Monica Denise Arnold is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Monica rose to prominence after she signed with Rowdy Records in 1993 and released her debut album Miss Thang two years later. She followed it with a series of successful albums, including the global bestseller The Boy Is Mine as well as the number-one albums After the Storm, The Makings of Me and Still Standing. Throughout her career, several of Monica's singles became number-one hits on the pop and R&B charts, including "Before You Walk Out of My Life", "Don't Take It Personal", "Like This and Like That", "The Boy Is Mine", "The First Night", "Angel of Mine", "So Gone", and "Everything to Me".Monica's popularity was further enhanced by her roles in television series such as Living Single, Felicity, and American Dreams, and films including Boys and Girls, Love Song, and Pastor Brown.