Monie Love Promotional Portrait

Monie Love (Simone Johnson, b.1970) is a female English rapper and radio personality from Southwest London, England. She is a well-respected figure in British Hip-Hop and made an impact in the New York Hip-Hop scene as a protégé of female rapper Queen Latifah. Getting her start as the European road manager for the Jungle Brothers in 1988, Monie Love’s Rap style included complicated, fast, witty conscious rhymes that made her stand out in her duet with Queen Latifah, “Ladies First.” She was a part of the Native Tongues Posse and produced two Hip-Hop albums, Down to Earth (1990) and In a Word or 2 (1993). Monie Love was one of the first British Hip-Hop artists to be signed and distributed world-wide by a major record label. Her debut album Down To Earth, reached #26 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and produced two Grammy-nominated hits, “Monie in the Middle”—a high school-set track dealing with a woman’s right to determine what she wants out of a relationship—and “It's a Shame (My Sister),” which sampled The Spinners’” It's a Shame.” Monie Love is unique in her Rap themes as she often discussed women’s issues like domestic violence, teen suicide and HIV/AIDS. With her wit, rapid delivery, and her love and respect for the art of Hip-Hop, Monie Love showcased the skill of the international woman rapper in the 1990s.