Monie Love

Monie Love (born Simone Wilson on July 2 1970, in Battersea, London) is an English rapper.

History

She has a place in hip-hop history as a member of the beloved Native Tongues Posse, a positive-minded rap collective fronted by Afrika Bambaataa and also including De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, the Jungle Brothers, and a number of other acts.

She is remembered for the sprightly, genial style in which she delivered her feminist raps, first glimpsed on Latifah's Grammy-winning single "Ladies First" and in an energetic cameo on the Jungle Brothers' "Doin' Our Own Dang", but exemplified by the sassy, funky "Monie In The Middle", a well-loved high school-set track dealing with a woman's right to determine what she wants out of a relationship.

Monie is the sister of techno musician Dave Angel, and was featured on the remix of Whitney Houston's dance hit, "My Name Is Not Susan", in 1991. She later went on to work with Prince and Marley Marl, and to be considered for the role of Synclaire in the sitcom Living Single, a part that eventually went to comedienne Kim Coles.

Her recording career has been dormant since the release of her second album in 1993. In 2004, De La Soul's Dave the Dove (formerly Trugoy) shouted her out on the track "The Future" from the album The Grind Date, expressing goodwill and letting her (and the other one-time Native Tongues members) know he was thinking of them.

Monie has turned her attention to other pursuits and is now the morning drive host on Philadelphia's WPHI 105.3 FM.

Discography

Albums

• In a Word Or 2
• Down To Earth

Singles

• "It's a Shame (My Sister)"
• "Down To Earth"
• "Monie In the Middle"

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• A site focussing on the early days of Hip Hop development in the UK