WBCA Podcasts
WBCA Presents: MonaVeli
What's good everybody, you are listening to WBCA Presents, I am Mona Velli and you are now listening to Wants in Needs. [Music] I'm about to move somewhere pretty, not too sedity, 'cause I'm in love with the city, huh? Maybe if I wasn't such an infant, maybe if the streets weren't so gritty, I'd be moving through like water, never seen a team with me on my shook night. Believe about my business yet, season changed, got me feeling low on my wealth, I've been trying to chase a bag without risk of losing myself. ♪ Shock was flipped upside down and turned backwards ♪ ♪ The cold here with no trigger warning ♪ ♪ I need some distraction like a blunt ♪ ♪ I'ma be act enough ♪ ♪ Need a couple days to learn when I feel ♪ ♪ But bad reaction I cried when I was right ♪ ♪ And so I'ma call it passion ♪ ♪ What you want? I call it you lacking ♪ ♪ That's why I stay with me and myself ♪ ♪ I be in the back with it, yeah ♪ ♪ I'm at the top with it ♪ ♪ Unless and maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ In my head with the cool kids ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Sitting by myself like the new kids ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Count me on my bread like the stupid kid ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me, baby ♪ ♪ Call it what you want ♪ ♪ Call it what you need ♪ ♪ Call it what you know ♪ ♪ Without the right base ♪ ♪ Call it what you want ♪ ♪ Call it what you need ♪ ♪ Call it what you know ♪ ♪ Without the right base ♪ ♪ That bad temper always call it ♪ ♪ I shake it off I'm tryin' to be here in the morning ♪ ♪ I need to change it really brain when it's poor ♪ ♪ I need to change it again finally when it gets poor, huh ♪ ♪ You baby I write hits when I'm wood pullin' up in a pig body ♪ ♪ No cats, no doors, no roof loud ♪ ♪ Wornin' out the curb, bunk, bunk, bunk ♪ ♪ I'ma have to kill the scene, no juicer ♪ ♪ So it's drippin' down a shirt like juicer ♪ ♪ Name it in the people's mouth, like ♪ ♪ Tastes sweet but it hurt like ♪ ♪ You might set the trail, baby, I'm near fluency ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me, baby ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me, baby ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me, baby ♪ ♪ Maybe you can find me ♪ ♪♪♪ This is WBCA Presents on WBCA 102.9 FM Boston. And I am your host Dakota Kennedy, and today we are joined in the studio with Mona Veli. Mona Veli is an alternative talent focusing on the soul and complexities in hip-hop and R&B. Originally hailing from Brockton, Massachusetts, today we are fortunate enough to have her in the studio in Boston. Hey, thank you, Mr. Cola. I am so excited to have you in the studio today, because I just realized that I think the last time you and I were talking to each other was earlier this year. Yes, yes. So, you know, at the beginning and now we're here at the close of it. I love a full circle, a full circle moment. Nowhere I'd rather be to recap my ear than here, so thank you. Yes, oh my gosh, no. Thank you. Of course, of course. So, I would just love to introduce our listeners to you. So, they just heard a track from you called "Wants and Means." Yes. So, can you tell us, yeah, like, just introduce us to you and your style? Yeah, I mean, I feel like that's a great introduction. That song "Wants and Means." That's actually one of my babies, obviously all of them are, but that's, like, one of the songs I hold near and dear to my heart. I put that out, I believe, 2020. And, yeah, we went to Costa Rica to shoot that video. So, it was a very, like, magical moment. It was just amazing. The whole experience of it was beautiful. And it's a song that, like, it's a big part of me. Like, a growing period of just being done with stipulations and limits and things of that nature. Mentally, obviously, we had to be safe, but you know what I mean? Like, just choosing to be, be stuck into your other self. And, you know, get your dreams by any means necessary, basically. And just, you know, putting the confidence and betting on yourself. And, yeah, I think that's what, that's what I'm at right now. And that song definitely helped push me here. That's awesome. I mean, yeah, 2020, what a time to be making music and especially, you know, creating a song with a message that you need to bet on yourself. I mean, what a, that was a tough, that was a tough time. Yes, it was, it was crazy. It was crazy. It was crazy. And one other thing I just wanted to note is that I have recently, like, over the last year, learned how incredible the music videos that all of, it seems like all of you, like all the Black women, hip hop artists, just dominating Boston and surrounding areas. So when you're creating a video, I mean, like, you know, like what goes into that process or what about, what made you realize that video was such an important medium for you? Yeah. I mean, I grew up inspired by women, like Missy Elliott for one. And Erica Badu and Lauren Hill. And these are all very eccentric Black women. And it just, it feels a lot more natural for me to connect with things that are more outlandish, which kind of sounds crazy. Like even on Buster Rhimes, like I'm, I was obsessed with them growing up. And it's the aesthetic. I think it's going back to that limit listening, limit litness. Oh my goodness. The being boundless. Yeah, because I can see it, but I can't say it. Limited by limit. Yeah. Exactly. Just being free and doing, you know, whatever makes you feel beautiful and powerful. And yeah, my music reflects that, how I dress reflects that. And I think, you know, I represent a lot of little Black girls and obviously the other Black artists, other Black women who do this. They, they, we have the same backgrounds. And you can see where the influences come in heavy. Like who isn't obsessed with Erica Badu and Missy Elliott's a pioneer for even people who aren't, you know, considered alternative. But yeah, that, that influence is all over. I think it's just, we always have to do more too. So it's kind of an excuse to push the limit. So it's an excuse, but you know, we have fun with it. Clearly. And I mean, I just have to take a second to describe how boss Mona Velli looks right now. So I mean, I know we're on audio. So you can't see how amazing she looks right now. Thank you. Of course. But yeah, I mean, she's, she has this beautiful, like bright red, like flowing hair, like eyeliner, like all colorful. Here's natural too. It's mine. Oh my God. You're kidding me. I'm joking. Okay. Okay. I was like, oh my gosh. That's okay. I was like, we're going to need to talk. No. Yeah. That's so funny. And then also, yeah, it's just like dressed super cool. Thank you so much. Like you're wearing this like faux fur, like bright orange, like cropped jacket nails all done. Like, yeah, there will be, we have a photographer in the studio right now too. So I hope that you'll be able to see the photos soon. You can't turn on my page. We'll see. It'll be out soon. Thank you so much. Of course. Yeah. Because you know, like, like when you all show, when you show up to something, you fully show up. Yeah. Yeah. So you bring your voice, you bring your look, you bring your personality. Thank you. I mean, this is the second or third time. I think I've run into you like out in the wild. Yeah. And I think your hair was a completely different color. The last time I saw you. Yeah. And you looked totally different. Yeah. I just switched from the bang. Like a mullet, like a pastel pink thing. Like, but yeah, you got to have fun with yourself. You got to, you know, play around and experiment and I'm 22. So yeah, you'll probably see me with like a blue bob next week or something. I look forward to it. Me too. Well, speaking of you being so young and, you know, growing up in Boston, I would love to hear growing up in Brockton specifically. Let's not get lazy here. I would love to hear kind of what, kind of finding your voice and coming up in the hip hop scene has been like for you. Yeah. It's been a blessing. It's like a group of cousins in a community that I feel like I kind of just got dropped in the middle of I started very young. I was like 15 when I started at the sound lab and it was under an internship to become a DJ actually like a scratch DJ for events. And I met people that I still know to this day. The owner of sound lab was actually running the course. He's a DJ to 11 shout out to him in sound lab and C4. That's another somebody else that I started with there. And I was on the first cipher that they did. I was 15. I was the only female and it blew up. We, it did crazy numbers. Like it was at like 25 or 50 K I think for a while. And the recognition I got from it was just very validating. Because again, I was already like obsessed with all of these artists. And I knew that's what I wanted to do. But it was like a push into the door for me rather than just like. Kind of just being slowly introduced to it. So I spent a lot of my time at the studio. I got a lot of free studio time. So I was always recording. I started off getting mentored by Latrell James and his manager Jess. And then through them, I met Dutch Rebel. She started mentoring me. So I learned how to perform and she put me onto my first shows with R.I.P. Jeff replay and Dutchy do bad and all of these like bigger names. Like the OGs of the music scene out here. So I like to think I'm a little well connected because of that. And I got a lot of my experience like running the behind the scenes business and performing and all of that through them. So it was, I think I was like catapulted almost because of the mentorship that I had. But I was ready for it and it's been fun. And it's been great because I'm still so young. So it's like, yeah, I'm still learning constantly and I'm still experimenting. And there's so many new artists. My age that are just now coming out or came out in like the past couple of years. And there's so much we can learn from each other. So I'm just happy to be here. I'm just happy to be here. And so, I mean, I'm originally from Portland, Oregon. And I just find like being out in Boston, like even when I'm talking to people back home or I'm talking to even some of my peers or people who are new to Boston. Whenever I tell people that Boston has an incredible hip-hop scene led by amazing black, queer, non-binary female, like just such a diverse range of artists, people always look at me like I have three heads. They're like, Boston, Boston? They're like, are you sure? Boston Massachusetts, the one in New England? Yeah. So I feel like you all are doing such great work at helping combat this idea that Boston doesn't have a hip-hop scene. I mean, I think Boston even sometimes is notorious for not even having a music scene. And these are just really lazy, gross generalizations. Exactly. I think we've the past couple of years, like the past five years, we've really been doing a lot to make our mark. And outside of the big dogs like Millies and Bea and Joanna Lucas that we have coming out of Massachusetts, they definitely put us on the map. But I think it's great that one thing about Massachusetts is because we're so like, where we get overlooked, we make it a point so that when we do get noticed, you're going to be impressed. Whenever we do get the chance to be heard, it's going to be the best quality that you, it's going to be like, you're going to feel bad that you haven't tapped into there. So I think through Bea and Millies and Joanna Lucas being like these bigger names and bringing some of the attention and in Vampiran bringing attention to smaller cities like Brockton and Boston for our music scene, it forced us to go even harder. Like we have a very unique sound, but it's also, you could pluck out, there's multiple stars out here basically because we forced ourselves to, we're polished. Like, does that make sense? Like we kind of, we had to force ourselves to become more polished. Absolutely. Yeah, the quality of the sound, the branding, like you said, you got my, some of my information from my website, things like that, you can't catch us slipping because it's like whenever we do get the chance, we're ready. Well, I think that's, you know, a big part of, you know, developing a solid infrastructure for the music scene out here is the level of professionalism and the, just the sound that we're building for Massachusetts and that's coming out of Massachusetts. Well, it's just collaborative. Yes. You all like seem to really show up for each other and really, I mean even just now, before when you were talking, I feel like you dropped names of several people who have got you to where you are. It just seems like it's such a, it's such a warm community that you all have built with one another. Yeah. So it's just beautiful to watch. It can be. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Sure, sure, sure, sure. No, no state. But like, you know, everybody has like their, their, their clicks. We're still in Boston. Yeah, exactly. It can be. But overall, yeah, it's like a big, like a cousin group chat. Like you walk in again, like the test in lab at the sound that they do every other Tuesday, you walk in and it's love. It's always packed. So like you can walk through when it's all hugs and how are yous and support and it's genuine love. And it's, yeah, so great. So it doesn't sound like we're in Boston anymore. Right. It doesn't sound as cold, like it's supposed to be mean, but no, it's beautiful. Oh, that's so great. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Well, I think this would be a great time to turn to another song. So the next song that we're going to hear is called truth. Yeah. Could you tell us a little bit about that song before we go into it? Yep. So Sue Serf, he's a very well-known battle rapper that my good friend, Humbeats, who's a very well-known producer from Randolph Mass, but yeah, they worked together a lot. And Sue Serf came out to Boston. He was open for features. I pulled up on, shout out to DJ Washing, her studio, another name drop, but I pulled up to her studio at DAP and we were able to get in contact with his manager. He pulled up, heard the beat, loved it, wrote a verse right there in front of me, recorded it, and still my favorite song that I have out yet. Wow. What an introduction. Well, without further ado, we will not keep you waiting any longer. This is truth by Moana Valley. They're going to tell you that they love the beat. They're going to lie to you too. Figure out which one is truth. Got it off the muscle. So go out of stress with the two. Born soldier, I have to be changed. I'm getting under confused. I still got love in me too, huh? Still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too. I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. This might work like bassie. I just frank, keep it enticing me. My people out here hungry. You can't no get excited. I don't race in my own lane. You can't win 'cause you ain't invited, huh? Since the child, huh? I've been divided. I got demons in a lot of love to give. The end is only kid. They ain't grab, not not sing. All this pressure, road and blunts. I might just learn how to rob. If a bag and flee the scene, need to say it's like a deal. Gonna make my music and pee, pee, pee. They gonna tell you that they love. Yeah. And they gonna lie to you too. Figure out which one is truth. One is truth. I got it off the muscle, huh? To go to stress with the two. Get under confused. They gonna tell you that they love. And they gonna lie to you too. Figure out which one is truth. I got it off the muscle, huh? To go to stress with the two. Don't get nothing confused. Still got love in me too, huh? Still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. Yeah. I still got love in me too. Yeah. Still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. Yeah. I still got love in me too. I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too. I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too. I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too. I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? Yeah. I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? I still got love in me too, huh? You just heard "Truth" by Mona Veli, and you're listening to WBCA Presents on WBCA 102.9 FM Boston. My name is Dakota Kennedy, and for those of you who are just joining us, we are extremely privileged to have Mona Veli in person at the Boston Neighborhood Network Studio. Thank you. [laughter] Pleasure is all mine. So we just heard "Truth" and you talked to us a little bit about that song before we introduced it, but I would love to hear a little bit more about kind of where your inspiration comes from and where, like, what message or what emotions are you trying to convey when you're performing and creating music? Oh, when performing and creating, it's kind of like a possession. Like, when I'm writing, I usually don't even know that that's what I'm feeling or the depth of what I'm feeling or what I need to be expressing until, like, the song is done, and then I read over it, and I'm like, "Wow, that was deep." But I think the overall message of my brand, so the message of my music would be just finding freedom and whatever that looks like for you. Like, healing, that, like, you can create whatever reality you see for yourself. Basically, like, it's very -- I like to think of my music as, like, immersive experience. Is that how you say it? Yeah, that sounds great to me. Yeah. You know, like, it puts you in a space to really, like, in a very retrospective space. There's some songs when I'm praising myself and then there's other songs where I'm trying to pick myself up and remind myself who I am and then there's other songs where I'm surrendering and then there's -- you know, so I think it's -- I think you can pull from it whatever you need to at the time, depending on what you are feeling and what you need to feel. Because I also have, like, this tone that I make sure I keep in my songs so that it's, like, it's gonna hit you in the soul regardless. I think it's, you know, just, yeah, a freedom and finding your best self. I think that's always when I'm pushing. Again, that's the message of my brand. So I hope that's what people get when they hear it. Yeah. Yeah, no. I mean, I think that that's wonderful. Something that I noticed when I was going through your social media just before we got on air was that you -- and correct me if I'm wrong, but you have a tagline for yourself that is, like, the alternative. So I'm, like, the black alternative girl mask -- the black girl alternative mask guy. Like, I feel like I represent, like, the girls who run down to the beauty so the local beauty supply store and drop, like, $50 to $80 on a colorful wig and we wear LA girl make-ups, but we're gonna pull up looking like the best one there. Like, we had to create our own luxury and our own swag and our own fashion and very much heavily inspired by Queen Mova Erica Badu and Miss Elliott and the girls who are larger than life but oftentimes overlooked because it's not the standard. It's not the status quo. It's not what's deemed as the beauty standard. So, yeah. Totally. And I know something that we've talked about before is just about what it's been like, you know, being a black woman in hip-hop and kind of the community. Like, we talked a lot about the community that you have in Boston, around music and fashion and art and all of these things, but I happen to know that in particular, like, black women have really supported you and have been there. Like, I even remember this funny, like, story about you saying, like, one of the first times that you performed at a show led by a black woman that it was, like, the smoothest experience ever. Like, nothing went wrong. You could finally relax and not have to worry that, you know, you weren't gonna have water. You're gonna have access to a bathroom and, like, just all of these things. Yes. She made me want to start curating things. I was like, see, this is -- we need more people. We need more people encouraging this type of standard, this standard for events. But, yeah, no, women are -- I'm a black woman myself. So, of course, that's gonna always be the backbone. My mother's a black woman. My aunts are around me. And, like you said, the music scene, I like to believe, is being led by the women right now. But, yeah, like, so much so. I'm not queer, but Umpa -- I think it was Umpa and Red Shaves were doing an event once on, like, quick story. They were doing an event at some college a couple years back. And it was -- they were, like, heavily advocating for me to come out and do the show. So, we -- my partner at the time drove all the way out there. It was, like, a couple of hours out. And I performed. And I found out that it was, like, a LGBTQ, like, a queer -- Like, a -- like, a fundraiser. And it was just funny, 'cause I was, like, I'm not at all queer in the community, but I love the fact that they so heavily advocated for me just being a black woman that they created and made that space. So, it was dope. But, yeah, like I said, Dutch Rebell was a huge milestone in my career. She taught me the actual business and how to conduct business and create business and manage it and how to command the crowd. And the trail James was my mentor, but it was a lot of -- mostly his manager, Jessica, who, you know, showed me the ropes and really taught me how to write a song. And, you know, it was -- it's always been black women. My mother's my biggest supporter. So, yeah, they're -- and, like you said, we were just talking about cake swag and DJ Y Sham. And if I need something, I can go to the girls. Like, the girls got it. [ Laughter ] And I so -- I also wanted to make sure that I highlighted the fact that the song "Truth" that we just heard is off of your new EP. So, you have new songs coming out, yeah? Yes. So, we have the EP dropped last year, so we've spent the last year pushing that. And, again, the reception's been great. It's been out for, like, a year. And what's the title of that project? -Rish, yes. -Rish. Thank you. I was John A. Blank. I'm like I said, it's been out for a year already. So, yes, Rich has been out for a year. We've got Humbeats on production of "Fire." A kid from Springfield named John Ramirez and Shane Denlin, "Paradoxic King." It's a dope project. I'm super, super proud of it for being my first project. But, yeah, we've been pushing that. And I actually am getting back in the studio very, very, very soon, like this week is soon. We have -- I have a whole new catalog of demos that we need to get, like, on wax. And we're going to start sorting those out to figure out what the, you know, consistency of drops is going to look like going into the new year. So, there's going to be new music. Hopefully, the first month, there's no dates yet. -Okay. -But, yes, you guys are going to be getting a lot of new sounds. A whole new sound and what I've been putting out, too. -Before we go into this final song, which, again, is also off of your EP, "Rich," would you -- you almost got right there and let us right up to the ledge. But where can folks find you? -Yes, Instagram. That's why I'm most active. I am the Real Mona Valley, T-H-E-R-E-A-L-M-O-N-A-V-E-L-I. You can find me on Twitter at Real Mona Valley as well. I'm also on TikTok at Just Mona Valley because I got my name on TikTok. But, again, that's Real Mona Valley on Instagram, Real Mona Valley on Twitter, and you can find me at Mona Valley on TikTok. And, yeah. -Fantastic. -I'm everywhere. Also, Mona Valley Music.com. -Thank you so much for being in the studio today. This was so fun. So, yeah, you heard it, folks. You will be able to catch Mona Valley on -- sounds like very soon for some in-person shows. And, in the meantime, there is plenty of online content. -Yes. Yes. All my music videos are on YouTube. I'm on Spotify, Apple, iTunes, title, everything. -And it's great. -Yeah. -It's all great. -Yes, thank you. -Thank you. -Mona Valley Capital M Capital V. Thank you for having me. -You're very welcome. -So, thank you all so much for those of you who've been listening. This is WBCA Presents on WBCA 102.9 FM. Boston. My name is Dakota Kennedy. And you've just heard from Mona Valley. And before we end our show, we are going out on a final song called Pink. ♪ ♪ ♪ I need some, I need some I need some alone time I need some, I need some I need some alone time I need my black spot Let's need my home clean This is pink, I need my black spot Let's need my home clean This is pink, I need my black spot Let's need my black spot Let's see This is pink, I need my black spot Let's need my home clean This is pink, I need my black spot Let's need my home clean This is pink, I need my black spot Let's need my home clean This is pink, I need my black spot I'm so knee-hilling, I'm rather proud of barely, so I can chase new feelings, y'all could keep the millions, I let it come to me, that I already won before I move my two feet, stay upon your guns, stay on your cues and Ps, I don't believe until I see the white meat and bleed 'em. I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something. I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something, I need something. This has pink, I need my black smile, it's needin' my own pain This has pink, we don't do no feel over this way, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no, no We don't do no feel over this way, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no Ain't no ego, I keep all of it clear, no