Janelle Monae was born December 1, 1985 in Kansas City. She's been called "a different kind of diva" by Vogue Magazine and "a true visionary... one of the most important signings of my career" by P. Diddy. Her passion for music dated way back years ago when she was still very young. The fictional character Dorothy from "Wizards of Oz" was one of her early "musical influences."