JANELLE MONAE - Artist Profile

Real name: Janelle Monae Robinson
Official website: jmonae.com
Born: December 1, 1985
City: Kansas City, KS
Labels: Wondaland Arts Society, Epic Records, Bad Boy Records, Atlantic Records
Influences and favorite artists: Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Outkast, Erykah Badu, James Brown, Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Bernard Hermann, Funkadelic, Incredible String Band, Lauryn Hill, LaBelle, Madonna, Judy Garland, Nona Hendryx, Joi

Image source: People

Janelle Monae is an R&B singer, actress, and occasional rapper from Kansas City, Kansas. Janelle Monae grew up dreaming of a career as a singer, and as a young girl from Kansas was inspired by Judy Garland's character of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. She attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City as a teenager, studying drama and attending performing arts camps. In 2001, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she formed the Wondaland Arts Society, her own music group and label. She released her debut EP, The Audition, in 2003, and although it saw limited release, it impressed critics and formed the basis for the "Metropolis" science fiction concept around which her subsequent music would revolve.

While in Atlanta, Janelle met Big Boi of Outkast, who collaborated with her on the soundtrack to Outkast's movie, Idlewild. Big Boi would contact Diddy, head of Bad Boy Records, and recommend Janelle's music to him. Diddy signed her to Bad Boy in 2006, releasing her first of a planned four Metropolis suites to critical acclaim and a Grammy nomination for the single "Many Moons." She ended up touring with Of Montreal and No Doubt over these next few years as her audience grew. The second Metropolis suite, officially her full-length debut, was released in 2010, to still wider acclaim.

Janelle released her sophomore album, The Electric Lady, in 2013. She began getting more involved with politics and social justice during this time period, endorsing Barack Obama for President of the United States and rallying behind many feminist and pro-black causes. She also began acting, appearing in a voice role in Rio 2. In 2015, Wondaland Arts Society signed a partnership with Epic Records to distribute the music of Janelle Monae and the artists affiliated with Wondaland, making Monae one of the few black women who run their own independent record label in conjunction with a major label. Monae also acted in several more acclaimed films, with lead roles in Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Currently, she is at work on her third studio album and will be starring in an anthology series based on the work of Philip K. Dick titled Electric Dreams.

Solo Discography

The Audition, 2003

Metropolis Suite I: The Chase (EP), 2007

The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III), 2010

The Electric Lady: Suites IV and V, 2013

CHARTING SINGLES

• "PrimeTime" feat. Miguel (The Electric Lady: Suites IV and V, 2013) #19 R&B

GUEST APPEARANCES

• 
  2005
• "My First Love," Jaspects feat. Janelle Monae (In House Sessions)
  2006
• "Call the Law," Outkast feat. Janelle Monae (Idlewild)
• "In Your Dreams," Outkast feat. Janelle Monae and Killer Mike (Idlewild)
  2008
• "Sincerely Jane (Remix)/Attraction Rules Interlude," Hollyweerd feat. Janelle Monae (Edible Phat)
  2009
• "Nerd Girl," Chester French feat. Janelle Monae (Jacques Jams Vol. 1: Endurance)
  2010
• "The Kids," B.o.B. feat. Janelle Monae (The Adventures of Bobby Ray)
• "Be Still," Big Boi feat. Janelle Monae (Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty)
• "Our Riotous Defects," Of Montreal feat. Janelle Monae (False Priest)
• "Enemy Gene," Of Montreal feat. Janelle Monae (False Priest)
• "Let's Go Crazy," Prince feat. Janelle Monae (The Complete 20Ten European Summer Tour Recordings: Roskilde & Berlin Open Air 2010 Plus Bonus Tracks)
  2011
• "Dance," Saul Williams feat. Janelle Monae (Volcanic Sunlight)
  2012
• "Do My Thing," Estelle feat. Janelle Monae (All of Me)
• "We Are Young," Fun feat. Janelle Monae (Some Nights)
  2013
• "Tight Rope Crew," Big Boi feat. Janelle Monae and Weeknd (Outskirts)
• "Special Education," Goodie Mob feat. Janelle Monae (Age Against the Machine)
• "Take Me With U," Prince feat. Janelle Monae (Live In Inglewood 2011)
  2014
• "Fashion," Paolo Nutini feat. Janelle Monae (Caustic Love)
• "Can You Feel It?," Sean-K feat. Janelle Monae (Let It Be...)
• "Visions of You," Sergio Mendes feat. Janelle Monae (Magic)
  2015
• "Slip Slide," Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment feat. Ady Suleiman, BJ the Chicago Kid, B.o.B., Busta Rhymes, and Janelle Monae (Surf)
• "Pressure Off," Duran Duran feat. Janelle Monae and Nile Rodgers (Paper Gods)
• "Venus Fly," Grimes feat. Janelle Monae (Art Angels)
• "Gabby," Internet feat. Janelle Monae (Ego Death)
• "Sweet Life," Jeezy feat. Janelle Monae (Church In These Streets)
• "Back In Black," Santana feat. Janelle Monae and Nas (Ultimate Santana)
  2017
• "Tightrope," Havana Maestros feat. Janelle Monae (AmeriCuba)
• "Safari," Jidenna feat. Janelle Monae, Nana Kwabena, and St. Beauty (The Chief)
• "Michelle Obama All-Star Girl Power Anthem - This Is For My Girls (Offer Nissim Remix)," Offer Nissim feat. Chloe x Halle, Jadagrace, Janelle Monae, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, Lea Michele, Missy Elliott, and Zendaya (Love)
• "No Surprises," Roman feat. Janelle Monae (OK Lady)

COMPILATION APPEARANCES

• "Open Happiness," Brendon Urie, Cee-Lo, Janelle Monae, Patrick Stump, and Travie McCoy (single, 2009)
• "Without a Fight," Janelle Monae (For Colored Girls, 2010)
• "Tightrope (Ice Cold Mix)," Janelle Monae and Lil P-Nut (Happy Feet Two, 2011)
• "What Is Love," Janelle Monae (Rio 2, 2014)
• "Heroes," Janelle Monae (Pepsi Beats of the Beautiful Game, 2014)
• "Yoga," Janelle Monae and Jidenna (The Eephus, 2015)

THE AUDITION

Released: 2003

Label: Wondaland Arts Society

TRACK LIST

1. Thoughts (Intro)

2. Lettin' Go

3. Party Girl

4. Metropolis

5. Cindi

6. It's Not Fair

7. Time Will Reveal

8. My Favorite Nothing

9. Warm Up (Cloud 9)

10. Cloud 9

11. Star

12. I Won't Let Go

13. You

14. You Are My Everything

METROPOLIS SUITE I: THE CHASE

Released: August 24, 2007

Label: Bad Boy Records

TRACK LIST

1. The March of the Wolfmasters

2. Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!! (feat. Skunks)

3. Many Moons

4. Cybertronic Purgatory

5. Sincerely, Jane.

6. Mr. President

7. Smile

8. Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!! (The Jetsons Mix)

THE ARCHANDROID: SUITES II AND III

Released: May 18, 2010

Label: Wondaland Arts Society, Atlantic Records, Bad Boy Records

TRACK LIST

1. Suite II Overture

2. Dance or Die (feat. Saul Williams)

3. Faster

4. Locked Inside

5. Sir Greendown

6. Cold War

7. Tightrope (feat. Big Boi)

8. Neon Gumbo

9. Oh, Maker

10. Come Alive (The War of the Roses)

11. Mushrooms & Roses

12. Suite III Overture

13. Neon Valley Street

14. Make the Bus (feat. Of Montreal)

15. Wondaland

16. 57821 (feat. Deep Cotton)

17. Say You'll Go

18. Babopbyeya

THE ELECTRIC LADY: SUITES IV AND V

Released: September 6, 2013

Label: Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records, Atlantic Records

TRACK LIST

1. Suite IV Electric Overture

2. Givin' 'Em What They Love (feat. Prince)

3. Q.U.E.E.N. (feat. Erykah Badu)
4. Electric Lady (feat. Solange)

5. Good Morning Midnight (Interlude)

6. PrimeTime (feat. Miguel)

7. We Were Rock & Roll

8. The Chrome Shoppe (Interlude)

9. Dance Apocalyptic

10. Look Into My Eyes

11. Suite V Electric Overture

12. It's Code

13. Ghetto Woman

14. Our Favorite Fugitive (Interlude)

15. Victory

16. Can't Live Without Your Love

17. Sally Ride

18. Dorothy Dandridge Eyes (feat. Esperanza Spalding)

19. What an Experience

20. Q.U.E.E.N. (Wondamix) (feat. Erykah Badu)
21. Electric Lady (Dungeon-Wondamix) (feat. Big Boi and Cee-Lo)
22. Hell You Talmbout
23. I Want You Back

DIRTY COMPUTER
Released: April 27, 2018
Label: Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records, Atlantic Records

TRACK LIST
1. Dirty Computer (feat. Brian Wilson)
2. Crazy, Classic, Life
3. Take a Byte
4. Jane's Dream
5. Screwed (feat. Zoe Kravitz)
6. Django Jane
7. Pynk (feat. Grimes)
8. Make Me Feel
9. I Got the Juice (feat. Pharrell Williams)
10. I Like That
11. Don't Judge Me
12. Stevie's Dream
13. So Afraid
14. Americans