The veteran MC slammed Apple Music after discovering her name was replaced by “some white guy named Simon Johnson” in the credits for “Ladies First.”
Monie Love called out a glaring error on Apple Music involving her songwriting credit for the iconic Hip-Hop anthem “Ladies First” with Queen Latifah, questioning how her name was replaced with a man she’s never heard of.
The British-born MC took to Instagram after her daughter noticed a mistake in the song’s metadata. “So my kid @iamlayna pulled up the writers credits on one of my Fav songs I wrote on, Ladies First on Apple Music, only to find that instead of crediting Simone Johnson (ME) they credited some white guy named Simon Johnson. Who Dafuq is Dude? And when did he write any part of LADIES FIRST.”
The track, released in 1989 on Queen Latifah’s debut album, All Hail the Queen, became a landmark moment for women in Hip-Hop. “Ladies First” was a bold declaration of female empowerment at a time when the genre was dominated by men. The collaboration between Queen Latifah and Monie Love helped pave the way for future generations of women in rap.
Despite its cultural significance, the digital crediting error left Monie Love publicly questioning how such a mistake could happen on a major platform like Apple Music. The misattribution swapped her real name, Simone Johnson, with “Simon Johnson,” a name she says she doesn’t recognize.
A part of the Native Tongues collective, Monie Love stood out for her unwillingness to conform to what was expected of female MCs back in the day. Beyond her music, Monie Love has also made her mark as a radio personality and television star.
As of Monday (August 18), the incorrect credit remained visible on Apple Music.
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