Monica is ready to kick off Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto! The singer will begin the night’s festivities on Monday, with a performance of the National Anthem. Meanwhile, the Raptors — who hope to take home their first championship in history by dethroning the reigning champs, the Golden State Warriors — have invited all fans to join in the singing of the Canadian anthem. Game 5 kicks off at 9 PM ET, but first, learn more about Monica with these five fast facts!
1. Monica is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and entrepreneur from College Park, Georgia. — Monica Denise Arnold was born on October 24, 1980. She is known for her hits: “The Boy Is Mine” (1998), “Before You Walk Out Of My Life”, “Don’t Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)”, “Like This and Like That”, “The First Night”, “Angel of Mine”, “So Gone”, and “Everything to Me”. Monica is also known for a slew of number-one albums, including, After the Storm (2003), The Makings of Me (2006) and Still Standing (2010). Her latest single is titled, “Committment” (April 2019), and it’s slated to be part of her forthcoming album, “Chapter 38” — a nod to her 38th year of life.
2. She’s a regular on the Vh1 reality show, T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle. — Monica has a close friendship with fellow singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris and her husband rapper T.I., so fans thought it was a perfect fit when she joined their reality show for its seventh season in 2019. Monica previewed “Chapter 38” on the show. She’s also had roles in television series’ such as, Living Single, Felicity, and American Dreams, along with films including, Boys and Girls (2000), Love Song (2000), and Pastor Brown (2009). In 2008, she was a contributor on The Voice.
3. Monica is a humanitarian. — In December 2018, Monica released the ballad “Be Human” to introduce The Be Human Foundation, a non profit organization founded by herself. The Be Human Foundation’s mission is “to inspire transformative reflection on our value systems that encourage critical dialogue of tolerance, love, and respect for each other and challenge our society to embrace a culture of humanity,” according to its official website.
4. She’s a Grammy-winning artist. — Monica won her first and only Grammy (R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals) in 1999 for “The Boy Is Mine”. She’s been nominated three other times, twice in 2011 and once in 1999: R&B Album (2011), “Still Standing”; Female R&B Vocal Performance (2011), “Everything To Me”; Record (1999), “The Boy Is Mine”.
5. Monica is a mother of three and has been married once. — She is mother to sons, Rocko (born in May, 2005), and Romelo Montez Hill (born in January, 2008), both of whom she shares with her ex-fiance rapper, Rodney “Rocko” Hill. Monica and Rodney began dating in the early 2000s and were on and off until they split for good in early 2010. That same year, Monica went on to date NBA player, Shannon Brown. The pair wed in a secret ceremony in LA on November 22, 2010. They had a second wedding ceremony for family and friends in July 2011. Monica gave birth to her third child and the couple’s first, Laiyah Shannon on September 3, 2013. She filed for divorce from Shannon in March 2019 after eight years of marriage.
Monica opened up about the messy split on T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle. “It has not been easy, I cannot lie,” she said in a confessional in a preview for an episode in May (2019). “My personal relationship is taking a major toll on me. I’m feeling it everyday. I’ve been keeping everything to myself and I feel overwhelmed,” she added.