INTERVIEW: Mona Scott-Young Talks ‘Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy,’ Love & Hip Hop, Her Legacy In Music & More

Summary

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The Breakfast Club

Episode: INTERVIEW: Mona Scott-Young Talks ‘Mary J. Blige Presents Be Happy,’ Love & Hip Hop, Her Legacy In Music & More
Date: February 10, 2026
Host(s): DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren LaRose
Guest: Mona Scott-Young

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Episode Overview

In this insightful and energetic episode, Mona Scott-Young sits down with The Breakfast Club to discuss her packed career trajectory, from her foundational days managing music icons to conquering reality television and her latest ventures in film and live performances. The group dives deep into lessons from Love & Hip Hop, the shifting landscape of artist development, industry criticism, and Mona’s personal legacy, all while spotlighting her new film project with Mary J. Blige, "Be Happy."

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Mona’s Career Evolution and Current Projects

• Transition from Music Management to Production

  • Mona describes always being in “work mode” but finds that every new project evolves her identity and skills.
  • She confirms her involvement in movies and concert promotion, sparked by managing tours for Missy Elliott and the Queens of R&B.

    “Always working.” (Mona, 03:01) “All babies grow up. They leave the nest.” (on Love & Hip Hop, Mona, 03:18)

• Artist Management Skills Transfer

  • Explains her unique talent for relationship management:

    “… the relationships with talent, being able to kind of bridge that gap … relationship management overall … that’s probably the biggest skill set … to production.” (Mona, 03:47)

• Long-Term Partnerships

  • Reflects on deep business and personal bonds with artists like Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes.
  • On what sustained the Missy relationship:

    “… it’s transcended work. Right. We’re friends as well, and … we really kind of appreciate each other on a level beyond the business.” (Mona, 04:12)

• New Projects

  • Mona is producing “Mary J. Blige presents Be Happy,” a narrative film inspired by the song, starring Tisha Campbell and Mekhi Phifer.

    “And the movie is called Be Happy. And of course, it’s centered around her hit song … it stars Tisha Campbell, Mekhi Fife[r] …” (Mona, 20:44)

  • She's developing additional films and hopes to bring Tina Marie’s story to the screen.

• Podcast Venture

  • Hints at an upcoming podcast, focused on storytelling and lessons from her journey.

    “… just want to be able to share stories, you know, my experiences and talk them through and see if there are nuggets that you pick up …” (Mona, 18:33)

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Artist Development and The State of Entertainment

• Spotting and Nurturing Talent

  • Mona credits the longevity of artists like Missy and Busta to unique artistry and an old-school approach to artist development, expressing concern that new talent often skip these crucial steps.

    “I do believe that the artist development, the art form of being an entertainer, right, has been lost. And that’s what creates the longevity …” (Mona, 06:08)

• Can You Make a Star?

  • On the nature vs. nurture of stardom:

    “I think what you can do is provide the right arena for a star’s talents to shine … but I don’t think you can teach stardom …” (Mona, 15:25) “Cardi B … that was just a platform. … She was a star day one. … All I did was provide the opportunity …” (Mona, 16:25)

• Reality TV as Double-Edged Sword

  • Discusses the opportunities and pitfalls reality TV provided, especially for Black creatives.

    “It's a double edged sword. It had its good side and its bad side. But … when you didn’t understand how to, you know, use it to your benefit, you allowed yourself to be pigeonholed…” (Mona, 06:58)

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Criticism, Impact & Legacy

• Handling Critique

  • Admits to universal criticism but stays grounded by the positive stories and real opportunities that emerged from her shows.

    “Everybody’s got an opinion, right? … I don’t live my life based on what other people think.” (Mona, 08:19)

• Validation and Recognition

  • Shares her perspective on recognition, particularly as a Black woman in management.

    “When you’re looking for [validation] from outside people, then, yes, you allow it to diminish your value … I’m grateful when I get recognition … But I’m good, you know, without that.” (Mona, 11:14)

• On Legacy

  • Mona cares more about helping others realize their dreams than being credited with changing TV.

    “I don’t know that I’m necessarily as interested in hearing what I changed about TV as much as I am the impact that I had on people’s lives.” (Mona, 38:51)

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Behind the Scenes of Iconic Moments

• Love & Hip Hop Creation and Evolution

  • Affirms the show’s origin around Jim Jones and Chrissy and shares how it evolved to an ensemble cast.

    "When Jim Ackerman … came to me, Yandy was managing Jim Jones ... they had an idea ... more about these ensemble casts …” (Mona, 36:53)

  • On whether participants got equity:

    “When you do television, it’s work for hire. … This was an idea that was purchased and paid for by a network …” (Mona, 38:00)

• Producing Groundbreaking Music Videos

  • Reveals there were no limits for Missy and Busta’s creative demands (“million-dollar videos,” live animals) due to label support and her own persistence.

    "Let me tell you something ... They go out of their way to ask for the most outrageous, ridiculous … just to be able to figure it out and to pull it off.” (Mona, 32:09) “We had a live elephant. That was not cg. That was not AI. That was a real live elephant in that video.” (Mona, 32:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Missy Elliott’s Story:

  “She’s like, my story’s not done yet. I’m not ready to tell it … nothing happens until she decides it’s the right time.” (Mona, 28:14)

• On Career Regret:

  “Listen, woulda, coulda, shoulda. I try not to live with regret. Right. Everything I do, I do it with intentionality.” (Mona, 09:44)

• On Shifting Media:

  “It was like lightning in a bottle … If I could make up half the stuff that went on in love and hip hop, I’d be Shonda Rhimes.” (Mona, 34:33)

• On Broadening Black Entertainment Global Reach:

  “…what I would love to see happen is … film specifically [having] the same impact for our … music artists transitioning as it does in the U.S.” (Mona, 26:33)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------------|:-------------:| | Introduction of Mona Scott-Young | 02:52 | | Evolution from management to production, Missy & Busta stories | 03:38–06:08 | | Artist development, shifting entertainment landscape | 06:08–08:13 | | Handling criticism and public perception | 08:13–09:54 | | Recognition, gender & race in the industry | 10:42–12:15 | | Can you “make a star?”/Cardi B’s journey | 15:21–17:56 | | Mary J. Blige–‘Be Happy’ film discussion | 20:29–26:33 | | Stories of Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes | 27:50–32:56 | | Behind the scenes of Love & Hip Hop’s creation | 36:02–38:00 | | Discussion on Mona's legacy, impact | 38:43–41:04 | | Haitian heritage and TPS status | 41:04–41:43 |

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Tone & Atmosphere

Throughout, the conversation is candid, inspiring, and full of mutual respect. Mona’s confidence and clarity are matched by the hosts’ jovial, probing energy, often sparking both wisdom and laughter from their guest. The dialogue is practical, motivational, and peppered with nostalgia for a golden era of reality TV and hip-hop culture.

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For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in versatility and staying power in entertainment. It's filled with untold stories from the intersection of music, TV, and film, and gives fresh insight into what it takes to build an enduring legacy—whether that's for a star or the person guiding them. Mona’s story is not just about fame, but about mentorship, adaptability, and making room for the next generation to shine.

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Transcript

[Ben Higgins]

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[Jess]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[DJ Envy]

You know, we joke all the time on our show and it seems like we hate on each other, but in real life, it's all love here, and that's family. And that's why this message from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate really, really matters. Because real hate isn't jokes. It's real people getting targeted. Like the kid who gets singled out at school in the commercial during the big game. But what stood out to me was someone choosing to show love instead of ignoring it. If you saw that Blue Square commercial, you know. And if you want to show support, sharing the Blue Square is one way you stand for love and not hate.

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[Bowen Yang]

Don'T drop the ball.

[State Farm Agent Voice]

You know what I mean? Like a good neighbor. State Farm is there.

[Jess]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. Y' all finished or y' all done?

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne. Tha God. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRose is here as well. We got a special guest in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yes, indeed we have.

[DJ Envy]

Mona. Scott Young.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Welcome back.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Thank you.

[State Farm Agent Voice]

Good morning. How are you feeling?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Good morning. On Fumes. Exhausted, But I'm live, so I'm happy.

[DJ Envy]

You're always working.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Always working.

[DJ Envy]

I seen a video yesterday, and I don't know how true it is, but they said love and hip hop is over.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Well, I don't know. Who knows?

[Lauren LaRose]

No, it's not.

[Mona Scott-Young]

There's so many changes happening over there. I have no idea.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

And that was your baby? That's the reason I was asking.

[Mona Scott-Young]

No, absolutely. But all babies grow up. They leave the nest.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What you're doing, you're doing movies now, right?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I am, yes.

[DJ Envy]

Concerts as well.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Concerts as well. I've started promoting tours. I got bit by the bug when I did Missy's tour in the Queens of R and B, you know, so I've continued to do that. Yep. Been doing some radio dates, so that's been fun.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, before TV and, like, before movies, you were managing artists. Like, what skills from artist management translated most directly into building the entertainment empire you have now?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I think, you know, the relationships with talent, being able to kind of bridge that gap and getting them to deliver on services and just relationship management overall, you know, that's probably the biggest skill set that I think I bring to production.

[DJ Envy]

You've been with Missy for so long, how, you know, most times you don't see a manager doing it for that long.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Right.

[DJ Envy]

How has that relationship been so solid for that many years?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, I think it's because it's transcended work. Right. We're friends as well, and, you know, we really kind of appreciate each other on a level beyond the business. And so there's a respect level there that I think, you know, keeps the relationship going. Yeah. Buster, too. I mean, exactly.

[Ben Higgins]

Tyrese, right?

[Mona Scott-Young]

He's going.

[Ben Higgins]

Yeah.

[Mona Scott-Young]

And I just started working with Tyrese.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Why such a headache late in your career?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Because I love him. Because I love Adventure. No, he's. He's incredibly talented. And I always say that, you know, part of my primary directive as a manager is when I see talent and I know that I can do something to help bring it to fruition, you know, I. I want to be there. I want to do that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Nah, it's not really, though. And he's. And he's super. He's very, very creative.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yeah, he's incredibly creative, super talented, and he's a good person, right? So for me, that's important as well. Yeah, I put a lot in the life's too short bucket, but he's just a good person. So.

[State Farm Agent Voice]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When it comes to Missy and Buster, what did you recognize in them before that the industry didn't before everybody did.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Just their sense of uniqueness, right? To have managed the two of them for so many years, they are like the yin and yang, you know, and. And incredibly unique, incredibly passionate, and have kind of that ability to transcend time. Right. Even taking Missy out on tour, people were so surprised. That was the first time she had ever headlined a tour because she feels so omnipresent. I was surprised. Yeah, exactly. People were like, wait, what? And I was like, no, trust me, I was there. I'd know. But. And Busta, you know, still doing it, still hands down, the best, you know, to ever do it when he gets on that stage. So for me, I've had the incredible privilege of being part of two super unique, super special careers that are still going strong.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's what I'm saying. So when you see greatness like that, right? And see what they became, the longevity and everything, how do you even spot that now? Like, I don't even know if that's something that can be duplicated.

[Mona Scott-Young]

It's so crazy you say that, right? Cause my kids, I'm always like, what on earth are you all gonna be listening to in 20 years, right? And there's something to be said for, you know, what they're enjoying now. But I do believe that the artist development, the art form of being an entertainer, right, has been lost. And that's what creates the longevity right now. What you're seeing is a lot of people who are strong as their latest hit, right? You got the hot record, you're popping right now. You're on fire. But what is going to give you that staying power, right? Are you gonna be around 20, 30 years from now?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do you ever feel like the success of reality tv, it boxed, like, a lot of black creatives in the one lane, even though. Even though it was Giving a lot of people opportunity. It didn't necessarily give you a lane, I guess, to showcase talent, so to speak.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Well, it's hard, right, because I think the Internet had a lot to do with it as well because it leveled the playing field for artists right before where you to have a major system to gain exposure. Now the exposure was literally at your fingertips. But I think what reality did was it again provided that same kind of wide exposure. It's all about how you positioned yourself and how you took advantage of that platform. Right. So like I said, it was a. It's a double edged sword. It had its good side and its bad side. But I think when you didn't understand how to, you know, use it to your benefit, you allowed yourself to be pigeonholed. Because we've seen people who were able to rock out and move into different directions, create and take advantage of opportunities that did not exist prior to them having that platform. So I think it's all about, you know, understanding the business model and how to work it to your benefit.

[DJ Envy]

Do you miss it at all?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I'm sorry?

[DJ Envy]

Do you miss that part of the game?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, I still do Unscripted. Right. But again, it's always about evolution when you talk about staying power. It's about being able to take an opportunity, utilize it to catapult you to the next level. Right. So it doesn't just apply to what I say to the talent on the show. I've had to apply that to myself.

[DJ Envy]

They criticize you a lot for love and hip hop and some of the things that they. How do you take that criticism?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, everybody's got an opinion, right? People criticize y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Mona Scott-Young]

You guys know who you are, you know what you're doing. I'm not, you know, I don't live my life based on what other people think. So it's, you know, is there any.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You know, it's funny, Mona Long, this is a long, long time ago. She gave me a call one time, you know, because of my criticism of. And her perspective made a lot of sense to me because, you know, I didn't realize. Well, I'm not gonna say I didn't realize, but yes, some of these people had never been on television before and they got opportunities that they never would have gotten if they didn't get that, you know, platform.

[Lauren LaRose]

And do you see a lot of them now, like elevating and doing things beyond, you know, listen, and you provided me a catalog growing up. That was my. I was, man, every franchise of love and hip hop. Was. Except Los Angeles, you know, Halloween. Right, right, right. Was my content. Like I, I, that's when I started doing Jest with the Mess. That was my first Jest with the Mess. I used to do it on the episodes. Love and Hip Hop New York. That was my whole childhood. I still watch the Beginning New York and Love and Hip Hop.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Mona Scott-Young]

When you ask me how do I deal with the criticism? It's stories like this, right? Everything has its good side and its bad side. You have to be prepared to take it all. I can't enjoy the benefits of and not be to deal with the, you know, perceived backlash.

[DJ Envy]

You ever wish you started your own network during that time? Cause you had the shows, you had everything like. Cause it could have been your own network.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Listen, woulda, coulda, shoulda. I try not to live with regret. Right. Everything I do, I do it with intentionality. And it's what's for me at that time.

[DJ Envy]

Gotcha.

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, there's a lot on the horizon now that I would have never have contemplated way back then. But, you know, I take everything in stride.

[Ben Higgins]

Is there any?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, you still get surprised by things that come your way.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Every single day I get up. You know, what I love about living life every day is I never know what, you know, is around the corner. And so I'm still excited about the things that I'm doing now. I never thought I'd be producing tours as much as I, you know, represented talent and went out on tours with them. But who thought I would be putting it together? Soup to nuts, right. So that allowed me to exercise another area that I'd never thought of before directing. I never saw myself as a director. Right. And now moving into, you know, live stage productions and features. Those are all, you know, I'm still excited.

[Ben Higgins]

I saw. We talked about this up here. Matthew Knowles was talking about. He was on a Morning Hustle and he was talking about how being a manager, because he was black and he was male, he didn't get the, like, the nods or maybe even the looks. I forget his exact words that like Britney Spears dad and family got. And we brought you up. Cause we were listing people who were like really big music managers and during whatever time that didn't get the. They don't get the, like, flowers that they ship for certain things. Do you feel like that is the reason why you don't get that? Like, people don't like, honor that?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, if he felt that way, being a male. Right. Imagine being a woman, especially at the time in music Where I was, you know, when I was coming up. But again, it's a very weird thing about validation, right? When you're looking for it from outside people, then, yes, you allow it to diminish your value or to determine, you know, what you are deserving of. I don't know. I'm grateful when I get recognition, I'm grateful when I get acknowledged. It feels good to know that, you know, my peers appreciate the contributions. But I'm good, you know, without that. I don't look for that. For me, it's about the self gratification. Like I said, every day I'm like, how do I exercise another skill? How do I figure out what else I'm made of today? That's where my gratification comes from. And also looking at the talent going on to do whatever it is that they want to do, that for me is a tremendous, you know, benefit to what I do. When I'm able to say, oh, look at that, she was, she started this business. You know, even hearing what you say, that's what feels good to me.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was there ever a moment when you realized like, managing talent wasn't enough?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yeah, absolutely. Like two, Absolutely. That's when I decided to strike out and start Monami Entertainment. I had been doing management with Violator for so long. I loved it because again, I always say in my DNA I'm a manager at heart. But there was something about not being able to do everything that I imagined or that I aspired to because it was directly tied to somebody else's willingness to get up and deliver on that service. Right. And so you can pull people kicking and screaming only so far. And then I realized, like, there's so much else that I want to do that I'm capable of doing that I haven't even, you know, begun to tap into. Let me explore that, those things. And that's why for me, seamlessly, whether it's like, you know, in front of the camera, behind the scenes, to me it's all about just like, okay, what else can Mona do today?

[Ben Higgins]

You know, I want to. It was reality with the King that Matthew Knowles was on. I want to correct that. But question to you, right? With all the stuff that you're doing now in all these new spaces, would you take on new talent as a like brand new, out of nowhere talent.

[Mona Scott-Young]

As a manager, Navy talent, up and coming talent?

[Ben Higgins]

Yes.

[Mona Scott-Young]

It all depends, right? Because the business is so different now and there are so many. And to be perfectly frank, there's a different work ethic with these kids. Coming up today, God bless them. But I'm still very much old school, very much grinded out, bottom up. And there's something about having this instant success that I feel skips very important steps that build long term careers. And again, I'm always rooting to see them win. And I'd love to be wrong about it every single time, but, you know, it's difficult. It's management. You're giving your heart and soul to someone else's dreams. And you have to make sure that, you know, your goals are aligned, your work ethic is aligned because it's not easy. And you spend so much time devoted to that. That's. You have to see the benefits of it. And so for me, you know, it's on a case by case. I get approached all the time and I'm always like, look, I'm happy to help you. What else do you want to do? Okay, I can plug this for you. I can help you with this. But you know, not necessarily what I'm saying.

[DJ Envy]

Who's your toughest artist then?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Oh, God. Who was my toughest artist over the years? It's interesting. They all have their thing, right? Their thing, Missy. She's incredibly creative, but Missy moves when she wants to, right? And she's not motivated by the dollars and she's not. So all of the elements have got to be right. Busta, super big personality, so he's always on 10 for everything. Everything is up here, you know, and over the years, it's been everybody from, you know, Fantasia to 50 and who, you know, I did a TV show with, we still stay in touch. He's great, but he's got his own challenges. You all see 50, you know, so.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Can you make a star or is a star born?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I think what you can do is provide the right arena for a star's talents to shine, right? Surround them in the right way, give them all the tools necessary, be a consistent, you know, source of guidance and support. But I don't think you can teach stardom, right? But I do believe you can have people with all the star power in the world that never see the light of day or that never reach their full potential because they don't have all those other elements around them. But no, I don't think you can go, I'm gonna make you a star. People do that, but it's not lasting. It's fleeting, right? And it's based on whether it's that song or the image for the moment, whatever it is that's fleeting. It's not real. True staying power.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

We've seen people try to force people on folks, right?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Like, whether it's shove it down your.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Spend a bunch of money at radio, right? Spend a bunch of money video played back in the day. It's just like, spend a bunch of money at, you know, the screaming outlets now. But I'm like, I don't think that works, right? Either people like you or they don't.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Oh, they don't. And look like I always use Cardi B as an example, right? People like, oh, you were so. No, that was just a platform. I just create, you know, was able to provide a platform. She was a star day one, you know what I'm saying? That had nothing to do with me. All I did was. All I did was provide the opportunity for that star power to have a platform.

[Ben Higgins]

I have a Cardi B question. I remember when she first came on 11 hip hop. It was like, reported, but nothing was ever confirmed that we didn't see her for, like, the first episode or so because she had to go back. She was trying to renegotiate the contract that she was offered because things started to blow up so much toward the time she was supposed to be on Love and Hip Hop. Is that true?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I don't know if it was that so much. I think, you know, she was a reluctant participant, let's put it that way, right? Everybody around felt like the platform was going to be great for her and was going to give her the exposure she needed. And she was like. But I think as the season went on and she understood when she saw the response. You know, what I always credit her for was understanding that, oh, wait, I didn't do this. Like, I should have done it to get what I need out of it, right? Because that's always a speech that I give going into it, like, be very clear about what you want out of this so that you line up those dominoes because you're gonna give a lot in the course of this and make sure that you get what you need out of this situation. And so the second time around, she had more clarity. She understood what she wanted to get out of it. She had her music that she wanted to promote and she came back and what I will say did it, right?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, yeah. It worked for her because you get to see self front on her and completely drop the ball, right? Everybody completely dropped the ball on her. You get to see that. But then also, that song forever, it blew up because of the show, because you said that on the show and.

[Mona Scott-Young]

It turned it into a record Absolutely. Yep. Yep.

[Ben Higgins]

You're getting into podcasting now.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Oh, how'd you hear about that? I haven't even. That's funny.

[Lauren LaRose]

Yeah, I thought you would have been.

[Ben Higgins]

Like kind of dipped.

[Mona Scott-Young]

But again, it's just everything in its own time. But yes, that is something that I'm working on right now. Kind of gathering my thoughts and sharing them with the world.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You wanna do like a monosky, like audio documentary or something?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Probably more in line with a podcast. Because I, I mean, I don't want it to be self help in any kind of a traditional way. I just wanna be able to share stories, you know, my experiences and talk them through and see if there are nuggets that you pick up along the way that help you in your journey. I know you have a lot of stories. Yeah, no. Why? All right, beautiful. Let's talk about it. I love it. M Powered.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Okay.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Powered by the letter M. I mean.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think people can learn a lot from folks like you because I don't think nobody does artist development no more. Nobody cares about like the curation absolutely of culture anymore.

[DJ Envy]

I don't think they understand it or.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Seen it because it hasn't been around in so long. And honestly, what I subscribe to more fully is this notion that, you know, again, we are not monolithic. There's so much we can do and we tend to pigeonhole ourselves and we tend to allow ourselves to be put in a box. And so, you know, the idea of exploring every ounce of your potential in your lifetime, right before you take that last breath, just challenge yourself. What else can I do? What's next? You know, so that's kind of how I'm living life and it's just the thought process. I'd love to share and see what comes of it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I think one of the things I've always liked about watching, you know, you as a manager is like you, you've been able to balance protecting your artist creativity while still preparing them for the business realities of the industry. Because it is a business.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Absolutely. And I, and I appreciate that. I mean, we started out very early on, you know, being that kind of bridge to the commercial world with hip hop specifically. And I always said, like, protect this brand at all costs. Because once they've chewed you up, it's like when that flavor and that gum is done, they're going to spit you out. So you've gotta make sure that you understand how to navigate the business side of this. Cause you're not doing this for your health. This is how you earn your living. But Protect that brand and protect that culture at all costs, because that is your currency.

[DJ Envy]

You know, I want to ask about. So your executive producer, Mary J. Blige presents Be Happy, Be Happy.

[Jess]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

My favorite record of all time.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Ah, there you go.

[DJ Envy]

Now break that down. What is Mary Documentary or. It's not even a documentary, It's a Lifetime series. What is that like?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yeah, Mary has an overall deal with Lifetime where she has a number of movies that were done under this kind of music brand where they take a song title and develop a story around it. Yeah. So we are the first in her extension of her deal. And the movie is called Be Happy. And of course, it's centered around her hit song, but it stars Tisha Campbell, Mekhi Fife.

[Ben Higgins]

We all come into January with big plans and resolutions, but February is usually when a lot of those dreams start slipping away. They think they're too far out of reach or too hard to pull off, especially when it comes to starting a business. Now, that's why Shopify matters. If you're finally ready to invest in yourself and start a business, Shopify makes it simple. And if you've already had a business, take it from us. Shopify can handle anything you throw its way. That's one of the reasons we shifted our stores over there. Whether you're selling a few products or a full catalog, Shopify grows with you. One login gives you access to everything. No password stress at all. Thousands of site templates mean no design skill needed. And your site still looks uniquely yours, representing you and your brand. I designed my Shopify site in about an hour or two. And y', all, it is top notch. The Bronco grinding store is amazing. They even have Shopify Sidekick AI that actually helps with marketing content and planning. You can sell on social media and even directly through ChatGPT. Starting a business is hard, but it is worth it. Trust me, I know. Don't let your dreams die in February. Let Shopify help you and thank yourself later for not giving up. It's time for you to start to invest in your business, not someone else's for a change. Head on over to shopify.com ben and see what it feels like to be the one in control of your future.

[Jess]

Peace of mind starts with knowing what supports the journey is steady, grounded and dependable, especially during seasons of change. That's why Nissan engineers push their vehicles to the limit, to demonstrate quality, reliability, and durability, making those principles a foundation across every vehicle built. That commitment has earned recognition from J.D. power, ranking Nissan number one in new vehicle quality among mainstream brands. Because when trust is built into the foundation, it creates more space to move through life with clarity, confidence and intention, getting the most out of the journey wherever it unfolds. For J.D. power 2025 U.S. initial Quality Study Award information, visit jdpower.com forward/awards Awards based on 2025 model year newer models may be.

[Lauren LaRose]

Shown this episode is brought to you by the Burbs, a new Peacock original starring Emmy award winner Kiki Palmer. The mystery comedy series follows Samira, a lawyer and new mom who moves with her family into her husband's childhood home. While the peaceful suburb of Hinkley Hills may look picture perfect, it doesn't take long for the buried secrets of the cul de sac to be unearthed. Let's just say it's to keep your friends close and your neighbors closer to the situation. Every episode of the Burbs is available to stream now only on Peacock.

[DJ Envy]

We joke all the time on our show. People may think we hate on each other when we go back and forth, but the truth is that's the way we show love. That's respect, that's knowing where the line is. And that's why this message from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate really sticks. Because real hate isn't playful. It's not jokes. It's not entertainment. The commercial during the Big Game showed a kid being targeted at school quietly, but in a way that happens way too often. And what really hit was the response. Someone chose to step in and show support instead of looking the other way. We talk a lot about culture, about community and having each other's backs, and this is what that looks like. So if you saw the Blue Square commercial during the Big Game, take a second and really think about it. And if you want to show Support, go to bluesquarealliance.org to learn more for Russell Hornsby.

[Mona Scott-Young]

And it is an incredible story about a woman of a certain age finding herself and, you know, figuring out love at this stage of her life.

[Lauren LaRose]

So, yeah, you think Gabi Siddibe is the director.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Gaboure Sidibe in her directorial debut. She was fantastic, right? I would look at her and go, like, what do you know about being a woman of a certain age? You young, you in love. But she was so committed, so focused. She did a fantastic job and we had so much fun. Gabby is hysterical. Like, when I talk about funny, I'm talking about like, okay, get back to work funny. But everyone on set, we had a great time making this movie. Shout out to Cameron Ross, who wrote the script. You Know, young guy wrote about, you know, women's experiences. And Ms. Pat is in the movie as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a. It's a fantastic cast. Sky Black, Shout out to him and zing. But yeah, we had a lot of fun making the movie. And it airs the seventh on Lifetime, and I'm, you know, excited to see people's reaction to it.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How do you decide what songs to make music for? I mean, make movies for?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I think it's just about song titles that, you know, you feel a story can. Can come from. So we're actually developing a wheel around different song titles and stuff. But, yeah, we kind of backed into this. Cause we had a fantastic story and it was like, okay, which one of Mary's songs fit? This is it. No more drama is it, you know, and we landed on Be Happy because at its core, that's what the story's about, finding your happiness.

[Ben Higgins]

Are you gonna be helping Aunt Mary produce her Vegas residency?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Actually, no. I would love to, though. That's right in line with the things that I want to do, you know, with the live stage play. But no, this was us coming together, you know, with her production company, Shout out to Milana and Bruce, her brother, the executives at her company. But yeah, this was just on the film production front.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When you think about, like, all the conversations you and Chris Lighty probably used to have back in the day and just what hip hop could be. Did you envision stuff like this? Like, damn, all of these years later we'll be making movies off these hip hop and R and B records. Did you see that back then?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I did. Because actually, if you think about it, right back then, we were one of the first doing those branding deals, right? Tribe Called Quest with Sprite, Missy with, you know, Reebok and Adidas. So they weren't, you know, many people moving into those areas. So we always understood that we wanted to branch our artists out. And actually, me moving into film television was as a result of that. Because what would happen is artists would get to a certain point and then a film or TV manager would move in. They co manage, right? And I was like, why do we want to co manage? First of all, they don't understand the culture. They don't know how to protect the brand. And it's more work for us to make sure at all times that they're not cannibalizing or diluting. So we need to move into this area. And yeah, we started managing our talent and that led to us producing. So that was always part of the Global growth vision, you know, and what I would love to see happen is that we, you know, we talk about hip hop being global, but there's still this perception that, oh, certain things don't translate overseas. And I'm like, what are you talking about? We tour overseas, you know, we're out there so really wanting to see film specifically have the same impact for our, you know, music artists transitioning as it does in the U.S. when do we.

[DJ Envy]

Tell the Missy story? When do you tell that story? Cause, you know, all these interviews have been coming out recently. I've been hearing a lot of Missy stories where it's like, even with the Benjamins, right. I don't know who told the story or where that story came out. And they talk about. I know, but I don't know what interview it was, but they talked about how she was the one was here. Yeah. Where she talked about, well, she was the one that set up the Benjamins and who could rap, who should rap and who should go first.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Listen, her stories, the writing and all that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Are so crazy and so deep. It's almost like Forrest Gump, when you would see him at certain pivotal points in history. But, you know, we've been approached so many times, right, for the documentary, for the biopic, for, you know, and we've tried to look at it different ways, but Missy's thing is like, same thing with touring, right? 20 something years in, before she stepped foot and headlined a tour. She's like, my story's not done yet. I'm not ready to tell it. You know, it's gonna happen when I'm ready. And that's what I love about her. She is 10 toes down that nothing happens until she decides it's the right time.

[Ben Higgins]

It never even got close, though, where she was like, entertaining it for a second.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Not at all. When I tell you we're constantly approached by, like, the most, you know, high profile documentarians, big name directors, studios. And she's like, nah, we're not ready yet. Yeah, but she's been amassing that content forever. So when she finally does it, it's gonna be sick. Because she's documented every waking moment. So she's got an incredible archive of material.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Buster, it was busted first, right?

[Mona Scott-Young]

In terms of management.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah.

[Mona Scott-Young]

You know what? Very, very close. Because we, you know, when Chris went over to Def Jam to start Violator, Busta was part of Leaders over at Rush. So it was Busta first. And then in very short order, you know, Missy did that Gina Thompson record. I tried to get her. She Was like, nah, I'm good. And then Sylvie ended up signing her by promising her her own label. That's the only reason she became an artist. She had no real desire to be an artist because she had been so, like, demoralized from trying it and being told she didn't fit the look and all that. She was like, I'm good. I'm a writer. So it was probably, I don't know, not even a year apart. So, you know, I've been and Busta for a period. When I left to do film and television, he was with Chris. And then now he's, you know, back home at Mon Ami.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Because when you see them now, like, creatively, they look like siblings.

[Mona Scott-Young]

That's what I said. They're like twins.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm like, was that a blueprint that you say, okay, this worked with Busta, so let's try this with Missy.

[Mona Scott-Young]

No, they. They each. I mean, think about Busta. Even with leaders, right? He stood out because he was so different in terms of style and, you know, both lyrically, visually, everything about him. No, it just so happened. But I think the, the. The common factor is that I get them, I understand them, I understand what makes them tick and understand how to support their creativity, you know, and how to manage their eclecticness, you know, it's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Really just God, though. Cause even when I think about it now, you talk about leaders. Buster said, rah, rah, like a dungeon dragon. And that caught everybody's attention.

[Mona Scott-Young]

And Missy said, yeah, wow. Exactly.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That's crazy.

[DJ Envy]

How crazy did you have to fight to get those video shot back in the day? Because. Oh, that was one of the ones that started those million dollar videos.

[Mona Scott-Young]

We were breaking the bank. The bank. Shout out to Sylvia Rohn. Cause she was, you know, and that was the beauty of having, you know, somebody like Sylvia respected their artistry. And that came before the economics and sometimes before the business. I mean, incredibly smart businesswoman, of course, but I don't know. I don't remember Sylvia being able to say no to Busta and Missy. You know what I'm saying? So she was always really supportive of them. And, yeah, they were the first to come out with the million dollar joints.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yeah, Dave Myers and Hype Williams. Yeah, they were doing it big back then. I'm shocked.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They never got a hit out of each other back then.

[Mona Scott-Young]

What do you mean? You know, they've done. They've done stuff together, but. You mean just coming together and doing one record? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, but they still, you know, again today. To this day, we went out on tour together. That was incredible. That was a full circle moment for me to have them both on stage together.

[DJ Envy]

What's one thing Buster asked for? Missy asked for that. Y' all couldn't pull through if there was anything for a video. No.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Period. No. Let me tell you something. The funny thing when you talk about, like, how we've managed to stay together that long, I think that's part of it as well. They go out of their way to ask for the most outrageous, ridiculous. Like that tour. I look at that tour and what we were able to put on stage, I don't know if you guys saw that. That was, bar none, probably one of the defining moments in my career. Right. Because Missy was pulling all kinds of crazy stuff out of her, you know, and it would, like, what if we flew? You know? But that was, for me, incredibly gratifying just to be able to figure it out and to pull it off. So every night when we watched that show go up, it was like, wow, we did that shit.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Buster could get anything. Cause y' all had an elephant in the goddamn video.

[Mona Scott-Young]

We had a live elephant. That was not cg. That was not AI. That was a real live elephant in that video.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I don't know where you was when he asked you for that.

[Ben Higgins]

Where were you?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Probably huddled, fetal position in a corner somewhere, like. Because they used to wear me out, the two of them, back to back, going toe to toe, outdoing each other, one upping each other. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Where they shoot the video. That video. Put your hands.

[Mona Scott-Young]

I feel like that was, like, in Brooklyn. And, you know, it was like a huge wear. It might have been a bank, like an abandoned bank, because it was this huge space. Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Where'd y' all get the elephant from?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. What elephant got an elephant?

[Mona Scott-Young]

That was just, you know.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Mona Scott-Young]

You can rent train damage.

[DJ Envy]

Back in the day. You probably can't do that now. You probably. There's no way. You probably get a trained elephant. Peter would be.

[Lauren LaRose]

Of course, Mona can't get.

[DJ Envy]

I can get one.

[Mona Scott-Young]

I can get a trained elephant.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

It was worth it, though. When you think about the classic piece of art y' all made.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

That has literally stood the test of time.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Absolutely. And to this day, I just don't know who can lay claim to the level of creativity and the things that they were able to, you know, deliver on for the audience. And that's that staying power that I talked about. People are going to remember those moments.

[Ben Higgins]

Yeah. You know, I don't think we'll ever see that again, no, nothing.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Like, you know, very different time in.

[Ben Higgins]

Music, I feel like, which. Even on the reality TV side, though, like, the way that you found the talent, the right stories, like, I don't think we'll ever feel like that again about reality. It was real.

[Lauren LaRose]

It was reality. It was never scripted. It don't. These were real problems. Like.

[Mona Scott-Young]

And that's the crazy part, right? It was like lightning in a bottle. And people thought, oh, she's making that up. She's. And I'm like, y' all could think whatever you want to think, but let me tell you something. If I could make up half the stuff that went on in love and hip hop, I'd be Shonda Rhimes.

[Ben Higgins]

You can't tell Jim Jones and Chrissy alone. I feel like their story, people today still post memes and parts of that just there.

[Mona Scott-Young]

It was definitely an iconic, an indelible time in the culture, you know. But then the crazy part is, I would say all the time, like, how do you explain that this stuff is happening when the cameras are not rolling? Right? You know what I'm saying? Like, I was not there when XYZ happened, so how do you.

[Lauren LaRose]

But, you know, and the crazy thing is this is stuff that goes on in people's real house. It's just there's no cameras there. Like the Tara Peter and the Peter.

[Mona Scott-Young]

That was actually the genesis of it, like, pulling back the curtain. Because again, having been in management and having, you know, a front row seat to a lot of those lives that were being lived, it was like, you know what? There's a whole world here that people wouldn't even believe the kind of stuff that goes on. And it was really just about pulling that curtain back. But I think a lot of people couldn't wrap their heads around it because it seems so outrageous half the time. Trust me, we were all sitting there like, holy crap. Did that really just happen?

[Lauren LaRose]

You know, so even. It was even times where you were shocked at some of the stuff.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Like, absolutely, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What was something people, the audience thinks they understand about love and hip hop that they completely get wrong?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Listen, it has evolved tremendously. And I think there were times later on when people felt like they wanted to add water and stir to the formula, right? So I'm just gonna come in and do this thing that's gonna, you know, make me the meme of the day or whatever. But in the beginning, what people didn't understand is that that this, like we said, was really their lives. And it was difficult for them. Like, there were so many hours spent after a difficult scene, like, you know, talking somebody through it and really helping them deal with whatever it is that they had just experienced for real on television, knowing that the whole world is gonna see this thing that just happened.

[Ben Higgins]

To me, you know, Is it true? I know. I've heard Jim Jones talk about this. Another love and hip hop myth, that originally it was supposed to be about him and Chrissy's life. And they developed the idea, like he says, like he created love and hip hop.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Absolutely. Well, list, listen, I talk about it openly all the time, right. When Jim Ackerman, who was the executive at VH1, came to me, Yandy was managing Jim Jones at the time. They had an idea that they had pitched, which was centered around Jim that they were developing for, I think, two years and couldn't kind of figure out the right formula. And I think Jim was going through a lot of things at the time, and when they turned the cameras on, he just was not in a space where he wanted to do it. And so there were a couple of iterations before we landed on what people came to know as love and hip hop. I mean, we tried to do something with Mama Jones and, you know, the dynamic between her and Chrissy, and, you know, so there were a couple of things that we tried. And then when it was more about these ensemble casts, it was like, well, let's spread it out. Let's look at the friends. Let's see who else is in the world. And I've said also, the person who came up with the name was Emily. You know, we were sitting there going through a bunch of different names, and Emily was like, like, love and hip hop. And we're all like, yeah, yeah, that sounds great. You know? Yep.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Now they're gonna say, why didn't they get equity in it?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Because if you understand the business of television at that point in time, this was an unproven concept.

[DJ Envy]

Right.

[Mona Scott-Young]

There was nothing like it on television. Everybody was kind of locking arms and trying something. It could have been an epic fail, and then you would have had 100 of 0. But when you do television, it's work for hire. Right? They. They were not investing money. And this is the business side of things that people need, you know, to educate themselves on and understand. Nobody came to the table and said, I want to fund this. I'm going to own this thing and license it. Right. This was an idea that was purchased and paid for by a network, and everyone developed it for that network. Mm, true. Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When your legacy is discussed. Right. Like 20 years from now, what do you hope people say you changed about tv, not just what you profited from?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I don't know that I'm necessarily as interested in hearing what I changed about TV as much as I am the impact that I had on people's lives. You know, think about the number of cast members that have come through just that franchise. Nevermind all the other things that I've produced and the other things that I've done in my career and in my lifetime and. Right. And just knowing that in whatever shape or form, in whatever scope and scale that I had an impact on. Helping someone, you know, realize their dream, helping someone get one step closer to, you know, their full potential or understanding what their space is in the world and how to be in that and live it and live up to it, that's, to me, way more important. And again, that's when, you know, talk about accolades or talk about criticisms, none of that, you know, has any bearing for me because as long. Long as I every single day understand what my intentions are, maintain my direct relationships, know the impact that I've had on their lives, whether it's been publicized or not, none of that stuff, you know, matters to me.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, we appreciate you for stopping.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Well, well, hold on.

[DJ Envy]

I won't.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yeah. Did we talk about the movie? Mary J. Blige presents Be Happy February 7th only on life.

[Lauren LaRose]

Do you have any other movies that you're doing?

[Mona Scott-Young]

Absolutely. We're developing a ton of stuff. Yes. Some I can talk about. Very excited to be working with Suzanne DePass. The legend. Right, Exactly. We have several projects that we're developing. Also a project that I have been pursuing for a very long time. When I did my first TV show, one of the judges on the road to stardom with Missy Elliott was Tina Marie. And so I have been passionate about seeing Tina Marie's story come to life. So that is a project that I'm working on with her daughter, Aaliyah Rose. So, yeah, I'm very excited about that. But, yeah, no, many, many more things to come in the pipeline, so.

[Lauren LaRose]

Well, if you need any more actresses.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Of course you are on my very short list. Absolutely. Very short list. And, Charlemagne, I will be following up with you on my podcast.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Beautiful.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, you know, I wanted to ask you, too. I know you've always been proudly Haitian.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Yes.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right. Do you have anybody impacted by the ending of the TPS status?

[Mona Scott-Young]

I mean, not directly. It's just a horrible, you know, thing that is. Listen, the state of the world in general is crazy and chaotic, right? Now. But, yeah, there's a lot of extended family, a lot of, you know, friends who have family that is being impacted by this. But it is, you know, part and parcel with everything that's going on in the. In its entirety in this world right now. Like, we can't just, you know, look at what's happening to Haitian Americans. Look at what's happening to us in general.

[Lauren LaRose]

That's right.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Like, it's crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Absolutely.

[DJ Envy]

Ramona Scott, we appreciate you for joining us. My bad, Mona.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Scott Young.

[DJ Envy]

Don't forget, Mary J. Blige presents Be Happy premieres on the 7th. That's this Week. Make sure you definitely check it out. And thank you for joining us.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Thank you for having me.

[DJ Envy]

It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[State Farm Agent Voice]

Morning.

[Jess]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club. Are y' all finished or y' all done?

[Bowen Yang]

I'm Bowen Yang.

[Mona Scott-Young]

And I'm Matt Rogers.

[Bowen Yang]

During this season of the Two Guys Five Rings podcast, in the lead up to The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, we've been joined by some of our friends.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Hi, Bo. Hi, Matt.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hey, Elmo.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Hey, Matt.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Hey, Bowen.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Hi, Cookie.

[Ben Higgins]

Hi.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Now the winner Olympic Games are underway, and we are in Italy to give you experiences from our hearts to your ears. Listen to Two Guys Five Rings on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You get your podcasts.

[Bowen Yang]

You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if youf Can Hear Me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people. Some have answers. Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if youf Can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[DJ Envy]

That's right, it's DJ Envy.

[Jess]

It's your girl Jess.

[Lauren LaRose]

Hilarious.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I go by the name of Charlamagne Tha God. And we are the world's most dangerous morning show at Breakfast Club. You just finished listening to, you know, our podcast for today.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And we want you to go watch the visuals on Netflix. You know, we. We're still on YouTube, but it's the clips on YouTube. But if you want to watch the Breakfast Club in full, if you want to see what you just listened to, go to Netflix.

[DJ Envy]

That's right.

[Lauren LaRose]

Find us on Netflix.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Sure.

[Ben Higgins]

When segregation was a law, one mysterious black club owner Charlie Fitzgerald had his own rules.

[Mona Scott-Young]

Segregation in the day, integration at night. It was like stepping in another world.

[Ben Higgins]

Was he a businessman? A criminal?

[Mona Scott-Young]

A hero? Charlie was an example of power.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

They had to crush him.

[Ben Higgins]

Charlie's Place from Atlas Obscura and visit Myrtle Beach. Listen to Charlie's place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.