Missy Elliott's Manager Mona Scott-Young On Icon's First Headlining Tour And Why Female Veterans Resonate

Mona Scott-Young says he spent the summer “back and forth” between two popular, concurrent tours he produced with Live Nation: the 30-city Queens of R&B, co-headlining SWV and Xscape, and This World's highly anticipated 24-city Out : The Missy Elliott Experience — the rap icon's first groundbreaking concert with Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland.

Both tours wrapped up in August, and the founder and CEO of Monami Entertainment and Monami Productions says she's currently focusing on another co-production: its September 27 theatrical release The Lost Holidaystarring Vivica A. Fox and the film's director, Jussie Smollett.

“We have one life, right?” says Scott-Young. “So we have to take it while it's good. With these tours now under our belt, we have other film and television projects in development. Once we get them up and running, I definitely have other ideas I'm going to develop.” And that's not counting the media mogul's previous business endeavors, such as producing the flagship VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hopwhich led to spinoffs Atlanta and Miami which are in their 12th and fifth seasons, respectively. (Scott-Young is not actively involved in these shows.) She also co-owns MYX Fusions wine spirits.

Scott-Young began her entrepreneurial journey in 1996 when she and the late music executive Chris Lighty co-founded Violator. Comprised of various divisions, including management, a record label and a marketing team, Violator boasted R&B/hip-hop talent such as Busta Rhymes, LL COOL J, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Fantasia and Elliott. (Scott-Young still manages Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Elliott under Monami Entertainment.)

“I never felt like the little woman in the equation,” she says of her collaboration with Lighty. “It was a true partnership. He supported me, but I also made sure to show up, show up and deliver at every turn.”

The New York native, wife and mother of two first staked her claim on television with the 2005 UPN reality competition series The Road to Stardom With Missy Elliottproduced by her then fledgling Monami Productions. Six years later, the original was released Love & Hip Hop series. Since then, Scott-Young has executive produced several subsequent television programs, including the History Channel Cocaine: History Between the LinesWE tv's Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life! and Bravo New Atlanta and SWV and Xscape: Queens of R&Bwhich caused the tour.

Scott-Young is not one to look back. “I'm lucky and blessed every time I have an opportunity to tap into another skill set, another part of what I'm capable of. I haven't pulled my hair out yet,” she laughs, “so we'll see what happens next. I have no idea, but I'm here — and I'm ready.”

What took Missy Elliott so long to launch her first tour?

It wasn't for lack of opportunity or fan requests. Over the years, she has received proposals. But it's all about feeling that the time is right for anything. She raises her head every now and then when she gets an opportunity like Lovers & Friends [in 2023]. She did that gig and a few others because they gave her the scale and budget perspective to create the kind of show she wants to give her fans. Then he woke up one morning and said, “We have to go on tour.” We sat at the top of the year, and it came together very quickly as we fleshed out every detail, from set design to wardrobe to choreography and everything in between. There is no simple “I'm just going to jump onstage” for Missy Elliott. This was a complete, spectacular production.

Elliott talked about Graves' disease. How did he deal with that on tour?

We kept her safe. The good thing is that he has adopted a very healthy lifestyle. She walks constantly to maintain her weight and fitness level. So, apart from the normal wear and tear of the look every night, we tried to keep her in good shape health-wise, so we didn't do a lot of meet and greets, although Missy did go into the audience every night.

What does the Queens of R&B tour say about the impact of these veteran groups and the popularity of R&B?

There are probably more R&B core artists out there now than ever before, and not just in the US: it has international appeal. Combine that with what's happening with women in music. Look at hip-hop: We have more female artists out now than we have in a long time. When you combine these elements, you have all the emotional attachments that fans have for these two groups of the 90s. Seeing Xscape and SWV on Verzuz, seeing them on their TV show trying to put aside their differences and pull [the tour] together. It's the music, the sisterhood, the female empowerment of it all. And it's a testament to the staying power of these ladies and their careers.

Why are nostalgia tours like these so popular and profitable right now?

Missy talked about it while she was on the road, seeing the grandmothers – and grandchildren – out there in the audience. Many of these children – even her dancers – weren't even born when her music first came out. And there's definitely been a resurgence, especially for '90s music in both hip-hop and R&B. We see a lot of new artists tapping into this era of music and the emotions it evokes. It holds a special place for artists and fans alike. It also goes back to everything I believe in: that you are only as big as you allow yourself to be. And art is art. You mentioned Mick Jagger at 81. As long as you're still able to get out there, do what you love and execute your passion at a level of performance that will make fans walk away feeling satisfied and entertained, then God bless you. Well. Rock out.

Aren't female artists subject to tougher age standards?

As women in business, we have faced ageism for as long as I can remember. I don't subscribe to that. When you look at what Missy was able to put on that stage, and SWV and Xscape and their years of experience and musicianship and performance, you can't put an age on it. And the audience is coming.

Will Missy or Queens extend their tours?

Both are doing extremely well, so there have been discussions. We have an international opportunity that we are looking at [for Elliott]. But you know, this tour is so big that I'm focused on getting through this first round successfully. Missy is excited about the tour. She loves the experience, so we're definitely talking about how to take this thing forward.

You've been running Elliott for 20-plus years — a rarity in this business. What's your secret?

I understand her. In our first official meeting, I saw this incredible, larger-than-life talent. But beyond that, I saw a person who has gone through things in life that contributed to her brilliance — but also created this introverted person who felt the need to protect herself from being hurt. So part of me understood that she needed someone to stand in her way – to clear the path – for her to reach her full potential.

Looks like you're close.

I think the relationship has worked to the point where we are friends, colleagues and sisters at the same time. We have cried together, laughed together, won together, seen dark days together.

What other artists do you manage?

More recently I've stepped back into management, especially on the music side. I work very closely with a company called Artist Collective Entertainment. Nick Roses, Brian Sher, Eric Tomosunas and I are the founding partners. We have brought our respective experience and talent to the table to see how we can best serve artists across the board. There will be an announcement soon about the label, but we have a growing roster of talent from music artists to actors.

What advice do you have for women navigating a still male-dominated industry?

I don't want to say it wasn't difficult. I'm the kind of person who believes we control our destiny. We cannot allow ourselves to be held back, pigeonholed, or marginalized by other people, society, or the limitations we know exist. Our job every day is to realize our potential and strive to push ourselves to our limits. I understand what my gifts and talents are. So I'm just pushing every day — pushing myself harder to go places we're told we shouldn't be and doing things we're told we can't do. It's all about proving them wrong.

You often say you're determined to create pop culture moments. How do you define these moments?

It's about making things that will stay with people, giving them an experience that resonates — one that they can hang on to, look back on, and talk about a pivotal moment, whether it's a piece of music, a memory, a experience. So whether it's a TV show like Love & Hip Hopthat became part of the zeitgeist and redefined the way we watched a certain type of television. Producing Missy Elliott's first tour and being a part of that moment in music. or taking a brand like Queens of R&B, doing it as a TV show and then leveraging it as a tour. This is a pop culture moment.