Check out Monica’s interview with Wendy Williams today!

Newlywed Monica is now part of a blended family, but she said it’s not as difficult to manage as some might think.

“It’s very common now, and I think people make it hard because they put so many restraints and pressures and issues in the midst, and all you do is put the kids first. Whenever you prioritize the kids first, then everything else falls in place,” she told Sister 2 Sister Publisher Jamie Foster Brown.

Monica, whose upcoming album New Life is due out early 2012, said her relationship with NBA baller Shannon Brown is easy because they share common interests.

“I’m married to a solid person that loves family. We love the same things and that common ground is important,” she said.

Similar interests never hurt when two people are trying to build a relationship, but timing is critical, too, and Monica admitted she had some soul-searching to do before she was ready for what she has now.

“I think I had some self-work to do … After I did it He knew I was really ready for the type of husband that I have,” she said.

According to a report released by the Census Bureau this week, more than 49 million Americans — that’s 16 percent of the population — lives in poverty. That helps explains the growing Occupy movement and an increasing identification by Americans with the 99 percenters. The poor are tired of staying poor and watching the rich get richer.

Singer Monica had a reality check from her son, and now she wants to do something to make a difference. Roland Martin caught up with her at the Congressional Black Caucus Weekend in Washington, D.C., where he asked her why this matters to her.

Shout out to Free (Free’s World) for the video of Monica performing at Howard’s Homecoming last Friday. Check it out below!