Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monáe Robinson, known professionally as Janelle Monáe, is an American musical recording artist, actress, model signed to Bad Boy Records, Wondaland Arts Society, and Atlantic Records. After making a mark with her first unofficial studio album, The Audition, she publicly debuted with a conceptual EP titled Metropolis: Suite I, which peaked at number 115 on the Billboard 200 in the United States...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSoul Singer
Date of Birth1 December 1985
CityKansas City, KS
CountryUnited States of America
I'm really thankful to have my own record label. I've always looked up to people like Madonna when she launched Maverick Records. Even Jay Z and Sean "Puffy" Combs, who's a mentor and also gave me a shot when I was an independent artist in Atlanta. He came to my show, and he said, "I just want people to know about you."
First, before I'm an artist, before I'm a celebrity, I'm a human being.
I'm not a politician; I'm an artist.
I want people to know about these visionary artists. I want people to know what they stand for and (that) they are representing something unique, something fresh. I am just so excited about their careers.
When I got into the music industry, I wasn't focused on being the most famous artist or even getting a major record deal. It was just to make music on my own terms or create my own image, do my own hair, do my own makeup.
I love Fun. They're great guys. They're incredible artists and musicians.
When I was growing up, both my grandmothers would play the organ, and we would all sing.
It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.
There are months when I'm on a plane every day!
I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's when I realized that I could actually go away.
My message is that I want to reach the people - the people who work each and every day.
Once you find what you like, it's like it worked yesterday, it works today, it'll work tomorrow.
I'll refer to my music in color, like 'This song needs to be bright red.'
I have a great body, I really do. But I want to be taken seriously as an artist, and wearing anything that shows it off will be a distraction from the music. That's how my signature uniform, my tuxedo, came about. It's classic and timeless. You'll see me in black, white, and a pop of color on my lips. That pop adds a little magic.