The Makings of Me

Infobox Album |
Name = The Makings of Me
Type = Album
Artist = Monica


Released = flagicon|US October 3, 2006
flagicon|Canada October 10, 2006
Recorded = 2005-2006;
Doppler Studios, SouthSide Studios, The Black Room (Atlanta, Georgia); Hit Factory Criteria, Goldmind Studios (Miami, Florida); Quad Recording Studios, Sony Music Studios (New York City, New York)
Genre = R&B
Length = 38:19
Label = J
Producer = Bryan Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Sean Garrett, Larry Jackson, Harold Lilly, Dave Lindsey, Manuel Seal, Swizz Beatz, Steve Russell, Tank, The Underdogs
Reviews =
* About.com rating|3.5|5 [http://randb.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MakingsOfMe.htm link]
* AMG rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:nuom96boaep6 link]
* "Entertainment Weekly" (B) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1540569,00.html link]
* "New York Post" rating|3|4 [http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2006/10/reviews_beck_je.html link]
* "USA Today" rating|3|4 [http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2006/10/reviews_beck_je.html link]
Last album = "After the Storm"
(2003)
This album = "The Makings of Me"
(2006)
Next album = "Still Standing "
(2008)Singles
Name = The Makings of Me
Type = studio
single 1 = Everytime tha Beat Drop
single 1 date = July 24, 2006
single 2 = A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)
single 2 date = October 10, 2006
single 3 = Sideline Ho
single 3 date = February 5, 2007
single 4 = Hell No (Leave Home)
single 4 date = May 14, 2007

"The Makings of Me" is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Monica, released by J Records on October 3, 2006 in the United States and October 10, 2006 in Canada (see 2006 in music). It was primarily produced by Missy Elliott and Jermaine Dupri, with additional production from Bryan Michael Cox, The Underdogs, Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett, and others. The album was critically acclaimed, but failed to receive major commercial success, eventually becoming Monica's lowest selling album to date.

History

Production and title

After giving birth to her son Rodney Ramone Hill III in May 2005, Monica entered recording studios to continue working on her then-untitled fourth album with producers Missy Elliott, Bryan Michael Cox, and executive producer Jermaine Dupri. [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1522692/20060127/dupri_jermaine.jhtml?headlines=true "Jermaine Dupri Says Usher's 'Getting The Bug Again'"] . "MTV News". January 30, 2006. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.] While both Elliott and Dupri contributed most to the album, Monica also worked with producers Sean Garrett, Harold Lilly, Swizz Beatz, Tank, and The Underdogs. In addition, she also recorded about forty others songs with Dre & Vidal, Tricky Stewart, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, No I.D., Akon, and rappers Mannie Fresh, and Young Jeezy, but none of the songs written with them made the final tracklisting. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003053986 "Akon Corrals Eminem, Snoop For New Album"] . "Billboard". August 28, 2006. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.] [ [http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A128757 "Keep on truckin'"] . "Creative Loafing". September 20. Retrieved on January 26, 2007.]

Although the album was tentatively titled "Street Butterfly",cite web|title="JD Talks Janet, New Music"|work=Hiphopdx.com|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.3855|accessdate=2008-02-21] "Raw", or "A Dozen Roses" at one time or another, the longplayer was eventually named after Curtis Mayfield's "The Makings of You," which is sampled in the album's second single "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)": "This album is really the makings of me because it talks about so many different scenarios, both good and bad, that have pretty much brought me to the point where I'm at mentally," Monica told in a 2006 interview with "Billboard", comparing it with a "musical diary where people can really see me in a lot of different lights for once." [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002914640 "Monica Opens Up 'Musical Diary' On New Album"] . "Billboard". July 28, 2006. Retrieved on January 21, 2007.]

The singer also attributed the personal sound of the album to the words of her self-written poetries, and her friendship to Elliott and Dupri, and other songwriters like Tank, who "could really get a good feel of what" she was talking about, and created much of the album off of her poems. "This album is very, very different from the other ones, because of me personally," Monica said to "MTV News". "Now, at 26, the way I look at things, even relationships, I was really able to involve more of my life experiences in the album." [ [http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1540372/20060907/monica.jhtml "Monica Overcomes Pregnancy Rumors, Ex-Boyfriend's Suicide To Form "Makings Of Me"] . "MTV News". September 8, 2006. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.]

Release and reception

"The Makings of Me" received a generally mixed reception from most professional music critics, with "Allmusic" calling it a "mostly sweet (if occasionally unremarkable) set of songs"cite web|title="The Makings of Me" review|work=Allmusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:nuom96boaep6 |accessdate=2007-05-28] and "Entertainment Weekly" declaring it "a solid addition"cite web|title="The Makings of Me" review|work=Entertainment Weekly|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1540569,00.html|accessdate=2007-05-28] to Monica's discography, widely comparing it to 2003 "After the Storm"’s "excellent songwriting and song production." "About.com"’s Mark Edward Nero however, cited a "lack of emotion" in Monica's "powerful voice,"cite web|title="The Makings of Me" review|work=About.com|url=http://randb.about.com/od/reviews/fr/MakingsOfMe.htm |accessdate=2007-05-28] also criticising the relative shortness of the album.

One week after its release, "The Makings of Me" debuted at number one on the U.S. "Billboard"'s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at number eight on the official "Billboard" 200, with moderately successful first week sales of 92,935 copies (about half as much as her previous effort, number-one album "After the Storm"). As of June 2007, the album has sold 270,000 copies domestically,cite web|title=Ask "Billboard"|work=Billboard|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/index.jsp|accessdate=2007-03-04] making it Monica's lowest selling album to date. It, however, debuted and peaked at number 18 on the United World Chart and opened at number 23 on the R&B Top 50 Albums Chart in Canada.cite web|title=Charts History|work=A-Charts|url=http://acharts.us/album/14642|accessdate=2008-01-20]

On April 3, 2007, Wal-Mart released "Deluxe Digital" version of the album featuring free ringtones for "The First Night," a free cellphone wallpaper, and a blow-in card with a code to redeem bonus content.

Singles

Altogether "The Makings of Me" spawned four singles: The lead album's first single, Dupri-produced "Everytime tha Beat Drop" barely made it to top fifty on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100 chart with a peak position of number 48 only, becoming Monica's least successful lead single since 2002's "All Eyez on Me." It, however, reached number 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and number 7 on the World R&B Top 30 Singles chart. The second and third singles from the album, "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)" and "Sideline Ho," underquoted this success with peak positions of number 48 and 45 respectively on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, never making it to the official Hot 100. A fourth single, "Hell No (Leave Home)" was serviced to U.S. radios on May 14, 2007, achieving similar success.

Samples

*"Everytime tha Beat Drop" samples Dem Franchize Boyz' 2006 "Lean wit It, Rock wit It"
*"A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)" samples Curtis Mayfield's 1972 "The Makings of You"
*"Doin' Me Right" samples The Whispers' 1976 "Chocolate Girl"

Track listing

# "Everytime tha Beat Drop" (featuring Dem Franchize Boyz) (J. Willingham, J. Dupri, J. Phillips, J. Austin, G. Tiller, B. Leverette, M. Gleaton, Charles Hammond, Robert Hill, Deangelo Hunt) – 3:43
# "A Dozen Roses (You Remind Me)" (Curtis Mayfield, Missy Elliott, Corte Ellis) – 3:51
# "Sideline Ho" (Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas, Antonio Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Steve Russell, Tank) – 3:45
# "Why Her" (J. Dupri] , Manuel Seal, Harold Lilly) – 4:08
# "Hell No (Leave Home)" (featuring Twista) (Carl Mitchell, Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garrett) – 4:44
# "Doin' Me Right" (Cainon Lamb, Miguel Castro, Craig Brockman, M. Elliott, Wayne Bell, C. Ellis) – 3:19
# "Raw" (featuring Swizz Beatz) (Kaseem Dean, Cainon Lamb, H. Lilly) - 3:43
# "My Everything" (Tank, D. Thomas, A. Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Steve Russell, Harvey Mason Jr.) – 3:40
# "Gotta Move On" (C. Brockman, M. Elliott) – 3:44
# "Getaway" (P.J. Morton) – 3:36;Japanese bonus track
#

"Thanks for the Misery" (S. Garret, Dent) – 3:42

Credits and personnel

*Adelaide Federici — violin
*Karen Freer — cello
*P. David Hancock — cello
*Helen Kim — violin
*Tom Knight — drums
*Alice Lord — viola
*PJ Morton — piano, keyboards
*Tania Maxwell Clements — viola
*Jackie Pickett — double bass

Production

* Album Producers: Clive Davis, Monica, Lary Jackson
* Executive producers: Monica Arnold, Jermaine Dupri
* Assoctiate executive producer: Melinda Dancil
* Vocal assistance: Missy Elliott, Tweet
* Engineers: Angelo Aponte, Corte Ellis, Paul J. Falcone, John Horesco IV, Samuel "Vaughan" Merrick, Tadd Mingo, Vernon Mungo, Sam Thomas
* Mastering: David Kutch
* Design: Jane Morledge
* Art Direction: Chris Lebeau
* Photography: Markus Klinko and Indrani
* Styling: GK Reid

Leftover tracks

* "Ain't Nothing" (produced by Scott Storch) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "Born & Raised" (featuring Rock) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "Dance wit U" (written by Tricky Stewart, Shamora)cite web | title=ACE Title Search| work=ASCAP| url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=MONICA&search_in=a&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1| accessdate=2007-05-04]
* "No Stoppin'" (produced by Missy Elliott) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "Pulling Up" (produced by Jazze Pha) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "So in Love" (written by T. Stewart, Shamora) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "Something to Wrap" (written by Kim Cantade) cite web | title=ACE Title Search| work=ASCAP| url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=MONICA&search_in=a&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1| accessdate=2007-05-04]
* "Stop" (written by Dre & Vidal, Claudette Ortiz, Ryan Toby)cite web | title=ACE Title Search| work=ASCAP| url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=MONICA&search_in=a&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1| accessdate=2007-05-04]
* "Thought You Had Me" (written by Dre & Vidal, Ryan Toby, Yummy Bingham) cite web | title=ACE Title Search| work=ASCAP| url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=MONICA&search_in=a&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1| accessdate=2007-05-04]
* "Why Lie" (featuring Smitty) cite web|title="Monica: Made" mixtape| work=Ingrid.biz|url=http://www.igrind.biz/madethemixtape.html|accessdate=2007-09-20]
* "Wonder Why I'm Mad" (written by Tricky Stewart) cite web | title=ACE Title Search| work=ASCAP| url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=MONICA&search_in=a&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=30&start=1| accessdate=2007-05-04]

Charts

Notes