A 'Mama' Now Front and Center

Following her well-received debut LP, singer-songwriter Tiffany Monique is now hard at work on her first full-length album, which she hopes to release in the spring. Less than two years into a solo career, the Newark native has already begun to build up her fan base -- which includes someone you may have heard of.

“Tiffany’s voice has effortless strength, sass, seduction, and heart with a tone that puts you at ease,” according to none other than Beyonce, Monique’s boss, who shares her glowing praise on Monique’s Web site.

Embarking on her solo career in 2010, Monique is also one of the “Mamas,” Beyonce’s trio of background singers who performed on some of star’s signature tracks.

“She’s awesome. She’s definitely someone I have benefited from. I admire her work ethic and she is such a warm person, Monique said of Beyonce.

Born in Tennessee, Monique’s mother moved the family to Newark when she was a young girl, where she performed in church choirs from a young age.

“My mom still lives in I was raised in, in the South Ward,”  she said. “I have very fond memories of growing up in the city.”

Music is in Monique’s bloodline. An aunt was a background singer for Chaka Khan and her father enjoyed singing as well. She counts Khan, Stevie Wonder and, of course, Beyonce among her influences.

Monique attended Morgan State University in Maryland on a music scholarship and became one of the Morgan Singers, a renowned choir group, with which she traveled the world. She once performed at an appearance of Pope John Paul II.

“I really didn’t have formal training before I came to Morgan. Unlike the others, I had no technical background,” Monique said. “Fortunately they saw I had some raw talent.”

After finishing college, she returned to New Jersey and, after taking part in open mic nights at the Village Underground in New York City, was offered a chance to become a background singer for Mariah Carey on a BET special. Monique would eventually perform backup for Christina Aguilera, Kenny Loggins, Michelle Williams and others before becoming part of Beyonce’s crew in 2005. She toured with the singer regularly through 2010.

At that point, she decided to strike out on her own, releasing an EP entitled Nemesis, which included a well-received title track as well as tracks including “Only Love” and “When.”

Now she’s ready for an even more ambitious project, a full-length album, a project she has been contemplating for a long time but which she didn’t yet feel ready for. 

“I guess you could classify it as R and B or soul music,” Monique said. “For years I’ve wanted to put out a full length album and a couple of times I came close, but the reason I didn’t achieve that previously was that I needed to have the experience. I want the album to be reflective of my actual life experiences.”