The Monica vs Brandy Verzuz match-up was one of the first battles that Hip-Hop and R&B fans thought of when the battle series started to get popular. Still, it was one that we didn’t know we would actually get because the two ladies have been surrounded by negativity since they first collaborated way back in 1998 with “The Boy Is Mine” produced by Lashawn Daniels and a team of songwriters and producers. A classic song that helped both artists launch their sophomore albums, the song would bring them career changing success, but at the same time pitting them against each other for the remainder of their careers.

Funny thing is the two have tried to put the petty behind them in the past. In 2012 the songstresses collaborated once again, on the song, “It All Belongs To Me,” which appeared on Monica’s album that year, New Life. The thinking at the time was that it would also appear on Brandy’s Two Eleven album, but it didn’t. The song didn’t have the same success of the earlier collaboration, but fans were happy to see the pair together again.

Eight years later, they return to the same platform with this Verzuz battle. It airs on Instagram and Apple TV on Monday August 31st at 8pm.

Before the battle, we take a quick look back at the careers of both artists and preview the Monica vs Brandy Verzuz match-up.

Brandy

Brandy launched her career in 1994, just a young teenage girl that everyone could relate to. Her self-titled debut album spawned the hits, “Baby,” “I Wanna Be Down,” “Brokenhearted,” and “Best Friend”. It was a different time in music when an album would artist could drop singles from the same album for a couple years and not have to release a follow-up album until year’s later with fans patiently waiting.

In 1995 she also released the song, “Sittin’ Up In My Room,” produced by Babyface and featured on the Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack.

By her sophomore album Never Say Never in 1998, Brandy had already been a household name, launching a sitcom, which she starred in titled, ‘Moesha’. Shortly thereafter she starred in a live action version of Roger’s & Hammerstein’s: Cinderella, along with Whitney Houston. She was a star and it was undeniable.

Never Say Never included the hits: “Top of the World” featuring Ma$e, “Have You Ever,” “Almost Doesn’t Count” and “Angel In Disguise,” in addition to the aforementioned “The Boy Is Mine”.

By my count that’s already 9 smash singles over the course of just 2 albums. Brandy has released 5 more albums: Full Moon (2002), Afrodisiac (2004), Human (2008), Two Eleven (2012) and most recently, b7 (2020). As she got older her popularity shrunk, but the hits kept coming for those who paid attention. Here’s just a few: