Monica opens for Nicki Minaj on her Pink Friday 2 tour, but if the hip-hop and R&B pairing doesn’t make sense to you, here’s an explanation: “What [Nicki] is doing is really paying homage to an era of music that was a part of her childhood and a part of her teenage years,” shares Monica, who’s on the cover of HelloBeautiful‘s Mother’s Day issue. “The goal is to take everyone back to that moment and allow them to live in that space during the time that I’m on stage.”
While Nicki’s long been a fan of Monica, the thought of them touring together came after the studio session in which Monica hopped on “Love Me Enough” with her and Keyshia Cole.
“Nicki has always been extremely supportive,” Monica said. “She always shared stories about singing my records when she was younger. We established a relationship early on. I would always reach out and say ‘Thank you for the support’ and vice versa. And over the years we’ve talked back and forth many times.”
Now that she’s actually on the road, Monica’s been taking the steps to ensure her fans get her best and that she keeps her health intact.
“I’m much better every performance when I’m rested. I’m learning to take the time and do the vocal therapy I need to do,” she said, noting the “very intense surgery” she had about a year ago that she was told may take two years to fully heal from.
Monica also discusses the “level of happiness and joy” of being a mother and “the unconditional love” she gets from her children; co-parenting; her favorite parts of having a daughter; her faith; and her relationship with BMF producer Anthony “Ant” Wilson, which allows her “to be a lot softer than I typically am.”
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