label. she was joined by a quick succession of three brothers before her parents split when she was just four. After that, she would have little contact with her mechanic father, M.C. Arnold Jr., until she became a celebrity.

 Monica and her brothers were raised by her mother, Marilyn, who worked full-time to support them with help from her own mother. Monica’s mother eventually became a consumer affairs official at Delta Air Lines and was remarried to a minister, Dr. E.J. Best, in 1993. While the singer was on promotional tours for her first album, she told Ewey in Ebony, she met other teens who had also been through less-than-idyllic childhoods.” They were surprised that I went through a lot of the same things they had like there were nights when my mother didn’t eat so I could,” Monica said.

Despite her rough work schedule, Best was also devoted to her church and choir and passed on that love of gospel music to her daughter. Growing up in College Park, Georgia—a suburb of Atlanta—Monica began singing in the church choir alongside her mother when she was just a toddler. As a child in the mid-1980s, Monica was a huge fan of Whitney Houston, who enjoyed a string of hits throughout the decade.

Debut Album

Her debut album, Miss Thang, was released in July 1995. It peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and No. 36 on the Billboard 200. It produced the Top Ten singles “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” and “Before You Walk Out of My Life,” making her the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive No. 1’s on the R&B Singles chart. Miss Thang went triple platinum and earned her a Billboard Music Award. In 1996 she graduated with a reported grade point average of 4.0.

The Boy Is Mine”

Rumors surfaced of a feud between Monica and fellow R&B teen star Brandy. However, they both denied the allegations and teamed up to record the single “The Boy Is Mine.

 Which was included in each of their second albums. It was issued in 1998 and became the year’s biggest hit, spending a record-breaking 13 weeks atop the Hot 100. It also earned them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. To this day, “The Boy Is Mine” remains among the top 20 most successful singles in Billboard chart history.

Following the release of The Boy Is Mine, which became Monica’s biggest-selling album, she took time off from singing to pursue an acting career. She starred in the television shows Living Single, Felicity, and Beverly Hills, 90210, and she made her first film appearance in the MTV film Love Song.

The film debuted her song “What My Heart Says. Which was meant to coincide with the release of her 2002 album. All Eyez on Me. Due to a lackluster reaction to the first two singles (including the title track), plus heavy bootlegging, All Eyez on Me was only released in Japan. She was sent back to the studio to rerecord, armed with a team of new producers and songwriters, including Kanye West.

A revamped version was released in 2003, aptly titled After the Storm. The album debuted at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and Billboard 200, marking her first (and only) number-one album. Critical reception was positive, and her noticeably more mature sound and production kept longtime fans on board and appealed to new ones.

In 2006 Monica released her fourth effort, The Makings of Me. Despite earning positive reviews and debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, it was her career’s least commercially successful album.

To revive her career, she starred in the BET reality show Monica: Still Standing, which documented her personal life and the making of her upcoming album Still Standing. Fortunately, the TV show paid off: Still Standing, released in 2010, became her highest-charting album in years, strengthened by the singles “Everything to Me” and “So Gone.

Monica released her seventh studio album, New Life, in 2012. Its soulful, inspired sound pleased listeners, and it spawned the singles “Anything (To Find You),” “Until It’s Gone,” and “It All Belongs to Me,” another duet with Brandy.

That same year Monica began working on her eighth studio album, Code Red, which is expected to be released in 2015.

Unfortunately, she has experienced some very challenging times regarding her love life. One of her first boyfriends was Corey “C-Murder” Miller, a rapper ten years older than her (she was only 16 when they dated).

Then, she and Jarvis “Knot” Weems got romantically involved. But, with Knot, a one-time hustler, things ended tragically as he took his own life in front of the singer. She was 19 years old at the time. 

Years later, during an interview with NPR, Monica Brown opened up on what she did to recover from such a heartbreaking time, and she credited God. The singer said:

[God’s] so awesome that he gives you a second, third, or fourth and fifth chance. But you have to develop your own relationship with Christ again. She also admitted that, about six or eight weeks after the incident, she started to feel God’s presence taking over her.

Finally, Monica told those going through similar experiences that if they had some type of spirituality, they could cling to it and find solace in it when things get rough.

After Knot’s death, Monica met another rapper, Rodney “Rocko” Hill. They were together on and off for ten years and were engaged for five. Monica and Rocko share two children, Rocko Jr., and Romelo.

Unfortunately, in March 2010, the R&B singer announced that she and her ex-partner were parting ways, but they focused on loving and parenting their two kids.

 Before Monica announced their split, rumors claiming that Rocko was unfaithful were all over the internet, but the singer pointed out that she never confirmed them.

She also pointed out that they didn’t have hard feelings toward each other and that her priority was choosing the best for their children.

Monica’s most recent relationship was with former NBA player Shannon Brown. The couple secretly tied the Knot in Los Angeles in November 2010 and kept the news from the spotlight until January 2011.

Later, in July 2011, Monica and Shannon Brown walked down the aisle again in front of their friends and family. They share a daughter named Laiyah Shannon.

 Sadly, after eight years together, Monica Brown and her husband divorced. However, the singer is a role model when it comes to breaking up, as she has refused to talk ill about her ex-husband whenever she has been asked about him.

In fact, she told RuPaul that, no matter what, Shannon would always have her respect and gratitude and that she would always support him. April this year, she made headlines after revealing through an Instagram Live that her ex-boyfriend Rocko Hill has become one of her best friends following her and Shannon’s divorce.

Monica Brown said that even though she was ready to date again, Rocko was off the conversation because they have not “dealt” with each other for over ten years, and he is in a relationship.

Monica is entering a new era in her musical career, and she told ET’s Nischelle Turner all about it. The 41-year-old singer joined ET at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas as a guest co-host, where she opened up about her upcoming album release and venture into a new genre count.

“You know what I did this time? I went back to the idea I had in the beginning, which was just to make music about living life and the things that happen in life,” she says of her ninth studio album, Trenches.

 “We’ve all experienced so much over the last couple of years, and this album is really indicative of the struggle of it, the love of it, the triumph of it, because you know I don’t believe in being the victim. I’m the victor.

Referencing her divorce from former NBA player Shannon Brown and the recent loss of her family members, the singer said she isn’t ashamed to speak about her struggles or pain because “there’s someone out there listening that’s been in the exact place that I have.

Ever the realist, Monica noted that, unlike artists who “feel like they have to be perfect,” she prefers to lay it all out on the line with her music.  

Monica is entering a new era in her musical career, and she told ET’s Nischelle Turner all about it. The 41-year-old singer joined ET at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas as a guest co-host, where she opened up about her upcoming album release and venture into a new country music genre.

“You know what I did this time? I went back to the idea I had in the beginning, which was just to make music about living life and the things that happen in life,” she says of her ninth studio album, Trenches. “We’ve all experienced so much over the last couple of years, and this album is really indicative of the struggle of it, the love of it, the triumph of it, because you know I don’t believe in being the victim. I’m the victor.”

Referencing her divorce from former NBA player Shannon Brown and the recent loss of her family members, the singer said she isn’t ashamed to speak about her struggles or pain because “there’s someone out there listening that’s been in the exact place that I have.” 

“When you hear this album, that’s what it embodies.

Ever the realist, Monica noted that, unlike artists who “feel like they have to be perfect,” she prefers to lay it all out on the line with her music. 

“I think my imperfections [are] what keep me connected to the people ’cause there’s an authenticity that comes with me just telling the truth,” she explains.

 I’ve always felt that if [the music] is true to what you think, you can make other people feel it. How can I make you believe it if I don’t and if I haven’t been there? How can I speak about it?

 I always ensure that the music embodies the truth of where I’ve been.”

And while the singer appreciates her fans. For their support, she’s constantly reminded them that her music isn’t an invitation to follow in her footsteps.

 Do not listen to me; just struggle with me. Finally, she notes that I’m not giving advice; I’m honest enough to tell you the truth. 

Her upcoming single, “Friends,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, drops on Friday and, according to Monica, it’s about “keeping people in their place and handling your own relationships.

It’s a marked difference from what fans can expect from the singer down the line as she puts together her highly anticipated country album, Open Roads. However, for fans that wonder where the desire to delve into country music came from, Monica revealed that she’s been a fan of the genre since she was a child taking trips to Dollywood courtesy of her stepfather. 

“My Dolly Parton obsession began — and it hasn’t ended — and what it was, was that my love for family is really my connection to her,” she shares.

 “I was in her park at about 10 years old, and the lady working told me, ‘Well, I’m Dolly’s first cousin, and she gives us a job, a car, and an apartment; it’s fantastic.

 So when I met her, I realized all these people are related to her.

 She built all of this; it really helped her family and community; that’s when my love for her began in country music. Monica explained that she would always sing country songs when she was younger but would be told, “that’s not what you do.

“But I realized there are no limitations to what we can do, and Brandi Carlile told me, ‘Monica, stop waiting, and I will help you.’ Since then, we have been working nonstop,” she says. 

The singer shared that she’s also been working with artists such as Breland and Sean McConnell and admitted she was surprised by the “different people” who “stepped up.

The singer relived her debut at this year’s CMT Music Awards, where she hit the stage with Jimmie Allen and Little Big Town for a performance of her song, “Pray.

Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at age ten. Monica was born on October 24, 1980. At four, she began singing in her local church choir. After entering many talent shows, Monica was spotted by Dallas Austin, a record producer who has put albums out for big-name artists, such as TLC.

Amazed by her voice, Dallas offered her a record deal with his Artista-Distributed Rowdy Records label. she was joined by a quick succession of three brothers before her parents split when she was just four. After that, she would have little contact with her mechanic father, M.C. Arnold Jr., until she became a celebrity.

Monica and her brothers were raised by her mother, Marilyn, who worked full-time to support them with help from her own mother. Monica’s mother eventually became a consumer affairs official at Delta Air Lines and was remarried to a minister, Dr. E.J. Best, in 1993. While the singer was on promotional tours for her first album, she told Ewey in Ebony, she met other teens who had also been through less-than-idyllic childhoods.” They were surprised that I went through a lot of the same things they had like there were nights when my mother didn’t eat so I could,” Monica said.

Despite her rough work schedule, Best was also devoted to her church and choir and passed on that love of gospel music to her daughter. Growing up in College Park, Georgia—a suburb of Atlanta—Monica began singing in the church choir alongside her mother when she was just a toddler. As a child in the mid-1980s, Monica was a huge fan of Whitney Houston, who enjoyed a string of hits throughout the decade.

Debut Album
Her debut album, Miss Thang, was released in July 1995. It peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and No. 36 on the Billboard 200. It produced the Top Ten singles “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)” and “Before You Walk Out of My Life,” making her the youngest artist ever to have two consecutive No. 1’s on the R&B Singles chart. Miss Thang went triple platinum and earned her a Billboard Music Award. In 1996 she graduated with a reported grade point average of 4.0.

The Boy Is Mine”
Rumors surfaced of a feud between Monica and fellow R&B teen star Brandy. However, they both denied the allegations and teamed up to record the single “The Boy Is Mine.

Which was included in each of their second albums. It was issued in 1998 and became the year’s biggest hit, spending a record-breaking 13 weeks atop the Hot 100. It also earned them a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. To this day, “The Boy Is Mine” remains among the top 20 most successful singles in Billboard chart history.

Following the release of The Boy Is Mine, which became Monica’s biggest-selling album, she took time off from singing to pursue an acting career. She starred in the television shows Living Single, Felicity, and Beverly Hills, 90210, and she made her first film appearance in the MTV film Love Song.

The film debuted her song “What My Heart Says. Which was meant to coincide with the release of her 2002 album. All Eyez on Me. Due to a lackluster reaction to the first two singles (including the title track), plus heavy bootlegging, All Eyez on Me was only released in Japan. She was sent back to the studio to rerecord, armed with a team of new producers and songwriters, including Kanye West.

A revamped version was released in 2003, aptly titled After the Storm. The album debuted at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and Billboard 200, marking her first (and only) number-one album. Critical reception was positive, and her noticeably more mature sound and production kept longtime fans on board and appealed to new ones.

In 2006 Monica released her fourth effort, The Makings of Me. Despite earning positive reviews and debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, it was her career’s least commercially successful album.

To revive her career, she starred in the BET reality show Monica: Still Standing, which documented her personal life and the making of her upcoming album Still Standing. Fortunately, the TV show paid off: Still Standing, released in 2010, became her highest-charting album in years, strengthened by the singles “Everything to Me” and “So Gone.

Monica released her seventh studio album, New Life, in 2012. Its soulful, inspired sound pleased listeners, and it spawned the singles “Anything (To Find You),” “Until It’s Gone,” and “It All Belongs to Me,” another duet with Brandy.

That same year Monica began working on her eighth studio album, Code Red, which is expected to be released in 2015.

Then, she and Jarvis “Knot” Weems got romantically involved. But, with Knot, a one-time hustler, things ended tragically as he took his own life in front of the singer. She was 19 years old at the time.

Years later, during an interview with NPR, Monica Brown opened up on what she did to recover from such a heartbreaking time, and she credited God. The singer said:

[God’s] so awesome that he gives you a second, third, or fourth and fifth chance. But you have to develop your own relationship with Christ again. She also admitted that, about six or eight weeks after the incident, she started to feel God’s presence taking over her.

Finally, Monica told those going through similar experiences that if they had some type of spirituality, they could cling to it and find solace in it when things get rough.

After Knot’s death, Monica met another rapper, Rodney “Rocko” Hill. They were together on and off for ten years and were engaged for five. Monica and Rocko share two children, Rocko Jr., and Romelo.

Unfortunately, in March 2010, the R&B singer announced that she and her ex-partner were parting ways, but they focused on loving and parenting their two kids.

Before Monica announced their split, rumors claiming that Rocko was unfaithful were all over the internet, but the singer pointed out that she never confirmed them.

She also pointed out that they didn’t have hard feelings toward each other and that her priority was choosing the best for their children.

Monica’s most recent relationship was with former NBA player Shannon Brown. The couple secretly tied the Knot in Los Angeles in November 2010 and kept the news from the spotlight until January 2011.

Later, in July 2011, Monica and Shannon Brown walked down the aisle again in front of their friends and family. They share a daughter named Laiyah Shannon.

Sadly, after eight years together, Monica Brown and her husband divorced. However, the singer is a role model when it comes to breaking up, as she has refused to talk ill about her ex-husband whenever she has been asked about him.

In fact, she told RuPaul that, no matter what, Shannon would always have her respect and gratitude and that she would always support him. April this year, she made headlines after revealing through an Instagram Live that her ex-boyfriend Rocko Hill has become one of her best friends following her and Shannon’s divorce.

Monica Brown said that even though she was ready to date again, Rocko was off the conversation because they have not “dealt” with each other for over ten years, and he is in a relationship.

Monica is entering a new era in her musical career, and she told ET’s Nischelle Turner all about it. The 41-year-old singer joined ET at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas as a guest co-host, where she opened up about her upcoming album release and venture into a new genre count.

“You know what I did this time? I went back to the idea I had in the beginning, which was just to make music about living life and the things that happen in life,” she says of her ninth studio album, Trenches.

“We’ve all experienced so much over the last couple of years, and this album is really indicative of the struggle of it, the love of it, the triumph of it, because you know I don’t believe in being the victim. I’m the victor.

Referencing her divorce from former NBA player Shannon Brown and the recent loss of her family members, the singer said she isn’t ashamed to speak about her struggles or pain because “there’s someone out there listening that’s been in the exact place that I have.

Ever the realist, Monica noted that, unlike artists who “feel like they have to be perfect,” she prefers to lay it all out on the line with her music.

Monica is entering a new era in her musical career, and she told ET’s Nischelle Turner all about it. The 41-year-old singer joined ET at the Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas as a guest co-host, where she opened up about her upcoming album release and venture into a new country music genre.

“You know what I did this time? I went back to the idea I had in the beginning, which was just to make music about living life and the things that happen in life,” she says of her ninth studio album, Trenches. “We’ve all experienced so much over the last couple of years, and this album is really indicative of the struggle of it, the love of it, the triumph of it, because you know I don’t believe in being the victim. I’m the victor.”
Referencing her divorce from former NBA player Shannon Brown and the recent loss of her family members, the singer said she isn’t ashamed to speak about her struggles or pain because “there’s someone out there listening that’s been in the exact place that I have.”
“When you hear this album, that’s what it embodies.

Ever the realist, Monica noted that, unlike artists who “feel like they have to be perfect,” she prefers to lay it all out on the line with her music.

“I think my imperfections [are] what keep me connected to the people ’cause there’s an authenticity that comes with me just telling the truth,” she explains.

I’ve always felt that if [the music] is true to what you think, you can make other people feel it. How can I make you believe it if I don’t and if I haven’t been there? How can I speak about it?

I always ensure that the music embodies the truth of where I’ve been.”
And while the singer appreciates her fans. For their support, she’s constantly reminded them that her music isn’t an invitation to follow in her footsteps.

Do not listen to me; just struggle with me. Finally, she notes that I’m not giving advice; I’m honest enough to tell you the truth.
Her upcoming single, “Friends,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, drops on Friday and, according to Monica, it’s about “keeping people in their place and handling your own relationships.

It’s a marked difference from what fans can expect from the singer down the line as she puts together her highly anticipated country album, Open Roads. However, for fans that wonder where the desire to delve into country music came from, Monica revealed that she’s been a fan of the genre since she was a child taking trips to Dollywood courtesy of her stepfather.

“My Dolly Parton obsession began — and it hasn’t ended — and what it was, was that my love for family is really my connection to her,” she shares.

“I was in her park at about 10 years old, and the lady working told me, ‘Well, I’m Dolly’s first cousin, and she gives us a job, a car, and an apartment; it’s fantastic.

So when I met her, I realized all these people are related to her.
She built all of this; it really helped her family and community; that’s when my love for her began in country music. Monica explained that she would always sing country songs when she was younger but would be told, “that’s not what you do.

“But I realized there are no limitations to what we can do, and Brandi Carlile told me, ‘Monica, stop waiting, and I will help you.’ Since then, we have been working nonstop,” she says.

The singer shared that she’s also been working with artists such as Breland and Sean McConnell and admitted she was surprised by the “different people” who “stepped up.

The singer relived her debut at this year’s CMT Music Awards, where she hit the stage with Jimmie Allen and Little Big Town for a performance of her song, “Pray.

Despite the awe-inspiring performance, the singer (and other Black people in attendance, including co-host of the awards show, Anthony Mackie) were the subjects of a vitriolic rant by a Breibart writer.

That tone-deaf rant motivated Monica to make her visit to the countryside of things permanent.
“I was told to leave by a reporter, and now I almost reside there,” she says. “I do the opposite of what people think and feel I should. I do what makes me feel good on the inside.”
And what else would make Monica feel good on the inside? Manifesting some dream collaborations for Open Roads. Dolly Parton is the ultimate dream, as is Mickey Guyton — who has already proclaimed that she would love to work with the singer — and Chris Stapleton.

 Despite the awe-inspiring performance, the singer (and other Black people in attendance, including co-host of the awards show, Anthony Mackie) were the subjects of a vitriolic rant by a Breibart writer. 

That tone-deaf rant motivated Monica to make her visit to the countryside of things permanent.

“I was told to leave by a reporter, and now I almost reside there,” she says. “I do the opposite of what people think and feel I should. I do what makes me feel good on the inside.”

And what else would make Monica feel good on the inside? Manifesting some dream collaborations for Open Roads. Dolly Parton is the ultimate dream, as is Mickey Guyton — who has already proclaimed that she would love to work with the singer — and Chris Stapleton. 

Ms. Butterfly Genesis