Breaking Down the Brandy and Monica Beef

We break down the years of friction between the two singers

Naima Cochrane
ZORA

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Brandy and Monica at ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ on February 16, 2012. Photo: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

For the last 22 years, instead of being celebrated for having the bestselling female duet of all time with “The Boy is Mine,” which earned them both their first Hot 100 number one and their first Grammy, Brandy and Monica have been synonymous with beef. The comparisons never really made sense, as the singers are very different in style, content, and personality. They were just close in age and debuted close together. Brandy and Monica insisted, at different moments, that it was all manufactured drama, a creation of the media and fans. But there was absolutely real smoke in the beginning. That initial feud set the foundation that fans continue to build from today.

In recent years, IG subs and live lyric changes suggest the rivalry’s been renewed, although there’s still no concrete reason why. So when super-producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland launched their Verzuz IG series, fans immediately added the two vocalists to the list of most-wanted matches. Understandably, the two were hesitant. Or at least Monica was. She explained during a radio interview that she didn’t want to perpetuate the idea of a rivalry. But in a surprising turn of events, we will get a Brandy-Monica Verzuz tonight on Instagram at 8 p.m. ET. They are joining in the spirit of…

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Naima Cochrane
ZORA
Writer for

Cultural Preservationist. Storyteller. #MusicSermon creator/curator. Naimacochrane.com