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An American singer, rapper, and actress, Janelle Monae came into prominence after releasing her debut album, The Audition in 2003. Her EP,  Metropolis: Suite I made her grab the position of number two on the US Top Heatseekers chart.

Janelle released, The ArchAndroid along with Bad Boy Records. She received a nomination for Grammy Award for her album, Dirty Computer.

Early Life of Janelle Monae

Janelle Monae was born Janelle Monáe Robinson on December 1, 1985, in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. As of now, Monae is 37 years old and cut her birthday cake on the 1st of December. Her birth sign is Sagittarius. She was born to Michael Robinson Summers (father) and Janet Robinson (mother).

Her father was a truck driver and her mother worked as a janitor and a hotel maid. She was an infant when her parents got divorced and her mother remarried to a postal worker. Her step-sister, Kimmy was born from her mother’s second marriage. Her paternal grandparents are Lonnie Leroy Norman and Sharon Robinson.

Janelle holds American citizenship and is of mixed (African-American) ethnicity. She follows the Baptist religion.

Janelle Monae’s Education

She studied at F. L. Schlagle High School. Then, Monáe joined Coterie Theater’s Young Playwrights Round Table. She went to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and studied musical theater but dropped out after a year and a half. Janelle joined Georgia State University. 

Janelle Monae’s Sexuality & Dating History

Her sexual orientation is bisexuality and pansexuality. She came out as non-binary via Twitter on January 10, 2020. Janelle revealed coming out publicly in an interview with the Red Table Talk in April 2022:

“I’m nonbinary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely … I feel like god [sic] is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or the ‘she.’ And if I am from God, I am everything. continues to use she/her pronouns.”

She is single at the moment but previously, she dated a British race car driver, Lewis Hamilton in 2015. They shared a kiss at Paris Fashion Week today. She dated an American actress, Tessa Thompson in 2018. They also appeared on a date at the 2015 MOCA gala.

In 2021, she had an affair with musician, Nate ‘Rocket’ Wonder. She met Nate at Atlanta’s Morehouse College in the early 2000s. In April 2021, they were seen as PDAs in Cabo. Janelle was rumored with an American rapper, MC Lyte in 2015.

Janelle Monae’s Net Worth

As of 2023, Janelle has a net worth of $12 million which she earned from her professional career. She earns $1 million as her annual salary. She is endorsed by brands like Akris, Armani, Brian Atwood, and Chanel.

She spend a whooping sum of $3.9 million for a house in Hollywood Hills in April 2020. It is composed of combined houses that have an outdoor kitchen, swimming pool, wet bar, and outdoor claw-footed bathtub and cover an area of 3,403 square feet.

Janelle Monae Got Fired From Office Depot

Janelle got fired because she responded back to one of her fans. The superior of the Office Depot called her via intercom and fired her saying:

“Look, we know you don’t want to be here. We see you using the company’s computer for your personal business. We know that you want to be an artist — we’re going to let you go. You’re fired.”

She revealed a video interview with Fast Company about how she deals after getting fired:

“When I got fired from Office Depot, the thing that I did — which seemed like the best thing to do — was go straight to the studio and write a f—ing song about it,”

Janelle Monae’s Pescatarian Diet Affected Her Health

Janelle consumed only the pescatarian diet but she fell ill due to mercury poisoning. She has once even credited her diet of green vegetables and seafood and fish for her hourly glass body. Janelle said that it made her fall dead with The Cut:

“I started feeling my mortality,”

Professional Career of Janelle Monae

• Janelle released her debut EP, The Audition after joining the Wondaland Arts Society.
• She also performed with OutKast for their song, Idlewild in 2006.
• In 2007, she released her first solo single, Metropolis along with Metropolis: The Chase Suit.
• Her album, The Electric Lady was featured at the Toronto Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 2012.

• She played the role of Veronica Henley in the movie, Antebellum in 2020.
• She appeared as a voice actor for Mandy in the film, UglyDolls in 2019.
• In 2018, she played the role of Julie in  Welcome to Marwen.
• She published a book titled, The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer in 2022.

Songs & Albums

She released hit albums like The ArchAndroid, The Electric Lady, Dirty Computer, and The Age of Pleasure. Her hits songs are I like that, Make me feel, Yoga, Tightrope, Q.u.e.e.n., Lipstick Lover, Pynk, Django Jane, Power of Yet, Primetime, and so on.

Movies & TV Shows

She played in movies like Antebellum, Dirty Computer, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Harriet, Hidden Figures, Lady and the Tramp, Moonlight, and Welcome to Marwen. Janelle appeared in tv shows like De La Resistance, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Human Resources, In Performance at the White House: Women of Soul, and so on.

Awards & Nomination

• In 2010, she won the ASCAP Awards in nomination for the Vanguard Award.
• She was nominated at Grammy Awards in the criteria of Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Many Moons.
• In 2011, she received a nomination for The ArchAndroid Best Contemporary R&B Album at Grammy Awards.
• She won the nomination for  Outstanding Music Artist atGLAAD Media Award.

FAQs of Janelle Monae

What is Janelle Monae’s Height?

Doherty’s height is 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 58 kg. Shannen’s body measurements are 37-26-36 Inches. Doherty has beautiful dark brown color hair and green color eyes. Shannen wears a shoe size of 8 (US) and her dress size is 4 (US).

Was Janelle Monae a friend of Prince?

Yes, Janelle and Prince had a very close friendship. In 2013, she even worked with him in his sing, The Electric Lady and Beyond. After the death of the Prince, she even posted explaining how she missed her bond with him.

How close are Janelle Monae and Solange Knowles?

Janelle and Solnage share a close bond and support each other through thick and thin. They even appeared together flexing their strong bond at Ferrari’s Chairman Luca di Monetezemolo’s event.

What happened to Janelle Monae’s Cousin?

Her cousin, Hays died in a gunfire. During that time, Hays was working as a caregiver with three teenagers, she died due to a gunshot at 3:45 a.m. in the 2400 block of North Ninth Street.

Does Janelle Monae have a tattoo?

Yes, Janelle has a tattoo. She has carved tiny heart-shaped tattoos below her right eye.

Is Janelle Monae related to Jidenna?

No, Janelle is not related to Jidenna. They are very close friends and both of them are singers by profession.