- When I think of singer,
I think Whitney, like powerhouse vocals.
You know, I still of think myself more on the creative side.
I don't think that I ever really thought I'm a singer.
I am Victoria Monet and this is On The Rise.
When I moved to LA, I started writing for other people.
So I was always a songwriter,
but originally, it was for my own music.
And then I was able to tap into other peoples' narratives
and do different styles.
My very first placement as a songwriter
for another artist was actually a song called,
"I Hate That You Love Me."
It is was on Diddy Dirty Money's project
and it was such an incredible energy
and feeling to be able to do that
because I've known about Diddy
and all of his name and glory
for I feel my whole life.
He sent me a jacket that I still have.
It looks like a bomber jacket.
I feel like I'll able to tell my kids and grandkids,
"Look what your grandma did!
"I got this jacket from Diddy.
"Yeah, look him up."
Some of the people I've got to work with
as a songwriter and collaborate with include
T.I., Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko,
Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony.
But one crazy, crazy one that was at an early stage
that I didn't feel like someone
as legendary would even consider was Nas.
I got to be on his "Life Is Good" album.
It's nice to get validation from someone who's been
in the game so long and seen so much
and passed through so many people
and to be selected and appreciated
and valued enough to even be kept on his iconic project.
Well, my dream collaborator
and I feel like the world's dream collaborator,
or just to be in this person's presence ever at all,
or even within a 100 yards.
(laughs) Beyonce.
Beyonce is the queen of all queens.
I wouldn't even know what to say to her if we got to meet.
You know (laughs) my first celebrity crush ever
was Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
I think I watched him in "Tom and Huck" maybe every day
for a long time.
He's just such a handsome, young lad.
Another crush I had at a young age,
which I was confused if I wanted to be her
or kiss her (laughs)
but Tatyana Ali in Fresh Prince.
She can get it.
I also really want to work, somehow, with Sade.
She doesn't need me at all, so I just want it for myself
and just to experience her.
She has a mystique about her too,
that you don't really see her
that much, so to find her...
I don't know if this is inappropriate,
but like finding a leprechaun.
It's like, (cheers)
So Grammy-nomination morning,
very early because I feel like they're on New York time,
so for me it was 5 a.m.,
and my eyes were still adjusting to the light.
But I was on my phone,
scrolling on the nominations page, and I saw my name.
"Are you sure?"
I was zooming in like, "Wait. Are you sure?"
And so, obviously my mom was super, super proud and excited.
She came with me to the Grammy's.
And yeah, it was just something that I've always wanted
to be apart of from a young age.
Even with all of the good things going on for me,
I don't feel like I've made it.
I feel like work is now just starting to begin.
I have a lot of things I want to accomplish
and experience and share with people.
So, this is definitely peeled off another layer.
And I don't know if I'll ever feel like I've made it.
I feel like as long as I'm alive,
there's gonna be one more thing that I want to do.
Right now, I think everybody should be listening...
One: to "The Foundation Of Music" which I feel
a lot of it comes from Motown.
It just makes every day feel
a little better, especially Sundays.
So, if you're having any trouble and anxiety
because there's a lot going on the world,
you should listen to that.
I also feel like everyone should be listening
to some new artists like Snoh Aalegra, Lucky Daye,
Ari Lennox, and anything DEMAR produces.
You should probably listen to it.
So immediately next for me is going back to LA,
starting rehearsals for...
I get to perform on Jimmy Kimmel,
which will be my first solo television performance
and I'm very excited and nervous
and just wanna perfect it.
After that, I'll put out a project in the spring called
"Jaguar" and there's another project to follow,
which will also be "Jaguar," but just another part of it,
so I'd be expecting that.
But for me, really I'm just trying
to balance my songwriting and artist career perfectly.
My life in five years, I hope I'm still happy,
I hope that I'm still making lots and lots of great music,
and I don't have a writer's block or something.
I hope that I have a love life and a family
and a good, healthy balance of business
and play and everything in between.
I, of course, want the covers the of magazines
and the awards and the opportunities
to do a world tour as a solo artist
and all of the accolades.
But really, the biggest one that sticks out
to me is just happiness.
And yeah, I really would love some children.
(laughs)
Whether or not they're coming out of my body,
I just want to hold and...
I'll start with a puppy.
But I eventually like children.
I'm happy, you know?
And that feels nice.
Right where I'm at, right at this moment,
no matter if it's "successful" to the world or not,
I feel really happy with what's happening
and who I'm surrounded by
and just the opportunity to be able to do what I love.