PowHERful Women with Mona Scott- Young

so big, big, big, big, big yeah. And there's you know, there's great things about celebrating women that I love, but also we cannot forget to make sure we talk about the challenges that women face as well, because people, you know, love the celebration, but they don't always like to look at some of the like critical issues that's happening in our society. And there's one thing that's happening right now that I'm happy to be a supporter of, which is

this finding to maka Um documentary that Kevin hard Lamina. God, you were doing. A woman who went missing in South Carolina many years ago didn't get enough attention. UM. And they're you know, basically breaking down the story about what happened to her. Erica Alexander, who we love, UH, narrates the entire show. UM. And you know, black girls and women going missing is a real serious problem in this country. UM. And so you know the fact that it's this show

is being launched during Black History Month. I was about to say Christmas, you see where my head is at, but any of the Women's History Month, right it's just

you know, this is when it's happening right now. And um, I think that is a testament to the point that we can focus on the celebration International Women's Day, everyone was celebrating how amids and women are but there are still really really serious challenges that particularly Black women and girls face, and one of them is this abduction, trafficking,

and just people going missing in general. So I just want to make sure the onset that people watch Finding Tamika, that they go and they listen, because I think it's on audible, so you're not watching, you're listening, um to Erica narrate a story about what happened to this young lady. Uh. And I just want to make sure that people go and listen to it. In fact, some folks have already been telling me, including our partner Angelo Pinto, attorney Angelo Pinto,

that it's really really heavy and powerful. I gotta listen to it. I've seen I've seen you posted, I've seen a few people posted, and I didn't really know what it was. I was dealing with a lot of different things. But I'm definitely gon gonna listen to Yeah. Well, I know now you can't be you can't be left out. You always want to be in. Then, so let's see what else is happening, man. I mean, first of all, today we're we're going to be changing sort of the format of our show as we start to sit down

with incredible people. Right now focusing on women, but there will be many other folks to come along that we want to sit down with and and really do more of a sort of full form interview. You know, we often talk to people in these twenty thirty minutes and it never feels like we got enough, Like we gotta bring shine back. You know. There's so many people that I want to sit with and talk more about, you know, their full journey, and today we're doing it with an

incredible woman that I'm excited to talk to. Controversial, she is, um, but yet she is a friend. She's legendary for sure. Um. But there's other stuff happening in the world and we can never, unfortunately, just enjoy one thing without having to be backslaped by other stuff that's happening. And one one thing for me is just watching the terra that is associated with people calling the police on black folks. It's trauma. It's it's so traumaful, just you know, and I know

what you're getting into. Especially I think it's traumatizing, traumatized. But maybe I could invent trauma for because it's full of trauma. You know, Jackson invented words. It's trauma forul because you know. But you know, I'm glad we could laugh. But in the reality of the situation, when I was listening to the whole Ryan Coogler fiasco, you know, and him walking into what is the Bank of America, I

don't even know what. I think it's Bank of America and requesting, like giving a letter of requesting that he we have to withdraw twelve thousand dollars of his own money right discreetly, because you know, he's Atlanta. He doesn't know somebody will knock him over his head, like he don't want people to see it. So he hands the letter and when you read it, they showed a letter when you read it and said, hey, I'm like, that's the keyword my account. Discreetly she said, gave him the idea.

He did all the necessary things, and she still felt that there was something, you know, that that was weird or sketchy about him. He didn't it didn't match up. Rather than just going through the process, that said, let me run his account and see that's the identification matched. The name was doing the necessary things that you're supposed to do as a bank teller, you know. Unfortunately, she

was scared and decided to quote the police. And then when you listen to the conversation, I heard the officers said, well, the dispatch basically said, well, he could just want to be discreet, but you know, the officers because basically she she was letting her know that I don't really know if he did anything that there was no way like he could just want to be discreet, but if you want,

we have dispatch, we have officers there. And unfortunately, you know, when he approached him, he was dealing with levels of trauma to where he had a panic attack. And yes, he said he he asked him, please could remove my glasses. I'm having a panic attack, and I know that, so I remember the first time that I was ever arrested, I had a panic It I literally fainted, like fainting. They grabbed me, put handcuffed on, like, oh, so what

don't I being arrested for it? Like you know, when they're throwing me and everything just started getting My heads got light. I feending in the back of the car. Woke up probably about two minutes later. I really had a panic attack. So I was really I put myself in his position. I realized what he was going through. You know. Fortunate enough he didn't fall out, but I know he was dealing with this anxiety that show was happening.

You know, you suck sweating, Everything starts getting blurry to you. It's a harsh feeling. But here's the part that really troubles me. Right, these are the people that they don't want us to defund. They wanted to give more money to the post lease and whatever. So now you show up and you're an officer, right, and and someone is telling you this man gave me a note. Do you read the note? Do you say, man, did you check

his account? Or you just arrest somebody just because it's a black person, Because I have in my life and I know you have as well. Then places where white folks are screaming yelling, fighting, hollering, acting, cutting up, acting a complete fool. And yet when the police show up, they will try to deescalate and figure out what's going on before they just arrest white people. I'm telling you that's what they do. But it comes to a black man, nobody takes the time to say, hole on a second,

is the money in his account? Does the bank card and the identification match? At some point? I wonder like at one point it sounds like this woman was a black girl, Okay, So I didn't know that that's verified, okay, And so it's not really a racism thing. Although we as even people of color, even black, we uphope we can uphold racist white right, white supremacy, and so that's one thing. But maybe it's just that people are stupid even But the thing is this, why don't we give

our people grace and due diligence right? Why why we look at why didn't she do that necessarily? Then this is another black man I don't want to call. Let me make sure before I call the police, because I'm behind this this wall. He can't get to me, has a show me any weapon, He hasn't done anything to threaten me. Maybe the way that he's addressing me, maybe a little different. You might, I might feel a little a little bit. But let me make sure before I

put the authorities on this man. Let me run his account, Let me do the due diligence, Let me do that. Why why don't we feel like that? Why because unfortunately every ethnic group outside of us feels like that they're gonna do things to protect. They're gonna go above and beyond. Even if it would have been somebody, a white person be like, come on, man, get out here for you go to jail. But sometimes, but more more often than not,

I watched them protect each other. We just like, why wouldn't you say to yourself, then this is this is a black man. Let me just let me give him a little grace. Let me say okay, let me run this account, let me just go get my man, Just say hey, let me run it. Why would the authorities

be the first line that you like? Sitting here cracking up because I'm thinking about the video that was just on social media a few days of like maybe a week or so ago, where the person went to the bank and I think she asked or they asked for something and maybe gave a check or whatever, and then the perse and tell her whatever to tell her said it was's gonna work, and you jumped over the flexiglass

or when you say that she couldn't get over. I don't know because this person's going to you jumped over the coundar and that was it and was back there like, no today, y'all what I need? I think you try to put the check in and they said she right, so then money, and yo, I'm not gonna lie. While I would never jump over the plexiglass and no one

else ever ever should do that. I've been in those situations where I deposit a check and I need everything actually need, and when they tell you that they're taking an overdraft fee and this and that, and you're like what. So I'm just laughing about that. The Ryan Coogler situation is not funny. That trauma of being arrested, even when I have been arrested, knowing that I'm about to be you know, I will have all kinds of issues and panic attacks and anxiety and all of that. So that's

that's not cool here. This man is trying to be discreet. First of all. Unfortunately he's outside in the street in Atlanta. Okay, he is like, yo, don't come over here with your money, like with my money. Don't be don't win all of this. Go over there, get it together, and then give my money so I can put it right here and go by my business because these people will help me to knock me over my head and I'm trying not to

get killed. But it's twelve thou dollars. And what makes me so mad is the black people on the internet that I see talking about. Oh well, why was he taking twelve thousand. I was like, he might want to go home and put it over his bed and lay on it and eat yogurt. That's his money. He used to do that. The next thing they said was, well, if you give a note to a teller, the note is very clear, specific, very clear, specific my money. I would like to withdraw twelve thou dollars of my money

out of my account. This is not hard. And she didn't say that, just that. She never said out of my account, never said that when she's speaking to the dispatch it and you know, so we just got to do better, man, we gotta do better. Shout out, you know, my apologies for to cool. You know you should never have had to go through that. But unfortunately, as black men, we go through things that we should never have had to go on through every day. Yeah, well, you know,

and it also keeps us understanding what the world is like. Right, So no matter how high you get, you gotta always know that when you black, you just black. And what jay Z saying, still niggat Still you know what I really want to ask you, why do you talk to people on the internet? I just don't understand it. Now. I know I have to ask myself the same question, but I could just ask you today and put it on you. Why do you talk to people on internet? You?

I saw you post that the immage till bill passed unanimously through the Senate and the whole Congress, right, and you posted it and then the people on your page said you work for the Democrats and something because doesn't mean anything, blah blah, and you going back and forth with the troll because for me, right, it's just so contradicted and it's stupid, right because for the last year since Biden has been in office two years, right, I think it's a little overd okay my brain, yeah, lit,

But um, I've been hearing everything about what he's not doing this and that you told us to vote for him, this and all of this, and one of the main things they were saying that there was an Asian hate bill that was passed and then nobody passed the MUTIL. I had a million meals in my d M. Yeah, they won't give us this. We can't get the mutil, but your president did this, and it's like this, ain't

this is the president man that we got. You know what I'm saying, keeping did you keep talking about my president? This ain't None of these people is my president. My president is somebody completely different, you understand saying. But the reality situation is everybody kept putting this mean you got the Asian hate bill nobody passed in Matil. They don't want to say that Lenchion is a there's a hate crime.

You know, I've seen a thousand times. So when it was passed, I thought it made sense to inform the people was past. Oh you were planned you noticed, don't mean nothing. Well, what y'all keep trying to compare it to something if it don't mean nothing, But why y'all keep saying it ain't passed? Telling me why they won't pass it, and then when they passed it, it don't mean nothing. You don't get it, I don't get it. Say something about I just want them to get that

I know it. You just say I knew that. I knew that. Don't matter what happened, you ain't gonna be satisfied because you're looking for a problem for me. I do get how it is, because like one of the people said, listen, they're gonna say that there wasn't lynching and they hung themselves. They're gonna always figure that way.

So what I'm trying to say is we have to understand the realities of what we live in, right And when you said it before that you can't just pass one lord to stop black people if you want to. And that's what I'm trying to say. And when you say things like that, they said, oh but they passed this. So when you say what they passed this, and you said he passed this, and then you say it don't

mean nothing, then you know exactly what we say. That's exactly what we were trying to You were trying to say when you said it, like I know that, okay, pass that. Now they're gonna they're gonna find a way

to sircumvented. So the reality and situation is that we have to acknowledge the full scope of what we're dealing with in America, right, But at the same time, when we see things that we can utilize, that we can leverage to our manage, we have to figure out how do we leverage and we have to call them out every time, Like when somebody is hung and we know there was a lynching, we gotta and they try to

tell us somebody hung themselves. We gotta say, no, no, no, that was lynching, and we gotta Now we have the back end to be able to say we're gonna prove it was mentioned, and then once we prove it, we want you to che somebody exactly. So that's what it is. It's not saying that this is gonna stop them from doing anything. We ain't nothing gonna they're gonna. They've been doing the same ship to us for years, no matter

how many laws we passed. But now what we know is that we have legal backing, that we have foundation, that we understand the games they play, We understand the jargon that they keep running on us. So if we understand that and we utilize our brains along with the laws that they pass them, then we can get further and further. It's a process, and that's what it is for me. It's like, I don't think none of this ship is gonna cha. I don't think the president gonna

change me. I don't think none of these politicians. I don't think the laws that govern us was ever set up to govern us properly. They're set up to make sure that we stayed at a lower class. I understand that, and I'm not trying to tell you that no politician or no law they passed is gonna change that reality. But what I am saying is I'm going to hold

you accountable to the laws that you passed. I'm going to hold you accountable, make sure that laws have passed that that say that we're equal, even if we know that you don't think we're equal, even though we're gonna're gonna try to circumvent that, I'm going to make sure that you are held accountable. So now, I'm always fighting for what's right, just whether it's a law or not, because to me just doesn't have to do with laws. It's right or wrong. I'm a fight for what's right.

But now what I know is right, is backed by law. Now, we got all the things on our side, So we just gotta stop fighting against each other and understand that we all fight in the same wall. And sometimes you've got a different strategy and you gotta go through the back door and I gotta go through this way. But we're all trying to get to the same place. Yeah. No, and you know where. I haven't had um an opportunity to read everything about the MTIL bill and like what

was the final version that actually passed. But what I will say is one, people have been working on that bill for a long, long, long long time, and so making having it passed is historic in nature. It took way too long, but it did happen. Um. I also think that what we have to sort of keep in mind, and this goes for those people who are saying it doesn't mean much. Again, I haven't read the final version, but what I do know is that the Asian Hate

Bill came with a lot of resources. There was a lot behind it, money to protect the Asian community, uh, mental health support for them and things like that. And so I would assume that people who don't see all of that about the Emmett till Bill may feel like, well, you know, it's not the same, and that is a very very important statement, and we should absolutely continue, to your point, to fight to make sure that these things are equitable across the board. And so I get it.

But you know, at the end of the day, it is important to note that there have been some of us, we marched UM from from Staten Island, New York all the way to why Washington, d C. Talking about racial equity, trying to get um you know, racial justice bills passed

and I guess that was two thousand and fourteen. And so for these things to happen now, it does mean something because there have been people putting their lives on the line for a long time to try to make these things actually come to fruition in some way, shape or form. Knowing that there again, it's still so much work to be done. There's so much work to be done. So we just got to keep on work, that's right. But we're talking about working today. We're talking to a

woman is an absolute boss. She is um. She comes from Haitian parents. So you know, I think it is a very true statement that people who come to this country from other places really take advantage of what America has to offer. And you know, this woman is an example of that, coming from parents who who's started here

and then raised her. She was born in Manhattan. Some people somewhere online it keeps saying queens, but she actually was born in Manhattan, and so her parents, you know, found the way, made sure that she um was successful. And look at it. First of all, I didn't even know she is not a college graduate. Many times I've sat in rooms, I'm thinking, this is a Harvard educated woman. So that just goes to show you that that path

is not for everyone. But it doesn't mean that because you didn't go to Harvard you can't be a major businesswoman. She started her own and she has her own entertainment company now that's doing big things. But was the co founder of Violator Management with artists that she helped to launch their careers, from nas to Missy Elliott, too jar Rule to so many people that you know, just bust the rhyns um. And I'm really excited about this interview today with the great your friend you have my friend

man I was. I had the pleasure of being signed the violated records, you know, in which her and Chris Lady had worked together on and just watch him owner just evolved into what she is today, and just always knowing that she had that ability, like you know, the way she was able to manage a case slow, just seeing artists walk into offices every five minutes and her

just having the same face. And I'm just sitting down and her giving that energy and working so hard for artists and then you know, unfortunately being incarcerated and then coming home to watch her transform into the next level of phase of her career as a producer, and you know, just watching him, man, I am just honored to be

able to interview the great, great um, you know. And I guess the last thing that I would say what makes Mona so special to me even though we now have our own relationship, but watching her, uh, you know, give Andy a platform and knowing that Yandy worked for her at a time when she was just like, you know, being an assistant in the office and now Yandy is

running multimillion dollar projects and campaigns and businesses. That's pretty powerful as a legacy for any black woman to be able to say, look around at the fruit of my labor. So I'm excited about talking to moment, Let's get to it. Monas got young. I have to say, you are my sister, um and I am just so happy to have you here. And I know that you and my son have history that go we go wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait back to travel back through memory lane if

you will. But I'm just so happy you came to sit down and talk with us today. I keep saying when to calls and you just show up. You don't question it, and same for you. What Bonas says, do we you know? So my son, I don't know. Maybe we start with you and talk with me. Start with

y man. I've had the pleasure of knowing this lady for over two decades and just watching her evolution from being a manager managing top artists in the world, just and actually not making them become top artists, not just managing winning with top artists having so much instrumental you know, influence in their careers, and just watching her mature this and what I because you know, people don't know exactly so I definitely because most people think Mona Scott just

started with love and hip hop, and I'm like, I don't know, Mona. I've been doing this in the trenches and violated building on Barrackstreet, like you don't know, the little the little building, and that we was all in the office and every artist was coming up there complaining, and Mona had to put out fires and I don't know that moment. Give them, give them the history. I think it started like what ninety five right probably I

was doing artists development. I met Chris Lydy. He was still over at dev Jam, like you said, on Verick Street, managing what Russell and Leo at Rush and when he got his deal over at dev Jam to do Violator records. Um, I was working at the time of the track masters, the producers, and they decided that they were going to

go their separate ways. And Chris was like, Yo, why don't you just come over here and help me figure this out because I'm transitioning this entire company, and all of those artists that were under Rush were open and looking for management. I feel like I've told this story, but you know, we built a management company and over the course of the years was so blessed to like

touch so many incredible careers missing. You know, I'm still with job Rule, Foxy Brown, Warren Gy and I'm throwing in the management with the record label because it was

one big entity exactly. Um, of course we worked a little exactly, we worked with NAS And it's so funny because Violator was like not so much a revolving door, but almost like this incubator, this place that whether it was for you know, a one off renegotiation, uh, you know, branding opportunity, we touched people that we didn't even manage on a day to day right, in some way, shape or form, there was a deal to be made. If there was, you know, a renegotiation to be had, we

somehow were involved. So it was just an amazing time. It was a different time, and you're still doing that now because even I call you and I'm like, yo, like what do I say? How I in this room? I always say it's part of who I am. I just can't take that, you know off, that had never comes off. It's just I say, it's in my DNA. Right.

Being a manager is almost like the primary directive. So even as I moved into producing, I always say that that's the skill set I brought to the table, write my ability to connect with not And when I say talent, I don't just mean like celebrity talent, right, because the creators that I work with, the producers, the directors, the cameraman, those are all talent in their own way. The buyers

that I deal with our talent. So the ability to connect with people and to understand what makes them take and sometimes to get them to you know, step into their own gifts. Right, that's all at the core of being a manager, and it's what I bring to producing. It's like that special sauces, that special sauce. So, like you said, you and Chris had created this, But how did the affect the death of Chris affect you? Jesus?

You know, it's so crazy because that came at a time where we had pretty much gone our separate ways, right. And I think I've talked about this too, you know, you you grow apart, and not necessarily that there's any kind of be if you just kind of move on with life and every once in a while we'd see each other. But I remember the week leading up to his death, all of a sudden, he was on the brain,

like in a way that black woman. I've learned since, do not underestimate, do not ignore, do not quiet that voice when it's just inside you because and I'm getting goosebump, says I'm talking about it. All of a sudden, it was like Chris, Chris, Chris on the brain to the point where my husband will say two nights in a row. In the middle of the night, I shot up out of bed and was like Chris. And he was like, you're gonna stop young and Chris's name in the night,

and I was like, the hell was that? Because I'm one of those people that when I go to sleep, I'm knocked out right don't really dream or actually don't remember them the next day, and it was this very vivid presence, and I called Lorie right out of the blue. I like, dug her number, I'm sorry, yeah, We're like Blie was Chris's like right hand for a very very long time. And I was like, you know, Lorie House Chris and she was like, oh, Mona, I haven't talked

to you forever. Why don't you just call him? I was like, no, I just want to know is he okay? And he was actually on vacation. She was like, he's on vacation. But it was just the fact that you know, hadn't thought about him reached that I said, okay, well, you know when you talk to him, just I'm I called and I was checking him. I will always regret never picking up the phone and calling him. Almost a couple of days later, she calls me the phone, you know, rings,

it's LORI. I pick up. It's a long story. I don't even if you have time, you guys can add it. This long story because I haven't told it in some time. But I hadn't been going out into the field anymore at that point. Right show had been up and running, got a whole team. Very rarely I've go out into the field for a big scene. Yandy had just moved. I believe it was still the Bronx or something right Riverdale. So I said, oh, I'm going. I'm gonna go because

I haven't seen the new crib yet. Get in my car. We're headed out to Riverdale. Phone Rings, it's Lori. I picked up the phone. She's crying hysterically right and she's screaming. I'm like, what is it? What is it? What is it? She says, Chris, you know was that was the first thing she said. Chris was killed. So I was like, what what do you mean. She's like, he got shot. He got shot. I'm like, wait, was he killed or was he shot? And she's hysterical and I'm trying to

make heads or tails. But long story short, Literally, when I said where where did this happen? And she told me where it was, I was five minutes away, five minutes away, somebody who never even goes into the field, so was one of the first people who arrived at that house. So there's a whole you know thing there. But the point is when you asked me, how did it affect me? Interestingly enough, it's strengthened my sense of intuition,

do you know what I'm saying? And that is when you think about what is the gift that I took away from this tragedy, It's like it almost and you know, allowed me to trust myself more. We're in that moment feeling that, having that connection, you know, my gut screaming at me and me quelling it. That's what I've taken

away from that. That's how it's a you know this And I don't want to get too far off topic because we really do have so much we want to cover, but that intuition question is something that I challenge myself with all the time, how do you lean into your intuition as a woman, especially right in any industry, because oftentimes after I have talked myself out of something exactly what I was, it happens. What is that like? So this, this experience you think, was one of the things that

set you on like a firm path. It set me on the path of trusting myself more, trusting my gut, listening to my gut, listening to myself. And that's been a process, right because if I think about, you know, my life, there were so many things along the way that um led me to second guess myself, led me to not trust myself. Never having gone to college, never having felt like I belonged in the room, like I

had anything to say that anybody wanted to hear. Right, those things always led me to um second guess myself, quiet my voice, not speak up when I knew I should have right, not demanded things for myself that I

knew I had earned. Because again, that sense of should I do I you know, am I worthy of was always something that plagued me, And it took a while for me to get to the point where I started listening to myself and listening to my own voice, and a big part of that was accepting my gifts and who I was, right, Like, there's this period you go through in life where either you you know, accept like this is who I am, this is why I'm here, These are the gifts that I've been given, and is

my responsibility to use these gifts, not be scared of them, not shy away from them, not dismiss them, step into them. Right. So that that was an evolution for me of getting to that point where I recognized that, accepted that, exercise that right and so you know, to to really get to a place where part of that was also understanding that,

you know, everything works together. So when your gut is telling you something, when that voice in the back of your head is telling you something, when your entire being is propelling you, stop resisting it. You know what I'm saying, pay attention, listen. And whether it's your your subconscious god, whatever, that power is, right, it exists for a reason, and us fighting it a lot, I think alters the course

of our destiny. You know, that's really do so tell us the transition right from being this management to be in this producer, Like, what was that process like, how did you just say, you know what, I don't want to do this. I'm evolving into the name. It came at a point in my life where I was unhappy. Right. I spent a lot of years building everyone else up and helping them do you know, what they wanted to do. But I didn't feel like I was fully utilizing my

own gifts. Right. It was always in service of which is great and which I know is you know, part of what I bring to everything I do. But I didn't feel like I was servicing myself. I didn't feel like I was you know, really allowing my creativity, my gifts to flourish, because I was so busy thinking about and taking care of and being there for everybody else. And I was miserable, right, But I wasn't serving myself. I was you know, unhappy and just getting up every

day and doing this thing. And it was there was this duality to it, because like I loved seeing my clients you know, prosper and I was so happy with

every win, but I wasn't doing it for myself. And I started thinking about, you know, what life could look like if I just said, let's just do something completely different, and um, I thought about what I wanted to do, had no idea, and then I had an opportunity to do a show with missy uh back in two thousand five, and that was kind of the start of you know what, maybe I'm not going to take the plunge for me,

but let's take the company, let's take the clients. Let's do something that allows me to exercise a different muscle, which was moving them into like TV and films, because prior to that it was squarely in music, and you know, I felt like here was an opportunity to do something different. I decided in two thousand and eight that I was going to make the move right and I was like, okay, that's it. I like this thing. I've found my way around this industry. I'm making the move. And then you know,

I left. I left by later and started moaning me. So it was, you know, it wasn't an abrupt thing, but it started with me realizing that I was not happy anymore. I'm just not happy with you, so tell me, tell me as you know, so many people who are listening our folks that had trying to figure it out, and in fact, in the last week there's been this big uproar because Kim Kardashian made a statement that if people want to be successful, get the funk up me, say curse words. If I do the work, people get

mad about Well, they're mad at her. I feel like what she's saying, it's true because there are a lot of people who don't necessarily want to work for what it is that they claim they want. Now there's one side of it, because then there have been others who have said, well, people do work every day, they go to work every day. I think it wasn't the message.

I think it was the message. It's the message right exactly, because I don't think there's anybody who would say, don't work hard for what you want and is just gonna come to you magically. I think the idea. But you know, the one thing I will say, and I don't disagree with you because I was just like, Okay, I get it, but oh, Kim, they don't want to hear it from right.

They've worked to some extent, Yes, they've had certain things that allowed their path to, you know, maybe be a lot easier than some of you know, some other folks have experienced. But I cannot look at that family and say they don't work on the ultimate grind ever the right all the time, all the time. Because you think about it, they could have sat back at multiple points in their journeys and been like, Okay, we're good. We did the Kardashian show, we good, we did you know

whatever the first venture was, we good. But there's always something and there's always, you know, a different venture that they're embarking on. I think people just don't want to hear it from them because there's a lot that comes with being in their position. Right. People want to see you win and they build you up, and then the minute that you're where you hope they expired for you to be, they're like, okay, time to tear you down. You bring back the time to bring you back down.

So what does that? What does the day of being Mona look like like? What does that for people who are like, Okay, get the funk up and work. So, now, want to tell me what your day looks like so people can figure out what's missing in their work day that may not be helping them get to their goal.

That's an interesting question because what my day looks like now right post pandemic is very different than what it looked like before because there was a lot more balanced, there was a lot more interaction with the outside world. Like literally, it's been a blessing and a curse the ability to kind of run a business from your home, because it, you know, takes away the necessity for getting out and moving about. So for me now it's probably unhealthy, right I get up in the morning and from sun

up to sundown. And this is something that I've really had to stop and check myself on because I've lost perspective on, you know, that balance because now I'm in the home. Before I used to leave I come home, I used to talk about there was this period of declining as I drove home, you know, so by the time I walked through the door, there was a clear separation.

Right for a lot of people, that separation is gone now, And um, it's something that I've got to get a lot better at because I don't want to find myself back in that place where I'm unhappy. I love what I do now. I enjoy you know, the creative process. I enjoy the business. I enjoyed building you know, um, what we're building with the company, and I have to pay more attention to the fact that I've lost the perspective and the balance that you know, you need to

be whole. So my day, now I get up, I'm in front of that computer, I'm getting on those phones because whether it's a day full of calls or a day full of development, right, which is part of the process that I really enjoy. It's work from minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. Not healthy people's day. So and you're married and I'm married with Listen, those children are grown as people now, Okay, no girl, No, my son, you know, he graduated. He's

been working for the last couple of years. Thank God for the pandemic because it brought my baby home. So he lives in the house, but he's constantly looking for a place. Um my daughter is now at you know, Clark Atlanta, and so she's out of the house and staying in the dorms. But you know, we're quasi mt Nesters, which which is what makes it bad as well, because this should be grab sometimes sometimes he does, he does, you know, but he also understands that I'm also singularly focused.

Right when I set my mind to getting something done, is happening today, you know, And that's to be successful, you have to understand your partner. You have to who they are, and you have to you have to push them in there. You have to support them within who they are' my guy, I do because you know, we have fun together. You know, we laugh about the same things.

Like he again, like you said, knows when it's like, all right, put that phone down in the middle of the day, He'll send me some stupid meme that I have me cracking up in the middle of a zoom call. You know, because so we he knows me, and he knows how to work with me. When I say work with me, I mean work with who I am in totality, the crazy, the driven. You know everything about me. Do you think you're controlling especially for your kids? Like do

you think you like um interestingly enough? And I controlling? Yes, with my kids, not so much. You know, what we have is a very open relationship. Was as good, right, So I'm very upfront about yes, Like they have this text chain where he's sending my son apartments and I'm like, I hate it here, why am I even? I'm like leaving the chat. So they know the things about me, but not overbearing because especially yeah, especially for my daughter.

It was important that I be responsible for an independent, thinking, you know, open minded, assertive, confident woman. I knew the world that I was sending her out into right. So we had a great evolution with our relationship because I'll tell you, we went through that whole phase where it was like, oh, I should have took a broomstick to you a long time ago. But now you know, we've worked through that in a very open way. But no, my son. You know, I was always like my mama's boy,

but not over there. But we do that too. We've we've been talking about this to our girls and boys. We have raised the hell out of our girls and love up on our boys. And then in the end it's kind of like is it good or not? Eanla van Zan told me one day that I needed to stop mothering my son. She was like, you are doing way too much. And she said at one point her son went to prison and he told her that that was the most important time in his life because he

got away from her and grew up. She had been all onto and I'm thinking this, this is crazy, but I posted her conversation with me online and there was so many black women to come and say, I think I'm doing it too. Yeah, you know what it is. I was blessed fortunate that you know, Sean very present, right, So yes, there were times where he'd be like, you're being ridiculous, leave a malay, you know. So I had

that system of checks and balances. But yes, I could see how that could have very easily happened if there wasn't that counterbalance, that presence that you know, balanced it out. So it was okay for me to be the smothering mom because he had the balance of Sean being like, I don't care what your mother just said. You're gonna go out on these streets and figure this out, you know, because she ain't gonna be around, absolutely absolutely, so let's

move into loving him. Okay, okay, so loving hip What was the initie goal direction when you started it? Like, what was the goal in direction? I mean, you know, the interesting thing is that wasn't a goal in direction for love and hip hop per se in the beginning, because it didn't start it as love and hip hop?

Right Yandy, you guys know well you know was our sister, Yes, well your sister, my daughter was with me for a very long time coming right out of college and then she'd gone off to you know, do her own thing and connected with Jim Jones. And when I started moaning me, Yandy came back into the full brought Jim as a client and was like, there's this show that I've had at Vicom that we've been trying to figure out a v H one at the time, that we've been trying

to figure out for the last couple of years. I had met Jim Jim Ackerman, the executive, as I was navigating getting the company up and running, and when I went to him and I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, he mentioned this show. He's like, yeah, we've been trying to figure this thing out, but you know, would love your involvement. Um. And there were also these two guys who were just creatives. I believe Stephan and Toby were like cameraman and and sound die respectively, that were already

connected to the project. And um, when I came in, there were several iterations. Right, first it was Jim and the Family Jones or Christie and the Family Jones. You know, it was first the show about Jim Jones. Then it was the show about Jim and his family, right, MoMA Jones and Chrissie before it became Love and hip Hop, And that was a result of first Jim didn't want to do a reality show. Then okay, it's great. His mother's funny. The dynamic were Chrissie and and Mama Jones

is funny. But we need to expand the cast, especially because when you know you were watching TV, youre seeing Housewives of Atlanta and some of these other shows that were ensemble female casts. So the love and hip hop we know today was an evolution, right that started with

the Jim Jones show. Um, but what I did bring to that evolution was this concept that you know, Jim is great and he's one faction of a world that and I one day may talk about who was their true inspiration in my head because there were so many of the girlfriends and stuff that I got to know through management, Right, I was the person like they'd be calling, like, yo, she wilding out, she can't come out of the road, mona, give her an excuse to go home? Oh damn, that

voice gave it away almost. But you know, there was a lot that I witnessed and a lot that I you know, I had a lot, uh, a lot of show a lot. That's it right there. That was like, damn, you know this world people would not believe the stuff that goes on, and getting to know these women and then going like, because you know half the time, I'm

gonna be like, girl, it's never gonna happen. Um, it was like, here's an opportunity to not only let their voices be heard, but always from the very beginning for me, it was give them an opportunity to take these lives that they're living anyway, that are crazy, larger than life, fascinating, right, and then get something out of it because a lot of times those relationships lasted for a long time and when they were over, they were done. They were done, and all you got is a bunch of pictures and

you know, ticket stubs like all access passes. So let's go to that. You help them make money. It was about help you make money, help you figure out whatever it is. At the time, it wasn't the brand, but now it's what is your brand? What do you want

to represent? What do you want to do with your life? Right, whether it's you have this aspiration of being an artist yourself or and I'll say it honestly, you really cannot see the life that you're living objectively and may need to take a step back and watch it and then decide what you want to do from there, Right, because it was always important for me that would be of judgment free zone. Nobody's here to tell you what you're doing, the life you're living is right or wrong, which I'm

sure we'll take us to. What I know is inevitable in this conversation, right, what people have to say about it, But I'll preface that by saying that it's always rubbed me the wrong way. That there are people who want to look at someone else's life, a life you've never lived, right, choose you have never been in, and sit from where

you're sitting, and make past judgment. Well, but there is this thought that our dirty laundry should not be aired out, especially sent Black folks on in life in general already have enough that's out there in the world that has created sort of negative ideas about who we are. And so now to have a brand that is actually exposing some of that negativity, I think that might be what some folks felt like, let's just hide it or put it in Well, the purpose of the brand was not

to expose negativity. Right, that's taking an entire sum of a group of people, the lives that they were actually living, the experiences that they actually had that led them to these lives, and to sum it up and say, you're are this entire racist, dirty laundry, and we do not want to give you exposure. We do not You are the faction of this larger group that we are ashamed of, and we want to sweep you under the rug. Right. It's to me that was never you know, what the

show was intended to be. This show was like all of these um different shows are showing different subcultures, different areas of people's lives, different groups of people somewhere familiar with some we've never seen before who knew they were ice truckers, who knew they were. But there's there is an industry that exists, and within that industry there are you know, the celebrities that we all know and love,

and then the people that surround them. We're focusing on the women who love these men, Dave, These men make sacrifices for this you know world, this genre are pursuing their dreams. Very specific group of people. So if the idea is you know what because we have not had an opportunity. We get it, these people exist, but let's do a few more other kinds of shows about black people. And you all, wait, we don't want to shine a light on your lives yet, right, If that was the

thinking that I didn't get that memo right? My goal was to tell stories. I was a storyteller, a producer, content creator. I'm gonna tell stories I want to find. I want to tell them from a place that I know first of all, Right, and here is a world that I navigated for twenties something years. I've seen these relationships, I've seen these women, I've seen you know what this world is behind the glitz and clamor, and people would

be surprised, they'd have no idea. Were you in the editing room all throughout this or were other people are kind of responsible for that? It was. There's a collective, right, and the thing is that then there's the network. They are the ultimate you know, and all be all because unfortunately it wasn't a situation where I was shooting the show myself, editing it myself, and then going to the network. That show was a million, you know, millions of dollars

per season. Um So there was a network and once you give them your cut, they have their edits and they come back and there's a process. Um So. No, I wasn't the end all be all, But I also um tried as much as I could, know, I tried as much as I could to talk to the talent about being mindful about what they put on screen, right, because at that point there's a body of work here that is going to be edited, right. So if there's anything that you don't want it all right, then don't.

I don't know this information until they give it to me. Right. Half the stuff that ends up on the screen is because they said it right. So it was always it was always um funny to me when they'd be like, well you made me say I'm like, I didn't even know this thing until you said it. Um So they're there. In my opinion, when I look at it in totality, right, there's always the positives and the negatives of every situation. You weigh it, you take a look at it as

a whole. You know, when I look at the experience of love and hip hop and what it's represented, you know, for the talent that has gone through the show and for you know, myself, of course, and for the opportunity to open doors for other Black television, for there to be you know, a willingness by executives to allow other shows to exist because there was such a massive audience.

I would say that it was worth it. It was worth it, and that was about the act the exact same question, and you gave the answer before the answer, I knew where you were gone. So ultimately you feel like it benefited the culture. There are a lot of people who would say that it wasn't, but ultimately, when you look at ultimately with it accomplished based on opening doors and exposing and giving people opportunities that it basically help, I would say that it definitely helped bring awareness, It

helped open doors, It helped provide a platform. It helped UH with financial empowerment, right because when I look at our cast and I look at the things that they've been able to accomplish. I remember the first conversation with Rashida, who was like, you know, I've been on my grind trying to get my career up and running. Missy was the one who called me. It was like, yo, that little show you got my girl Rashida. You know, I'd love for you to meet with her and give her

a shot. And now I look at restaurants and you know, clothing stores. I love, you know, going through social media and page and I tell her all the time, I'm like, okay, we see so you got that dress, those shoes. And when I go to Atlanta sometimes I don't even pack stuff. I just like run to her get a couple of things. I texted her like where do you keep all? This is what I want to know. That's a whole another story,

but it's you know Yandy. Of course, remember Yandy coming to me with the gaping er to talking about I can't do television? What are you? I'm like, trust me, you know what I'm saying this, there's something here you and seeing her now so even man DC, watching him blossom and the way that he is, he was never like the error and the way we come from in the stream, you just don't get on TV, right, So you watch him the first season like he probably didn't

want to say a word. He barely. Now I'm watching him absolutely A would do different differently. Well, let me put this question in this context first, because you mentioned already and you know, this idea of people judging judgment. So at one point, I remember even me coming into

the space. I was pretty young, but I had this idea of what women empowerment looked like in Loving hip hop totally rubbed me the wrong way, right, the fighting and all that I didn't know, Yandy, Now that I have met these women and not just folks from love and hip hop, also excuse me, Jennifer Williams basketball wise, like these are my friends. They're such amazing people. Um, and so it changed my perspective. But at one point I was with the naysayers and you know, Mona Scott

Young is doing wrong right? How did it feel to go through knowing that people didn't know you, but in some spaces they were shunning you, like she shouldn't be here because she's not empowering women. I mean, you know, shunning. It's more in my opinion, Judge, I think it's people who, like you said, had no idea, don't know me. And I'm human. So of course there was a period where it bothered me because I knew the truth, and I

knew that that was not my intention. I knew, you know, the conversations that I had with the cast, and I knew what the real, you know, intention was behind it. But part of that process for me of understanding who I am and what my mission was and trusting myself and trusting what my true intentions were, was about letting

that go. Letting go this notion that I could change people's opinions or that it was my job to get them to understand and get them to see, because I realized very quickly that they're don't think what they want to think, and nothing that I do or say is going to change that. And if they don't care enough about getting to the truth to even reach out, want to have a conversation, you know, open up a dialogue, then it's not my job to change It's not my responsibility. Um.

And so I let that go. I let that go very very early on to the point where it didn't bother me that people were judging me, because they were even judging the cast just as harshly. And I knew these people as well, and that's not who they were. UM. And once I, you know, recognize that my husband just talking about the support used to do this funny thing where, you know, somebody would say something mean on social media, he'd go to their page and he'd be like, look,

this is the person. First of all, they n egg. Second of all, you know what I'm saying, this is not even a real profile. And and you know, I had to trust myself, trust who I know I was, and not allow myself to be defined by what people thought. And that's why, you know, it's a process mainly because we're human and we have feelings and to deny that is to be unrealistic with yourself, right. So that's why my profile page, I'm like, if they don't know you personally,

you can't take it personally. I can't be, you know, concerned with what somebody's sitting at home with an opinion you know, has to say about what I know are being tensions with everything that I do, because the reality situation is most times none of those people would ever have a conversation exactly and they never said there like

I'm never me personally. I've watched a lot of different people say different things, and other people who had opinion actually sat down and talk to you or or voice their opinion to you, and they had platforms and they will lot hip hop is this and that, and the reality for me is when you look at loving hip hop in its totality, it gives you different perspectives in different spaces in everyone's life. And it might be a

fight here and tomorrow it might be hugging. We make up, and then tomorrow we might start a business like this is reality specially because even us, like with our work sometimes and not just a work a lot, sometimes there's a fight, there are relationship problems, they are new people that get together. There is me and Linda mad at each other, and then my son and I arguing. This

is real life. This is real life, and it's real life for this group of people who live in this space and world where that is how they resolve conflict, that is how they expressed themselves very passionately, not the way I do, right, But I also didn't grow up in the same way. I didn't have those same experiences

that shaped me to be that person. So it's and and then when I look at social media and I see some of the things that are happening, I'm like, my cameras aren't even here now, so blame me for this one? People? Do you know what I'm saying? How did this happen? If it's all you know, made up for television. But again I will stand tentoes down that when I look at it in totality, right, how do

you things that was birthed out of hip hop? So different individuals who become um entrepreneurs, who become big stars, found their own space, like you know, for me, I see it as a plus to the culture. A lot of things that I didn't like. There was things that I wish didn't happen, but there was a lot more things that I see to where people were able a lot of I've had conversations with Scrappy and and I'm saying, yo, my career. You know what, Blue sent me a message

of the day. I just want to say, thank you. You know what I'm saying. And here's a genuine dude who you told this is a genuine individual. This is somebody that I could I talked to you, and I got a lot of love for us. So just watching those brothers being able to regenerate and recreate a career from somebody just showing themselves being natural, finding love and being aren't you like? It's something different. So I just want to say I appreciate what if you've done. You

know what I'm saying. I know it's a lot of backlash. People don't always have something to say, and I had to accept that they with the territory. I have to accept that that camp I mean, very different from your journey to make about I know you've had to deal with, you know what I'm saying, daggers and swords, but you accept that as part of you. It is what it is. In fact, I was out dinner with a girlfriend, uh the other night, and she said, oh man, she's like,

I'm fighting every day for you. She was like the things that people say checked out of a hotel the other day and the man behind the count that says to me, man, you know that I've been fighting all over I don't let people talk crazy about you. That this person is in Alabama, my girlfriends, your we're talking about all across the country. People telling me that they're standing up for me. And what I had, what I always try to hone in on, is that at least

you're standing up for me. So I'm a focus on this interaction rather than the six people that you've had to tell I didn't steal money. You know, I'm not working for the Democrats. But think about what that would do to you if you weren't sure and secure and stuff and who you are. You know, if you spent your time wondering about those six other people and allowed

yourself to get I've been there. I've been there. I have stressed myself, especially during the Women's March, by worrying about particularly what white folks we're saying about me, because they had, in some ways the influence to be able to impact my money because of how they felt, yes, and what they thought of. So let's talk about new projects, because you've got new stuff going on. I got a

lot of new stuff going on. I mean, the pandemic, I keep saying, what has been a double edged sword right as much as it you know, changed our lives completely, that focus that I'm talking about that has me waking up and focusing all day long has led to me being able to expand the company, to move into areas that I've been wanting to move into but may not

have stopped and paid attention to. You know, we've sold a number of scripted projects, so I'm excited that we're finally you know, moving into the scripted space um format as well, you know, hopefully wanting to land a big, shiny floor show that will go on for twenty years, so I can retire. But you know, so it's been a good time for me for growth within the company. And what I need to figure out now and balance out is how to continue to grow personally, how to

you know, get back into the world. Because when I tell you I have been a hermit, what's the biggest project you're working on right now? Do you have something we do? As as a matter of fact, we are just starting production on Hip Hop Homicides, which you know, was a project that we developed for a couple of years and it started with you know, we were both at lines Get at the time and we were having

a meeting. I love when they say, oh, we want to introduce you one of our clients and it's fifty cent. I'm like, okay. You know, so fifty was like, yeah, we should do a show by Debt Rammers, and that was kind of the evolution of how Hip Hop Homicides came about. But the whole goal was again to you know, continue to give us space for our stories to live

and and to get attention. And it's just really going out there from a different perspective and examining, you know, all of those debts that we've all you know, experienced, and seeing if there's any leads that have been left unturned, you know, debunking stuff because I always thinking about the people who get fingers pointed at them and then people just move on and nobody ever goes back and clears

this ship up. So now you've ever tainted, you know, and and really diving into there's a whole community of web salutes, right, people who day and day out are just communicating. There's a lot of leads that have come from social media and and from what the social media community is saying. So you know, if we can bring closure, if we can a lot like you want to do, like call attention, shine a spotlight on it, right, So

that's the goal there. We've got Van Leathan, who is our man on the street, you know, and Van is great because he's so invested and so passionate on the subject. But yeah, we're you know, getting out of the gate on that show. So we're excited about that. Yeah, that's great, you know, brilliant when it comes together because fifty you know, and his product I've challenged. We get into big debates about my feelings very similar to love and hip hop stuff.

I've said, well, why we need a show that is not about people being drug deal is killing and all of that, Like, can we figure out what fifty can be involved in? This is? What is the other show? This is um which one he has? The show about the man but again still the man he's got out of jail. Yeah. I mean about the bottom line is whenever we have these projectives, progressive shows and about positive things we do, people people are not going. I mean, this is the thing right and I'm not gonna say

this is the definitive reason why. But when people are watching television or content of any kind, they want to connect with the material. They want to see something that they can connect with. Unfortunately, the plight of who we are has led us to a place where we connect with the hardships, We connect with those stories of violence

and trauma and you know what I'm saying. So it's like what we're talking about is an evolution that, yes, needs to happen, but there's so many things that need to happen for us as people right as a collective that will change our perspective. We are all just a product of where we come from what we know our environments. Do you think the marketing budgets that these major networks are investing in projects is enough and you know, sort of focused enough to really make a not a good show.

I don't. We don't gonna do that. It's not good versus bad. But these other type of shows that might be more inspirational, do we have the type of budgets be important. Well, then now it's gone, but that's because it's time has run out, and there will be other shows that you know, come in its place. There's Abbott Elementary, There's do you know what I'm saying? There are other shows that are out there as well. That's how a

different experience. And we can't say. What I will say about the shows that resonate for the audience and that get the eyeballs is they opened the door, They paved the way, because what they do is prove that there's an audience for it. Right Without those shows that people are tuning into because they connect with the material, you're never gonna get to those other shows. Those individuals and entrepreneurs who who bring those shows, now they in them

give you something different. They were like, well, I can have a conversation now about a different type of shows because of the metrics that I can show for a Love and HIPOs, right, I can have a seat at the table to even have the conversation because of the success of that show. Seat at the table. Black woman out here been hustling and grinding and moving and shaking for a long time. Now. Know with Love and Hip Hop, there was there were partners that you had white men.

I think it was too them. Of course, you've got the Viacom folks, lots of white people. What's it been like navigating as a black woman in the space with a lot of white people trying to change your vision or tugging and pulling for the challenging You know what

I know or what I think I know. I mean, listen, I I'd like to say, oh, I don't pay attention, because that is something that I do try to apply every day, right, Because I'm like, if I stopped to be worried about this until then it starts to internalize, I start to second guess and it takes me back to that place. So I try to be very sure and secure about what I know. But I would be naive to say that it doesn't exist and that it isn't there, and that I don't encounter it. I don't

know that that will change for us. It is the

landscape that we have to navigate. But the way that I try to navigate that landscape is by showing up by And when I say showing up, I mean like knowing my ship right, having my ship together, making sure that I present in a way that is competitive so that I can't can't and I con curse, right, But I say it all the time like I can hold my dick so that I can say I know that I did the work and I put it in and there is nothing about what I can deliver, what I

can execute that is less than that is subpar, that isn't on the same level. Right, So that's the work that I put in every day. But do I encounter that still? Sure? Absolutely? I know that even in the interaction with you know, my partners, right, there is a natural tendency to gravitate to them that you know, to think that they are the ones running the show. Absolutely. My husband says that all the time, the white man's eyes is colder. Right, But um, do I think I've

made stride? Sure? Because I'd like to say that my name, you know, resonates in a different way now that I've spent all of these years proving not myself, but proving that I can get the job done, showing that I, you know, have what it takes. So we did. We got to end the show because no, I got a lot more ships were not over. But I just want to know what somebody, a young Scott's before she became on the Scott what would you say to her? You

see the commercial? Yes, yes, yes, commercially yes, what would you say to you right right now? And it's sounds corny, it sounds cliche, But when I talk about those years, I don't live with regret. You asked me a question earlier, and I don't think I ever answered it right. I try not to live with regret. I try to think, like, okay, what can I and from this thing so that I don't do this thing again. I don't like the result. How do I, you know, affect a different end results?

So I try not to live with regret because then that means, like, you know, I did something wrong. What I would say to her is trust yourself, right, Because it took a very long time for me to get

to that point. That's not cliche, that's real yourself, because we we're not afforded the opportunity to see things play out in you know, so that we had a roadmap to follow where we see the mistakes that were made and we see, you know, a lot of our lives is figuring the ship out as we go along, right, and not beating yourself up when something doesn't turn out exactly as you intended, because that's waste of time. You

can't change that ship. And I spent a lot of time like I should have could have I should have done, you know, So I've tried to eradicate that from the way that I think, because that's waste of time. Do you have you call tend people in the morning about all your ideas or you like only need to talk to myself, maybe a husband. And when you say people to some some folks that don't trust themselves, and yeah,

they know. You want to have a team, You want to have a brain trust because you want to surround yourself with people who will keep you honest right about whether your ship is right or whether it sucks, because you don't I don't need a bunch of yes man. I always say that like, like, challenge me right, poke holes in my ship because I do it to myself all day long, and and I want that system of

checks and balances in place at all times. But I try to think things through in a way that I can also lead my team right, so they don't feel like I'm unsure, I'm faltering. I want their input. I want to absorb it. I want to make it part of my thought process. But I try to move in a very sure footed way because anything less takes me back to that place of second yessing myself and not being clear. There's so many external factors that will have you wondering if you know who the funk you are

every single day. I don't need to contribute to that, do you know what I'm saying? Questions awesome, let's go. Last question been debated. Sugar, Yeah, ye exactly, Salt and be incmparable the amazing Mona Scott Young, thank you, thank you so much much. That was great than I enjoyed that. That was really good. I mean, you know, she's got a lot like we probably again, let me not say.

I was gonna say we could have talked for two hours, but but we have evolved from twenty minute interviews to being able to really sit down with somebody like Mona. You can't cover twenty minutes of her life, simple, right, you can't cover Yeah, you can't cover her life in twenty minutes. I thought it was really good. I love I always love watching your interaction with people. You know.

You know, I talked about Shine all the time because that's one of my favorite interviews of watching you with somebody that you grew up around, and you know, it's just it's just great to see that, you know. So I just think that Mona as a woman, none of us like there will always be something that people will say it's controversial, and certainly, as I listened to her about the Love and Hip Hop brand, I still challenge certain points of how the show evolved in what unfolded

as a result of Love and hip Hop. But when again, the whole thing you guys were talking about, looking at it in totality of what has happened with people's careers and you know, what opportunities for other individuals have been sort of developed, I do see how I see what she was trying to build and where there have been benefits from it, And so I guess that's the same for all of us. I feel the same way about myself.

We go out, we tell people, you know, vote for vote against this this madman, Donald Trump, and they end up voting for Joe Biden, which again and if it was us, it would have been Bernie or Elizabeth Warren for me. But nonetheless, we had what we had and Joe Biden was there, and then they don't. The administration doesn't really do what we need, and so it always there's always a level of controversy built baked into anything

you do. I think, you know, just the interview, for me, it was just amazing, you know, just seeing to be transparent and be able to explain certain things and and dispel certain myths about who she is because I know she is. She the beautiful person, and you know, and just looking at the culture right. A lot of times we have to look at what the culture is for me. If if if I'm giving you a platform to be who you are, you can't blame me for who you are.

Right if I'm forcing you, I'm trying to push something upon you, it's a different thing. Those are the people that I feel a culture votres right for me. If there's a there's a complete dynamic of to me commerical just like it there's a complete dynamic of my song. So if you if you get the my song that is the Gangster and it woke right. Sometimes you might see the gamester and somebody might think that shouldn't be shown,

but that's me in reality, right. So when you actually see that part and you're shocked thinking that that part doesn't exist, that you can come up to me and you can put your hand on my face and I'm not gonna beat you up and then say, oh, I thought you's about peace. I am, but I'm going to protect me. So I don't want you to be confused and think that this the conscious my song is the

only my song. So what happens with love and hip hop is it gives you a you know, the full picture of who these individuals are, and a lot of people don't want to see a full picture. They want to believe that you're this perfect person, right. They want you to believe that most of the artists and people you follow they don't have anything wrong with them, so they don't never want you to see that part. And

unfortunately that really exists. And I think and I think and I think what the reality is what happened with Love and Hip Hop is this show that those people in full you know, in full context of who they were, and people were mad. That why we got to see because these people fight sometu But you do bring people, They do bring people together knowing that there is tension in certain situations so that they can get certain things

to keep the audience going. And I will say being friends with a number of women who are on these different shows, their perspective on whether or not not so much that they were forced, but whether situations were created is different from the way they moanent feels about it, and also what you are saying. But but I have never seen Pat poos and Remy right, So that's not true because Remy has had some moments, is not to you,

but has had hermony. They've had moments to where you've probably seen them arguing with people when there was disagreements were everybody doesn't agree with things. I'm gonna say me and you might have an argument, and that's part of life. Right of course, we know that that it doesn't have to be people swinging and whatever and right, and you are right in real life. There are instances that happened like that, They've happened to me, happened in my family,

have it could be tomorrow. They're all kinds of situations. So I'm not trying to take that away. But what I am saying though, is that with reality TV in general, not just Loving hip Hop, but every single brand, there is a way that you can create a dynamic that you know already something's going to happen. So that's like me, I have issues with a particular set of a group

of people in my family. I don't really go places that they're gonna be at, you know what I mean, And everybody kind of knows unless it's probably a funeral or something like that. I'm not really gonna show up at certain things where those individuals are. But if you're looking for some drama, you put us in the same place. You understand what I'm saying. So I'm not saying it's it's forced because the situation existed before the camera's got there,

which is Mona's point. It's just revealing whatever it is. But the revelation of it can be harmful to people just as much as it makes Because I think about yeah, I think about how people will say things like you know, oh, you know, well, I'll give you portion. For example, because of the fact that they have now had this reality show, you have people. And of course there was the moment when her her aunt sat down and they had a conversation.

Aunt told her, with all of what you've got going on, you're not ready to I read the legacy of their her Josea Williams, which is her I guess her uncle. I think, um, oh yeah, sorry, your grandfather. I don't know what I'm thinking about the aunt and whatever, so yeah, her grandfather. Um, And I don't know if I agree with that, because I understand that real life is real life.

And by the way, just because we didn't have cameras around to show you the fights that Josea Williams and Dr King and all these other people conversations, arguments and beefing that went on, it doesn't mean it wasn't there. Okay, let's be clear. Let's also be clear that infidelity and all of those issues the same way that ship happens today, it was happening at that time as well. It's well documented people know, so let's let's just be clear. Okay,

people marriages, all types of issues. Always has been the case, but the cameras are there now. And so the question I asked Mona is like, does she understand people who feel like we don't need to expose war or of the negative aspects of the black experience because it's already all of this stuff out there. But nonetheless, I think it's good and bad with everything, and I'll take that.

Like we said, I think it did more for the coach when you look at all of the people who evolved from it, and you look at they've moved past some of those situations that you've seen, those fights, whatever, They way past that. Their business owners, they're inspirational, they're motivational. You know you you've seen one part and you watch them evolved, And I think that's what it is in

real life. The worst You're not judged by the worst moment that they see if you want absolutely, And just because I bought up Porsche, I will say that I know her and her fiance and they are very happy. Yes, So there we have it. And with that said, that brings us to the end of our show. Shout out to Mona Scott Young for that candid and real and raw interview that she gave us. Shout out to everybody tunes into our show. We appreciate you. We are number

one number. We're moving on up in the ring. We're not get number one yet, so don't think that you don't have to download and share and support, but we are moving up in the rings. And this is a slow rhyme, but I'm proud of what we've done because it's real. Yeah, you know I'm saying it's real. So once again, I'm not gonna always be right. Samika, Mary is not gonna always be wrong, but we will both always and I mean always, be more than it. Ye, that's how we own