Janelle Monáe Robinson, also known as Janelle Monáe, was born on December 1, 1985 in Kansas City, Kansas. As a child, she had always dreamed of being a performer on the stage. She left Kansas for New York to study theatre at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. At first, Monáe aimed to become a performer on Broadway, but she changed her mind and went to music instead. She felt that music has the power to change the world. Later on, Monáe moved to Atlanta, GA, where she met Big Boi from OutKast and founded the Wondaland Arts Society. Big Boi introduced Monáe to Sean "P Diddy" Combs which led her to be signed to Bad Boy Records in 2006.