Recognition hits differently when it arrives before anyone else has much proof to point to. More than a decade before Victoria Monét became a Grammy-winning solo artist, she was still trying to move beyond being known primarily for what she could write for other people. Nas was one of the first established artists to treat her like the performer she was hoping to become.
During an October 5 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Monét reflected on landing a feature on Nas’ 2012 album Life Is Good. “Honestly, I think the first time from-songwriter-to-artist recognition happened was with Nas,” she said. At the time, Monét had been looking for a way to get her own voice on records rather than stay behind the scenes. She said B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ on You” gave her an idea. If she could write hooks strong enough that artists wanted to keep her vocals on the finished song, maybe those placements could become a doorway into her own artist career.
That strategy eventually put her in the studio with Nas.
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Nas Gave Victoria Monét Her First Major Feature
Monét contributed the hook to “You Wouldn’t Understand,” a track on Life Is Good. Nas kept her vocals on the record. “So it was my first major feature and I was like, ‘Thank you so much for seeing me,’” she told Hudson. Moreover, the co-sign didn't stop at the album credit. Nas later brought Monét with him to perform “You Wouldn’t Understand” on The Arsenio Hall Show in 2013.
The placement also put Monét in unusually accomplished company. Life Is Good featured Mary J. Blige, Miguel, Rick Ross, and the late Amy Winehouse, and the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Monét would spend years afterward building a reputation as one of Pop and R&B’s most dependable songwriters, with credits for artists including Ariana Grande and Chloe x Halle. Her own solo career eventually caught up with the acclaim she had already earned behind the scenes. In 2024, she won three Grammys for Jaguar II, including Best New Artist and Best R&B Album.
She is now promoting her new album Frequency of Love, which makes the Nas story land differently in hindsight. His decision to keep her on “You Wouldn’t Understand” didn't create the artist Monét would become, but it gave her something invaluable while that artist was still developing. Someone with nothing to gain from flattering her heard more than a songwriter in the room.
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