Monica Morong, a mother of four, tells ET how her idea of writing clean rap songs came to be.
"Take it one day at a time. Think too much, I lose my mind. Was a size four back in time, now I'm a mommy, still got my shine!"
Those are some of the lyrics from "Mutha," a single written by Monica Morong, better known as "Mommy Rapper." The 44-year-old mom has been writing clean rap songs while quarantined with her husband, Sean, and their four kids -- Nya, 13, Talia, 11, Alana, 7, and Evaya, 1 -- in Sacramento, California, and we gotta be honest, they are so catchy... and so relatable!
"I know there are millions of parents out there like me that grew up loving rap and hip-hop. I first started creating clean rap songs in 2012, since there was very little rap music I felt comfortable playing in front of my kids," Morong exclusively tells ET. "This song is inspired by my life as a mother with a big dream, but it's really for all moms."
"I know firsthand how much sacrifice and hard work is involved with raising amazing children these days, especially during quarantine," she adds. "I wanted to put it all in an entertaining rap song for moms and families to dance to!"
If the "Mutha" lyrics weren't epic enough, Morong even put together a video to go along with her song. She played the track over a compilation video of the best TikToks from moms across the country, including celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Hoda Kotb, Jessica Alba and Michelle Obama.
"These [celeb moms] inspire me because they dream boldly and dare greatly while rocking motherhood," Morong explains. "Having a career and raising conscious kids is a delicate balancing act and both require equal nurturing."
Watch below:
Now, in celebration of Mother's Day on May 10, Morong has created a full quarantine EP to help all the mamas out there get through staying at home with their kids 24/7. Clean Rap, Vol. 1, out now, features four songs that will surely brighten your day.
"I got the idea of releasing an EP for Mother's Day in January and finished recording it in early March. Then, COVID-19 hit and I had to rethink how I would still go about sharing it," she explains. "There has never been a time on Earth when moms are doing as much as they are, wearing every possible, imaginable hat in the dress-up box."
"For me, mothering is the most difficult job I have ever had," she continues. "I'm so happy with how it turned out and that I persisted with my goal of sharing my EP for Mother's Day. Even a deadly virus can't stop me!"
Listen here:
Morong tells ET that she prides herself on being "a part-time rapper, part-time mom," but at the end of the day, her children always come first. She hopes that by following her dreams, her own children will feel inspired, too.
"My favorite part about being a mom is that I get to teach my kids how to be the best they can be and to give them a better childhood than I had," she reveals. "I think my kids admire that I am following my calling to create clean rap music. They love dancing to my songs, especially our 1-year-old."
"My dream is to work with leaders in the music industry who see my vision for clean rap, rated E for Everyone," she adds. "I currently have nine singles that all have current beats, without harsh lyrics and have good messages. It's a win-win for everyone!"
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