R&B diva Monifah grew up in Spanish Harlem in the midst of a musical family, who encouraged her to work in several musicals while at an early age. With the experience she gained singing, Monifah signed a contract with MCA and released her self-titled album in 1995. The following year, her single "I Miss You (Come Back Home)" became an R&B hit. Her second album, Moods...Moments, was released on MCA's Uptown subsidiary in May 1996. The Top Ten single "Touch It" made 1998's Mo'hogany her biggest album hit, and two years later she followed with Home. ~ John Bush