Singer Monica graces the latest issue of Hello Beautiful alongside her kids. Inside the special Mother’s Day edition, the R&B sensation opens up about the joys and challenges of motherhood, navigating her career, and finding love amidst it all.
Desptie a career spanning decades and a string of hits to her name, Monica treasures the role of motherhood above all else. For the songstress, being a mother is not just a title but a sacred honor, one she cherishes every day.
“It’s a level of happiness and joy and it’s the unconditional love that you just can’t find in other places,” she tells Hello Beautiful.
At the heart of Monica’s family are her children: Laiyah, Rodney Hill Jr., Romelo Hill, and her bonus son, Ramone Hill. Together, they form a tight-knit unit, supported by love, respect, and understanding.
Monica’s only daughter, Laiyah, whom she shares former NBA baller Shannon Brown, turned 10 in 2023. As Laiyah grows, Monica strives to instill in her the confidence and self-belief to pursue her dreams fearlessly.
“One of the things I try to consistently instill is her confidence, her belief in herself, her understanding that she is great just as she is inside and out. I push her towards her goals and her dreams,” she explains. “I’m not directing her or redirecting her away from what her goals and dreams are. We’re pushing her towards it because I think she has the right support system to be a part of whatever she wants to be a part of. But I love the joy of having a daughter. I love the fun of us being able to talk about some of the female things.”
As a mother who has weathered her fair share of relationship ups and downs, Monica approaches the topic of love with candor and wisdom.
“I get a chance to talk to her as she gets older about relationships, about what she requires, about understanding what she deserves, how she’s treated. Her seeing the door being opened for me, her seeing me being cared for, treating and treated a certain way is really important,” she says.
When it comes to co-parenting, Monica prioritizes her children’s happiness and well-being above all else.
“I have no feelings there. I just have responsibilities, which is to make sure that my kids feel happy and whole. And whatever that requires is exactly what I do.”
Her relationship with her ex-fiance, Rodney “Rocko” Hill, may have evolved over the years, but her commitment to their son, Ramone, has remained unwavering. From attending parent-teacher conferences to traveling as a family, Ramone has seamlessly integrated into Monica’s life, becoming not just a big brother but a pillar of support and love.
“It allowed me to have this unbreakable bond with him that he knows and understands that he is absolutely no different than the other children in any way.”
