1. She's finally comfortable with fully embracing her impact and influence in Hip-Hop culture.
"This is the renaissance era of my life. We are in the 50th year of Hip-Hop culture and I'm claiming who I am... I am a culture icon," she declares as Layna and Cali nod in agreement.
Indeed, when she arrived in the States from London in 1989, and subsequently released her debut album, Down To Earth in 1990, it was immediately apparent Monie was a top-tier MC. A two-time Grammy nominee, she declared her standing as part of the Native Tongues collective, making a praise-worthy appearance on Queen Latifah's pivotal single, "Ladies First." Her debut album spawned the hits "It's A Shame (My Sister)," "Monie In the Middle" and the title track, and further distinguished her as a talent to watch. She released another album, 1992's In a Word Or 2, before launching a successful career in radio.
2. She has unadulterated love for Roxanne Shanté.
"Roxanne Shanté came out, and she was ferocious," Monie remembered. "That put the battery in my back, for real, for real. I was like, 'Yo, I'm gonna be just like Roxanne Shanté."
3. She's keeps it real.
Her candid conversations with her daughters Layna and Cali, about everything from relationships to music are refreshing. "I hope that moms and daughters can watch together and relate together," she told Rock The Bells.
Watch the debut episode below. Monie In The Middle is available to watch on RockTheBellsTV on YouTube every Friday at 12 pm ET.
