♪♪ >> We're pleased to have on "The Chavis Chronicles" the fabulous Monie Love, next on "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, diverse representation and perspectives, equity, and inclusion is critical to meeting the needs of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

We are focused on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both inside our company and in the communities where we live and work.

Together, we want to make a tangible difference in people's lives and in our communities.

Wells Fargo -- the bank of doing.

American Petroleum Institute -- through API's Energy Excellence Program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental, and sustainability progress throughout the natural-gas and oil industry around the world.

Learn more at api.org/apiEnergyExcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to ensuring your money, health, and happiness live as long as you do.

♪♪ >> ♪ Excuse me, but I think I'm about due ♪ ♪ To get into precisely what I am about to do ♪ ♪ I'm conversating to the folks who have no whatsoever clue ♪ ♪ So listen very carefully as I break it down for you ♪ ♪ Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, hyper, happy, overjoyed ♪ ♪ Pleased with all the beats and rhymes my sisters have employed ♪ ♪ Slick and smooth, throwing down the sound, totally a yes ♪ ♪ Let me state the position, ladies first, yes?

♪ >> Yes.

>> We're most honored to welcome to "The Chavis Chronicles" Monie Love, coming all the way from Great Britain, making music, and giving people such inspiration in hip-hop.

Welcome to "The Chavis Chronicles," Monie.

>> I'm honored to be here, Dr. Chavis.

>> Tell us, how does a sister from Great Britain wind up being a force to be reckoned with in terms of hip-hop culture in America?

>> I got to tell you, Dr. Chavis, it's -- I got bit by the bug, basically.

>> Because you were actually born in -- >> Born in Chelsea, as a matter of fact.

So, yes, go, Chelsea Football Club, as what we call football.

Soccer, you guys call it.

>> You still got that little British accent.

>> It comes and goes.

It comes and goes.

My kids make fun of me.

I mean, I got bit with the hip-hop bug, I would say, in '84 with the release of "Beat Street."

>> ♪ Us girls can boogie, too ♪ ♪ We can dance, we can shake it ♪ ♪ Us ♪ ♪ Us girls can boogie, too ♪ ♪ So come on, girls ♪ ♪ Let's go break it ♪ ♪ Let's go break it ♪ >> Of course, put together by the late, great Harry Belafonte.

>> Yes.

>> And that was a very big influence on not just myself, but a lot of British youth, especially British black youth.

It was a huge, huge impression on us.

Influenced me to decide to take the hip-hop-culture road.

>> I'm glad you mentioned Harry Belafonte.

>> Yeah.

>> Not only a great performer in his own right, a great humanitarian, great civil-rights leader.

Harry Belafonte is one of the strongest supporters of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

But he also -- I had a talk with him once about hip-hop.

It's this global cultural phenomenon, you know, started in the South Bronx, but now all over the world, including London, including other parts of Great Britain.

>> Yeah.

>> And you represent the globality, the global impact of hip-hop culture.

But now you're here in Atlanta at KISS FM.

>> Yes.

>> "The Monie Love Show."

>> Yes.

>> Every day.

>> Every day, 3:00 to 7:00.

Yes, every weekday afternoon.

>> So, tell us about the impact of hip-hop culture not just in Atlanta, but your perspective in the world in which we live today.

>> Wow.

I got to tell you, Dr. Chavis, I didn't think -- When I started, I really didn't think it was going to be what it is.

I mean, I knew, as a 14-year-old watching "Beat Street," that this is what I want to do.

This is impacting me.

This is awesome.

And I actually started in the movement form.

So I was a B-girl.

You know, I wasn't rapping or anything.

It was the movement, because we saw what was going on with the break dancing and the movement part of the culture.

That is what hit Europe first -- England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, France, Holland.

This is what hit Europe first, as far as the culture, the movement aspect of it.

And then we all kind of started branching off into our other areas, some of us into rhyming, being emcees, some of us continuing with the artwork side, being graffiti writers, some of us being music producers, some of us being deejays.

That's a whole nother segmented part of the culture.

>> ♪ You wanna know me better?

♪ ♪ I suggest you follow ♪ ♪ 'Cause I ain't trying to start up nothing destined to be hollow ♪ ♪ You say you understand, good, no need for me to wonder ♪ ♪ Wanna be my man?

♪ ♪ A'ight, well, here's my name, my number ♪ ♪ But if you're not sure, stop, look, listen, and learn ♪ ♪ Because I'm looking for a love that will last the full term ♪ >> ♪ Full-term love ♪ ♪ Full-term love ♪ ♪ Full-term love ♪ ♪ Full-term love ♪ >> And I really didn't think that it was going to be so impactful in business, in advertising, in marketing.

I did not think that hip-hop was going to take on all these different facets, the culture was going to spread its tentacles that way.

I didn't think that, not back then.

But I started seeing it once I saw Run-D.M.C.

make such a big impression with Adidas sneakers and then Adidas getting on board like, "Hey, wait a minute.

These guys are doing some work for us here without us even having to do it, in a community that we probably weren't even paying attention to.

And these guys are doing this so --" >> So hip-hop artists also became entrepreneurs.

>> Dr. Chavis.

>> Brand ambassadors.

>> Do you see what I'm saying?

>> Brand loyalty.

>> There you go.

Absolutely.

And it was at that point that I was like, "Okay, this is about to be a multi-quadrillion-dollar movement.

I'm seeing it" You know?

So, at 14, no, I didn't see it.

As the years progressed, I was like, "Yeah, this is what's going to be happening."

>> Well, you have longevity.

You're still in the movement.

You're still in hip-hop culture.

>> Yes, yes.

Definitely.

>> And being on the radio every day.

What's been the response from the public here in Atlanta to your show?

>> Honestly, Dr. Chavis, it took a minute for the Atlanta public to realize, "Is that the same -- That's the same Monie that was in the middle?"

♪ What a buffoon ♪ ♪ You even follow me in the ladies' bathroom ♪ ♪ Give me a break, I can't take it, the stakes are too high ♪ ♪ Besides, there goes the other brother ♪ ♪ I'm not Keith Sweat, so don't sweat me ♪ ♪ The other brother's smooth approach is what gets me ♪ ♪ He intrigues the Mon, you know, so I suggest the course towards me you blow ♪ ♪ You're wasting time pursuing Monie ♪ ♪ 'Cause she's pursuing the lover only ♪ ♪ And as my mother did, she told me ♪ ♪ "Go for what you know, Mo ♪ ♪ Yo, Monie in the middle ♪ >> Where she at?

>> ♪ In the middle ♪ ♪ Monie's in the middle ♪ >> Where that at?

>> ♪ In the middle ♪ ♪ Monie in the middle ♪ >> Where she at?

>> ♪ In the middle ♪ >> ♪ Go Mon, Mon, what is she?

♪ >> And then, at some point, it kicked in, you know?

And then -- So now, you know, they enjoy calling me up on the station to, you know, talk about whatever I got going on or whatever I'm discussing on the air and current affairs or whatever, you know?

They get a kick out of it.

They're like, "She's ours now.

We have her.

She's, like -- She's our daily best friend on the air every day now."

So it's kind of cool.

I enjoy it.

>> Well, you know, hip-hop culture has expanded into so many different fields and so many countries, as you stated... >> Absolutely.

>> ...around the world.

How do you see radio in particular now?

Because you are a voice on radio.

It's the drumbeat in the community still, for many communities.

Tell us about the impact of your presence on KISS FM.

>> Well, I think that it helps to connect all the dots being -- because, you know, the programing on the station that I'm on in particular is a lot of things from the era going back to like early '90s and going all the way through to like mid-2000s.

So it's like -- It speaks predominantly to that age bracket of when hip-hop first started to gain traction in business, in finance, in marketing, began to get real slots in TV programing.

It speaks to the generation that grew up during that time period.

So I think me being on air here in Atlanta and just still being on air period, on terrestrial radio, it helps to connect those dots.

People feel connected to it because they're connected to me, because we're all connected to that time frame.

You know what I mean?

So it's very -- And it's not a dictatorship-type relationship between me and the listeners.

It's a peership.

We all grew up during this time together.

>> Talk to me about women in hip-hop.

As you know, first, there was a debate about sisters, but the truth of the matter is, women have been involved in hip-hop from the very beginning.

>> Yeah, definitely women have been involved in hip-hop from the very beginning.

It took some women to influence me to allow me to even come out as a lyricist, as an emcee, because I was scared.

You know, Dr. Chavis, my first audience was my bathroom mirror, and my first microphone was my toothbrush.

You know what I mean?

So it took these women to put the battery in my back.

I mean, you know -- >> Who are some of the women that influenced you?

>> Oh, Sha-Rock.

Sha-Rock, most definitely.

Roxanne Shanté -- big battery in my back.

She just -- She got on -- Sha-Rock because she was the first one amongst strictly men, right?

So she made me brave in that way.

Roxanne Shanté increased that bravery in me, because she got on and told a bunch of guys that were making a song about her name what's what.

>> ♪ Dance, get up and get with this ♪ ♪ Shanté is here to take care of business ♪ ♪ So plug up the mic and stack the dough ♪ ♪ Then, yo, go start the show so the pro can flow ♪ ♪ No time to sit around, half-step, or prolong ♪ ♪ I flow long and strong, so nothing can't go wrong ♪ ♪ 'Cause I set and organize correctly ♪ ♪ For all those who try to disrespect me ♪ ♪ Huh, you better cut that crap or get slapped ♪ ♪ 'Cause Shanté is back on the map ♪ ♪ Hittin' hard as a cannonball, and still I'm standin' tall ♪ ♪ With no delay, Shanté's commanding y'all ♪ >> And I was like, "Oh!

She's fierce," you know?

And so that put an extra battery in my back.

And then, with my peers being people like MC Lyte and Queen Latifah and Yo-Yo, I'm in the company of greatness.

♪ Believe me when I say being a woman is great, you see ♪ ♪ I know that all the fellas out there will agree with me ♪ ♪ Not for being one, but for being with one ♪ ♪ When it's time for loving, it's the woman that gets some ♪ ♪ Strong, steppin', struttin', moving on ♪ ♪ Rhymin', cuttin', and not forgettin' ♪ ♪ We are the ones that give birth to the new generation of prophets ♪ ♪ 'Cause it's ladies first ♪ You know, so it was like it empowered me to want to be great within the field, within the art, within the culture.

>> You speak with such clarity, but how you rise above the male supremacy?

How do you just keep pushing forward?

>> Focus on the end result, Dr. Chavis.

That's what I do.

Me, personally, focus on the end result.

And the end result is, you're going to respect my voice.

You're going to respect my space in this world, right?

And you're going to speak to me with the same level of dignity and respect that I impose upon you.

>> Right.

>> That's the end result.

So amongst the scatterings of people knowing of not quite how to behave towards black women, black women focus on the end result and exude exactly how they want to be spoken to and back.

♪ ...what you were to me ♪ ♪ Nurtured three, J-A-U-S-A just wouldn't leave ♪ ♪ Father me and bad to see this U.K., South London, where my roots lay ♪ ♪ Like sayin' I'm from Brooklyn, which you say ♪ ♪ Visits every summer, fill me up a heavy plate ♪ ♪ Energy amplifying, been flyin' since I was 8 ♪ ♪ Journey to being great ♪ ♪ You my start, though, my heart flow ♪ ♪ Creatively designed to leave my mark, though ♪ ♪ I know I met with many a challenge, enough to break a broad ♪ ♪ But I ain't no regular chick ♪ ♪ I raised the stakes ♪ ♪ That's the you that's in me ♪ ♪ I'm able to navigate and differentiate ♪ ♪ What kept me holding back and what elevates ♪ ♪ That leads me to celebrate ♪ >> Being in Atlanta, Georgia, which is one of the cultural centers not only for African-Americans, but for most Americans, how is the work that you do here in Atlanta impact other parts?

Are you still engaged with brothers and sisters in the U.K.?

Talk to us about it.

>> Yes, I still have a lot of family in the U.K., so I can't help but still tap into what's going on.

It's refreshing to see the relationship, the conduit between -- within hip-hop, between the United States and England, my hometown, is still very fruitful.

You know, I see a lot of the younger artists from England and from the U.S. feeding each other, you know, so there's a constant flowing of vibe back and forth.

I enjoy to see that.

So, yeah, I do tap in, and when I do tap in, it's nice for me to see that.

>> Well, you know, after R&B, hip-hop emerges, and hip-hop artists were the first to really take seriously owning their masters, owning their intellectual-property rights, owning their publishing rights.

What has been your observation of how the culture has become sustainable, financially?

>> I think it's a long time coming that the culture has become sustainable, financially.

I mean -- And we learned a lot from our musician predecessors.

>> Yes.

>> You know, we learned a lot from jazz and we learned a lot from rhythm and blues and the histories of artists within these genres of music, because it's all still black music.

You know what I mean?

And so we've learned from it.

And, unfortunately, some stories are better than others.

Many stories back then in history and the history of black music have not been great, but it would be worse if those not-so-great stories were in vain and we didn't learn anything from them to be able to cut that.

You know what I mean?

To stop that.

>> Well, I'm glad you mentioned the evolution of the culture.

Some people think, well, hip-hop just fell out of the sky.

>> No.

>> You know, if it wasn't for jazz, the blues, rhythm and blues, even gospel music -- >> One of my favorite rappers, Dr. Chavis, is... ♪ Hi-de, hi-de, hi-de-ho ♪ Okay?

That's one of my favorite rap songs.

Cab Calloway.

>> Yes.

>> In a white suit.

Very impressionable.

Sticks in my brain.

>> ♪ Folks, here's a story 'bout Minnie the Moocher ♪ ♪ She was a red-hot hoochie-coocher ♪ ♪ She was the roughest, toughest frail ♪ ♪ But Minnie had a heart as big as a whale ♪ ♪ Hi-de, hi-de, hi-de-hi ♪ >> ♪ Hi-de, hi-de, hi-de-hi ♪ >> ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ >> ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ >> ♪ Yee-di, yee-di, yee-di-yee ♪ >> ♪ Yee-di, yee-di, yee-di-yee ♪ >> ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ >> ♪ Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh ♪ >> You see the journey it takes?

>> Yes.

>> Cab Calloway, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Melle Mel, and -- It's all related.

>> That's right.

>> I look at it, and it's, like, all related.

You know, so it all makes sense.

All the dots connect.

So, like I said when originally answering your question, you know, I'm glad that we are able to learn from our predecessors, because it didn't just drop out the -- The culture just didn't just drop out the sky.

>> Now let's talk about Afrofuturism.

How do you see the future of hip-hop culture emerging going forward?

>> I honestly see a lot of great things to come forward in hip-hop.

I think that there's going to be a lot of -- There's going to be a lot of trial and tribulations.

There's going to be a lot of spaghetti thrown against the wall.

"Eh, that's sticking.

Eh, that's not sticking.

Some things work, some things don't."

I think that everybody is learning, as far as artists, as far as executives, and I think that everybody is sorting out, if you will, what works for them individually.

I think that ownership plays a huge part in the future of hip-hop, and I think that that's an absolute positive aspect of moving forward that needed to happen.

And I'm excited about the things that are going to come out of a lot of the young and up-and-coming artists who are getting into the business, owning their -- They're not -- It's like us, my generation, we got into the business not owning ourselves, and then we go back and fix things, right?

And now we start owning our stuff.

But these younger artists, hopefully a lot of them are coming into the business from the door owning their stuff, you know?

So I'm excited to see what comes of that.

>> So, you sound very hopeful, then, about the future.

>> Yeah, I am.

I would say that I am.

>> Tell us about the young people that you mentor here in Atlanta.

What's been the response?

>> The young people that I've had the good fortune of meeting since I've been in Atlanta and especially with the community events that the station, that KISS FM, the station I'm on every day, the community events that they do -- I've really met a lot of bright young men and women that are -- have really great ideas, positive ideas for change within their own very communities that they live in.

Some of them are artists.

Some of them are not.

Some of them are aspire to be in politics.

I met a young lady a couple of weeks ago.

She was aspiring to be in politics, so she's been shadowing her local councilman, shadowing people that work within the local councilman's office of where she lives.

I think she's from Fulton County.

And there's another young man that I met recently that is actually aspiring to be in the music business, but as a producer.

He wasn't singing or rapping or anything.

He wanted to -- So, you know, it's nice to have conversations with these young people and kind of let them pick my brain on my humble beginnings, where I've come from, you know, because they seem to be bright-eyed and excited about hearing about me.

>> Yes.

>> I think that it's really cool to be able to do that, because you never know how you could be touching some of these young people in their minds, as far as inspiring them, you know?

So, again, you know, humbly, I reach out and I'm very transparent, you know, with the young folks that I come across, and hopefully, it helps to motivate them in some way, shape, or form.

>> We began the interview talking about the influence that Harry Belafonte had on you and your generation of artists.

Talk to us about the intersection of social consciousness, the aspirations to fight for freedom, justice, and equality linked to the culture itself.

>> I think one of the best things I ever heard an artist say was, "It is an artist's responsibility to reflect the times."

And Nina Simone said that.

>> Yes.

>> My mother -- My name is Simone.

My mother named me after Nina Simone.

That resonates with me, because I truly feel as though if you -- In whatever realm of the entertainment business or just in life in general you operate in, if there's no sense of self and no sense of where you come from and your ancestors and the struggles and if there's no recognition of that within you, you're definitely going to be lost, because you're not going to know where to go with your art, with your business, with your whatever it is that you're pursuing in life.

You're just going to be coasting aimlessly.

You have to know these things.

You have to have a sense of what came before you in current events, what happened, you know, within your family, within your family's ancestry, these things.

And once you've gotten all of that in your mind, you can then put together properly where you need to place your art and things that is your responsibility to say and do within your art, your line of profession, your very being.

So social consciousness and hip-hop -- hand in hand, has always been hand in hand.

And for me, entering the business at 15 -- started writing at 16 years old, was definitely front of mind.

>> We appreciate your longevity, we appreciate your resilience, and we appreciate what you do every day.

You're making a difference and lifting the hopes and aspirations of millions of people around the world.

Monie, thank you for joining "The Chavis Chronicles."

>> Thank you, Dr. Chavis.

[ Laughs ] >> For more information about "The Chavis Chronicles" and our guests, please visit our website at thechavischronicles.com.

Also, follow us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Major funding for "The Chavis Chronicles" is provided by the following.

At Wells Fargo, diverse representation and perspectives, equity, and inclusion is critical to meeting the needs of our colleagues, customers, and communities.

We are focused on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both inside our company and in the communities where we live and work.

Together, we want to make a tangible difference in people's lives and in our communities.

Wells Fargo -- the bank of doing.

American Petroleum Institute -- through API's Energy Excellence Program, our members are committed to accelerating safety, environmental, and sustainability progress throughout the natural-gas and oil industry around the world.

Learn more at api.org/apiEnergyExcellence.

Reynolds American, dedicated to building a better tomorrow for our employees and communities.

Reynolds stands against racism and discrimination in all forms and is committed to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

At AARP, we are committed to ensuring your money, health, and happiness live as long as you do.

♪♪