A lot has changed in your career in the past 10 years. Who is Monica right now?
I think Monica is self-assured, she’s understanding, she’s a mother, she’s an artist… just prepare. Understand that life can not be planed, you have to play it like a game of chess and make the best decisions possible.
You’ve done films and had your music featured in several movies. Do you enjoy the Hollywood side of things as much as the music life or is music your number one goal?
Music will always come first. That’s something that comes natural. Hollywood stuff I have to work hard at, you know? So the music part is more organic for me. With Hollywood, you have to study for the roles and do all that stuff. It’s totally different with music, ‘cause I can just do it. It comes natural, but I’m prepared for the other side of it.
Your last 2 albums did not have as much success as your first works. Why do you think that was?
I think people were adapting to me no longer being a child. I realized that moving into the more adult area, having more adult music, having lyrics that are not good for children to listen to… if you heard my single, like Sideline, different ones like that. I’m very realistic about the fact that if I don’t let my son listen to it then you shouldn’t let your either. So I understood what was taking place and I knew that it would happen.
You went through a lot of personal tribulations and 2 years ago had a son. How did these personal changes in your life affect you as a performer?
I think that my son is the best thing that ever happened to me. He brought back that unconditional love. He doesn’t care how much money I make, he doesn’t care what kind of a car I drive, he just loves his mother. And I know that this is someone that I am responsible for. And he gave me something else to focus on, outside of music. So it was the best thing that could have happened to me. But anything negative that happened prior to him [being born] just continue to make me who I am. All those things make me stronger, you know? I’m not sitting around crying and being weak. I understand that I am not the only person that suffers. I bring that pain to the stage sometimes and then I bring that joy to it too.
You had a lot of success with your work with Brandy. Do you have more work coming up with her?
No. actually she and I, we keep our relationship based on our kids now. We let them play together, let them have fun. It’s totally different. Both of us have been working for years, so we’re in a totally different space now.
Are you working on a new album now?
Absolutely! We’re working on continuance of the Making of Me. That record was my best attempt at explaining who I am, the things that have taken place in my life. So this album you have even harder records. I mean because my emotions are more on my sleeve now. I work with Brian Michael Cox, definitely Jermaine Dupri… Missy [Elliott] already discussed everything. We know what we need to do. So we’re ready. We’re geared up. We’re just gonna grow lyrically.
What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B music?
You know so many people are so concerned about and I’m not, because I believe that music has like this cycle. You hear all these different parts that take over at different times and you have to respect it when it happens. I remember when I came out R&B was so huge that you couldn’t play anything other than that for a minute. At the end of that it was pop music. Then it went through a phase of country music being so humongous. So I think that everybody has to respect their time and wait their turn.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I just want to thank people for always supporting me. Its been a lot of years, a lot of albums… I don’t care if its one person, 1 million or 10 million, I am just so appreciative and so is my family. We moved to a little country spot in Atlanta. This was my dream and I couldn’t do it without the people that helped me make it happen.