KC Singer Janelle Monáe Signs to Bad Boy Records, Invents Cybersoul

Last week, Diddy announced that he’d signed KCK-born songbird Janelle Monáe to his label, Bad Boy. The press release is here.

We’ve had our eye on Monáe for awhile. We ran a feature on her back in 2006 when Big Boi from Outkast had signed her to his upstart Purple Ribbon imprint, which hasn’t done much since then.

Big Boi’s still involved, but Monáe is Diddy’s property now, and the first offering finds the Atlanta-based lass taking on an android alter ego. We didn’t see that one coming. From the PR:

Janelle Monáe makes her solo recording debut with the groundbreaking “METROPOLIS” project, with Antwan “Big Boi” Patton serving as Co-Executive Producer. An epic musical journey into the future, the project will be unveiled with the release this June of the “METROPOLIS SUITE” EP – which introduces Janelle’s android alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, as she lures the listener into her sci-fi inspired world of cybersoul. “Metropolis is the place I’ve been dreaming about all these years – a city inside your head,” says Janelle. “It’s an adventure the music brings to life.” Monáe’s debut full-length album will follow in September.

MP3: Janelle Monae, “Letting Go” from Got Purp Vol. 2 (Purple Ribbon, 2006)