We proudly re-present a 2003 interview with R&B singer Monica as interviewed by Ron Hall, then administrator of Monica2000 and the Monica Digital Network. Having worked with many artists, interview was Ron’s dream and also served as his final outing in the entertainment industry.
R&B Sensation Monica has weathered a series of storms and come out of it
ready to take the charts and the industry on a trip of a lifetime –
her lifetime. With a hit single and hot airplay, Monica is destined
once again to top the charts – and surprise her fans.
In a special interview with UrbanFanWorld and the Monica Digital Network, Monica
took the time to talk to the sites’ own Ron about her music, the demise
of Monicasworld, her visible fans, and Christianity.
In this article we chronical the time Ron spent with Monica from his point of
view, and offer the uncut interview in Real Audio format. To listen
to his questions and her answers, simply click the [hear it now] link
at the end of each segment. You will need the Real Player to listen
to Monica.
Monica was positive and upbeat as Ron introduces her to the online audience,
and talks a bit about where she’s been the last five years. She said
she was “becoming a woman” and “getting herself
together“, doing the “usual stuff“! [hear
it now Monica 01]
Ron talked about Mondeenise Productions, Monica responding that they have not done anything yet. “Not yet, we haven’t done anything yet because
there’s been so much going on with me, and I wanted to really get to
a point in my career where I felt like I could really dedicate some
time to maybe other artist…I’m not there yet…” [hear it
now Monica 02]
Having worked with Aaliyah’s friends and family on the Aaliyah Memorial Mass
back in January, Ron naturally wanted to talk to Monica about Aaliyah.
One of the hardest things he had ever done was address an invitation
to the mass to Monica’s mother. So to Aaliyahonline’s fans, he asked
Monica to talk about what message she’d like to give to them. “that
she would definately want them to enjoy all of the work she did do…she
didn’t like to know anyone was in pain, period, especially not on account
of her…I think she would definately want people to enjoy all of the
different things she left behind…“. [hear it now Monica
03]
He then moved on to her album, titled “After the Storm”, and asked
the natural question of what the storm was. She answered it was about
the loss of “different people that [she] really loved“,
and being “an example for people that had all these different
circumstances that may have happened…and find some positive in the
negative,” [hear it now Monica
04]
Ron then asked a question given to him by Toronda Hinton, a personal fan and
friend of Monica – and Monica Digital Network administrator. She wanted
to ask about the transition of her music, from what it was, to what
it is now. She felt like “people would rather know [her] the
person, than continue into just create an image and put it out there“.
She remarked that “Toronda, she knows I’m always…straight
forward…I wanted it to be clear that never would I do anything distasteful…“.
[hear it now Monica
05]
Speaking of fans, Ron wanted to try to connect some faces she knew pretty regularly
to names in the Monica Digitial Network – from Tas the Leema, Tareyah,
and Toronda (MonicazLillMama). Monicas fans have also weathered storms
from Ron’s search for Shabonna Springs to Toronda’s battle with Cancer.
She said that “I think that it’s a blessing, because alot of
people , they’ll make good music but they’ll never touch anybody’s life,
and my goal is always to touch somebody’s life…I think that that I
have a greater purpose than just to make music…I feel like that’s
a part of it for me…” [hear it now Monica
06]
Moving to the spiritual side, Ron remembered the tour Monica did with Out of
Eden and Girts. For him and many others it had been an introduction
to Christian music. As he had grown close to Out of Eden, he’d never
asked them if they’d seen Monica, so he decided to ask Monica if she’d
seen them, and how she felt about experiences like his. It turns out
she hadn’t seen them since the last date but regarding Christian music,
“I thought it was a good thing…I enjoy Christian music a tremendous
amount…it was a good experience for me, and I thought it would be
pretty good for the audience…” [hear it now Monica
07]
The entertainment industry sometimes has problems with the core of spirituality. From a question for the Kalvoda family in Ray Comb’s Family Feud, “Name
a Miracle Jesus performed” – that would most certainly draw a weary
eye from critics today, to the Touched by an Angel series finale, the
first time they were able to refer to God in human form – Jesus is always
a touchy subject in the industry, however Monica has never been shy
about Jesus Christ in her life, and that’s something important to her.
“I’m not shy about it at all because…I weathered alot of the
storms because of my faith and belief in him“. [hear it now Monica 08]
Ron then moved to publicity, and Monica.com – her official website, commenting
on her over all image. In fact Ron was rather stumbling over his admiration
of her website. Regarding her online activity, she responded “We
haven’t planned anything yet, but I’ll make sure you know…”
[hear it now Monica
09]
Then the question everyone wanted to know…the Tour. There had been rumors flying but why not ask the source? And Monica spoke with confidence, “I
definately think by the summer we will have worked something out…but
we haven’t planned any of it yet…still kind of early…usually we
start touring a month or two after the album….” [hear it
now Monica 10]
Monica fans have been eagerly tracking her rise on the Billboard charts. Monica
told Ron she felt “blessed“. She noted it had been
a long time that she’d been out and that she felt it was a blessing
that people appreciated the person she is now. [hear it now Monica
11]
The day of the interview, a statement by TMHEntertainment made it clear he was
no longer promoting Monica or any J Records artist, “…effective
immediately we will not be promoting them or their artist on our site.
Yes Monica has been replaced for June AOM with Beyonce.’ It all goes
back to us always promoting them and their artist and them not appreciating
it or promoting us… It’s also odd but yet funny they accused us of
that a week AFTER we sent out notice that we were closing the Monica
fan site due to lack of support from them….Someone asked the other
day could they still talk about their artist on the forum? Well the
answer is yes of course this is a message forum. HOWEVER any promotion
for their artist will be deleted & we all know what promotion is.
That will start immediately, so the topics up now are fine... ”
– but it had also been stated by fans in contact with Monica’s management
AND J Records that both parties had terminated their relationship, meaning
TMH would no longer receive any artist updates to even put on his site,
raising questions.
Ron asked Monica how she felt about the TMH Episode in reference to Monicasworld.com. “He put out a mixture of good and bad….I
felt like if somebody’s gonna work with me or for me, that there
definately has to be positive people that reflect the things I reflect,
so, if they don’t, they just have to go”. [hear
it now Monica 12]
Ron then took a minute to read “My Hero”, a poem written by Floridan
Toronda Hinton. The poem can be found on Monica2000.com. Monica commented,
“Toronda, she’s a good writer too.” . [hear it now Monica 13]
Ron wished Monica the best on her new endeavors. Monica closed out “Thank
you…there’s no other way to share so much of myself besides through
my music…I hope they get a sense of me and who I am…I hope that
I can really be of some help, and really be there…to the ones that
you have basically online with you today, I know them…even when I’m
not working they give me undying support...” [hear it now Monica
14]
For Ron this had been the opportunity of a lifetime, and as planned, his final
interview. That being the case, he had one last thing to do. He had
to tell Monica what her music meant to fans like him. He made a statement
to her based on everything he had ever felt about her music, and everything
he’d heard from fans during the last five years.
Ron spoke, “Monica, I’d like to say that this has been an honor. I want
you to know your music has guided your fans through so many storms,
to see the next day’s sunrise, and when we see you sing in person, it’s
not just a concert, it’s an experience, a chance to feel the sorrow
of the storms we’ve been through, and the joys of the mornings that
followed. I want to thank you for your music, and God for your gifts“.
Monica closed the statement, “Amen“. [hear it now
Monica 15]
After the interview, they bantered about the online fans, talking about Tasleema.
Ron told her about Tasleema’s experience online after 106 and Park,
and she remarked “they come out now…they come out and support...”.
She appreciated Tasleema’s support and the role both she and Ron play
on the web. Ron closed with his feelings about her music at this point
in his own career, and with that, the interview ended, with Monica saying
goodbye to the “ladies” (Tasleema, Toronda, and Tareyah)
[hear it now Monica
16]
