Mona Scott-Young Talks the Making Of “Love & Hip-Hop,” Building Her Brand & Heavy D’s Legacy

“One of the lessons that I took away from that situation was that in life you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate. So just making sure that even when you’re in business with folks that you have a long-standing relationship with, that you always dot your i’s and cross your t’s. Just, one, make sure that you’re focusing on whatever business it is that you’re in. And, two, making sure that you’re never walking away from it feeling like you didn’t get what you [needed].”

“There were so many things that I wanted to do. I wanted to be able to focus more on television development. There was an every-man-for-himself thought process that I wanted to move away from at that stage in my life. So the name Monami is a play on my name… I just wanted to be in an environment where I enjoyed working. So many of my hours I spent away from family, away from friends. And I wanted to be around people that were more like-minded, that had the same kind of philosophies about life. And I just needed to figure out a way to get it all, and be successful, and make money again, working in an environment that was more positive and encouraging.”

“I saw that there was a chance for me to give voice and platform to women, who much like myself, operate behind the scenes of business. They do it in a little bit of a different way, through their relationships, but I think that there were some similarities with that. A lot of times they put a lot of sacrifice into what people see in front of the camera, but they never really get a voice. I got to know some of these women through the work I do with their men and they were smart and talented and opinionated and dynamic. And I also show the down side of being in a relationship, when you basically defer your own dreams and put them on hold, and sometimes you have nothing to show for it… We started it out as a show about Jim Jones and we shot the pilot to include his girlfriend and mother, who are dynamic characters. So I came to the network with the concept to use Hip-Hop as a backdrop since that’s a world that people are fascinated with… So this was an opportunity to show another side of their lives, the women in their lives, the relationships they have, and how that impacts what they do in front of the camera… I think people are more focused on drama but this show will allow you to get to know the women and realize what they were arguing about before they started going in on each other.”

“Some of them were from relationships I had from back in Violator days. Emily, I knew her through Fab and being in the industry. But there was a long interview process, just talking to different women. There were people who we talked to who just wanted to be on TV and were willing to do anything to be on the show, and weren’t motivated by anything but the fame. And that wasn’t what I was looking for. It was really about people who wanted to open up their lives and be vulnerable, and be truthful and honest about who they were. There are girls out there who might have a different view of what they thought their lives were, so we’re sharing the reality of their lives.  So I commend them every step of the way. It was not an easy process, I don’t even know if it’s something I could do: just sit there and put all my sh*t out there…”

 

“I don’t feel the need to answer that because I think, as women, we’re incredibly diverse, well-rounded, different, opinionated. We have highs and lows. It just so happens that we’re capturing those moments for the purposes of the television show. There are days when I can get very ugly. Would I want a camera capturing that? Absolutely not.  But that doesn’t define who I am in reality and it doesn’t speak to who I am every day. As long as the cast is being true to who they really are… I always say to the ladies ‘you guys have ultimate editing power, because I can’t put out anything you haven’t put in.’ These are accurate portrayals of the women who happen to be on this show… There are things that happen that might take them out of their character or have them act in a manner they wouldn’t normally and that’s why it’s always important for people to see the totality of the situation… If they fight it’s the end result of an argument or a disagreement that is understandable, because you understand who these characters really are and you see why they reacted a certain way. We all have moments that we’re not proud of. Our moments aren’t broadcast on television because we’re not doing a reality show; their moments are.”

“It’s difficult because there are life-defining moments that you’re missing and will never get back. I’m very lucky that I have a very strong family unit. My husband holds down the fort completely, so that takes a lot of the pressure off of me. And it’s just about making the best of the time we do have together…Sometimes it’s difficult, especially when I’m in production. I have to decide that I’m not gonna answer the phone after a certain time… But this is the life we’re in, my family understands it. So I just try to take the time to balance it as much as I can and spend quality time…”

“It’s been especially difficult for me because in recent months he was so excited about all of the things he had coming up. And he really wanted to take advantage of the momentum that was being created in his career… He really wanted to get back in the music… [It’s great that] he had an opportunity to perform at the BET [Hip-Hop] Awards before passing. So what that said to me is ‘wow, nothing is promised.’ You have absolutely got to make every single day count. And I remember, when I first got word, I was like ‘when he got up this morning, did he know?’ Is there something that tells you that this could be the last day? Probably not. So I started thinking ‘today, for all I know, could be it. Did I do everything that I could possibly do to make today the best last day; the most fruitful that it could possibly be?’ I just remember all the excitement he had for life and where he was going at this stage in his life. And to have it cut short so unexpectedly, that’s definitely hard.”

“That I lived every day like it was the last and fulfilled every expectation that I had for myself. That I loved as hard as I could. That I lived the best life that I possibly could. I don’t think it’s about accomplishing any one, specific goal. It’s just about every single moment being maximized. While I’m sitting here answering these questions, am I saying everything that I want?… Just try to maximize every single moment.”

Here’s the audio of the full interview.

For all things Mona Scott-Young, follow her on twitter and catch the second season of “Love & Hip-Hop” tonight, on VH1.

Photos: @MsDrama