Black Music/Pride Month Spotlight: Janelle Monae

Multifaceted entertainer Janelle Monae merges all her influences to create a specified lane in entertainment. Born Janelle Monae Robinson, they began life in Kanas City, KS, as the child of a janitor and a truck driver. Robinson found their love of music early in life as they grew up singing in church with a musical family. Their passion translated to entering and winning several local talent shows. Their affinity for music went beyond singing as they began penning musicals after enrolling in the Coterie Theater’s Young Playwrights’ Round Table.

Their passion for music led them to study musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. The Grammy-nominated singer left the program after a year and moved to Atlanta. They enrolled in Georgia Perimeter College and pursued a music career. Their music began making waves in the city, catching the attention of Outkast member Big Boi. The rapper eventually brought Monae’s music to rap mogul Sean Combs, who signed them to his Bad Boy label.

Signing to the hip-hop record label allowed the multihyphenate to release several acclaimed albums, including the Gramm-nominated ArchAndroid series and Dirty Computer. The entertainer scored several music award nominations, including ten Grammy Award nominations. Their musical success led them to create a signature imprint, Wondaland Art Society, signing artists like Jidenna and Roman GianArthur.

Monae got the chance to reconnect with their other love -acting. They made their film debut with Rio 2 before making a splash with Oscar-nominated films Moonlight and Hidden Figures. They even dabbled in TV with appearances on the Netflix anthology Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams and the adult animated series Human Resources. The entertainer gained acclaim and Oscar buzz for their role in Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story. They will appear in the biopic miniseries De La Resistance as Josephine Baker and the untitled Pharrell Williams musical film.

Janelle Monae allowed their work to speak for itself in an organic and free way. Their steady climb to music and Hollywood royalty set a new precedent for upcoming artists. So, I say, “Mx. Monae, we thank you for sharing your gifts with the world.”

I think music is always going to heal and bring people together and be the bridge and also teach at the same time.

Janelle Monae

Originally published at http://adreonpatterson.net on June 6, 2024.