Missy Elliott has kept her fans waiting seven years for a new album, but it promises to be worth the wait. The trailblazing rapper has been in the studio with her partner-in-rhyme Timbaland working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s The Cookbook. Rap-Up TV spoke with one of Missy’s best friends, Monica, who shared her excitement over her long-awaited return.

“Missy is missing from music and hip-hop because there’s no one as creative, as dedicated,” said the R&B songstress, who collaborated with Missy on her latest album New Life. “She thinks outside the box, but at the same time, draws you in the box that she’s in. She’s able to make visuals of things that I’ve never even dreamed of. I think hip-hop really needs her right now.”

She’s been lucky enough to hear some of Missy’s latest material. “I’ve heard some new music and all I can tell you is that Missy is at her absolute best when she’s at peace with herself and there’s no pressure,” she shared. “She’s been able to work on her record with a host of real talented people and reinvent herself all over again.”

Is another collaboration on the horizon? “She told me she wanted me to do something on the new record and we never did it,” said Mo, who has a house nearby Missy in Atlanta. “What I do is I just go to the house and we just make music. No time restraints, nobody watching us, nobody coming in between us, we just do it, so I think it will happen.”

Monica and Brandy reunited for the first time in 14 years on “It All Belongs to Me,” and they have R. Kelly to thank. Before the Rico Love-produced duet found its way into their hands and onto Monica’s album New Life, it originally belonged to the Pied Piper.

“At the time, the record belonged to R. Kelly and I thank Robert from the bottom of my heart because I had to really go to him and ask him, ‘Can I take this song?’” Monica exclusively tells Rap-Up TV. “And he gave it to me. He said, ‘I’ll let you take it.’”

The R&B songstress has always wanted to work with Kellz, whose inspirational song “I Wish” helped her get through a difficult time in her life. “R. Kelly is one of the greatest that ever did it, especially when it comes to lyrics and knowing how to make a song that makes sense to the everyday person because I’m just like them.”

Monica’s label RCA had the idea of putting Brandy on the record and turning it into a empowering anthem for women.

Rap-Up TV caught up with Monica when she visited Los Angeles this week. Fresh off the release of her sixth album New Life, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 69,000 copies, the R&B diva spoke about album sales and how important they are at this stage in her career.

“In this day and age, I’m very conscious of the fact that things have changed,” said the 31-year-old singer. “The days of selling a certain amount of records, especially for a certain genre of music, those days are gone, but I think it says a lot when you have a core group of people that really respect and love the music that you do.”

After reuniting with Brandy on “It All Belongs to Me,” she is readying her next single “Without You,” which was produced by her cousin Polow Da Don. “It was an important song to me on the album because it was the song that I did specifically for my husband,” explained Mo. “[Polow] was able to make a song that was a true testament to the love I have for my husband now.”

And will her hubby, whom she met on set of the video for “Love All Over Me,” appear in the video? “My husband’s a sweetheart, I know he’d do it if I asked him,” she said of the Phoenix Suns star. “I’m really right just now letting him focus on the sport.”

Look for more of our interview with Monica next week.

Monica has a new lease on life and the Billboard charts. The R&B singer’s sixth album debuts in the top 5 this week.

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Brandy and Monica’s reunion tour touched down on Wednesday’s “LIVE! with Kelly.” Following their appearance on “GMA,” the soulful divas performed their Rico Love-produced duet off Monica’s new album New Life, later chatting with the hosts.

The proud mothers gushed about their children and Brandy shared her daughter Sy’rai’s musical aspirations. “It’s like lady, slow down. We’re gonna be normal for a little bit,” she joked.

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Seventeen years after the release of her debut Miss Thang, Monica stands tall on her sixth album New Life. Now married with two kids, the R&B veteran stays true to her R&B roots while collaborating with today’s hitmakers including Rico Love, Salaam Remi, and Polow da Don. She reunites with Brandy on the powerful duet “It All Belongs to Me” and explores new territory with Wale on “Take a Chance.” Did she win over the critics? Find out below.

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Monica kicked off her release week by linking up with Brandy on “Good Morning America’s” Spring Concert Series. Matching in white, the R&B divas chatted briefly with host Robin Roberts and performed their Rico Love-produced duet “It All Belongs to Me” off Monica’s seventh album New Life, available today.

“It’s about us coming together as women and being there for each other, and a difficult relationship that we’re both in. Thank God it’s not true,” said Brandy, to which Monica responded, “Amen.”

Fourteen years after topping the charts with their hit collaboration “The Boy Is Mine,” Brandy and Monica are plotting a summer tour. Get a taste of what you can expect below.

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Monica appeared on Bravo’s talk show “Watch What Happens Live” on the eve of the release of her seventh album New Life. The Atlanta Peach, who host Andy Cohen called an “honorary housewife,” spoke about her bond with Brandy and her thoughts on a duet with Mariah Carey.

“I’ll give my yes now,” said the mother of two. “She is phenomenal and her range is unbelievable. I would come take over the alto section, she can keep the soprano.”

She also played the dangerous game of Plead the Fifth, where she was asked who has the biggest ego out of Kanye West, Missy Elliott, and Busta Rhymes. Find out her answer.

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