Complex sentence: At Brandy's request, her label Atlantic Records approached fellow R&B teen singer Monica to collaborate: The pair had seen each other in passing at award shows and other live events, and Brandy thought a duet would help combat ongoing rumors that the singers were rivals.
Split into simpler sentences: At Brandy's request, her label Atlantic Records approached fellow R&B teen singer Monica to collaborate. Though the pair had seen each other in passing at award shows and several other live events, Brandy thought a duet would combat ongoing rumors that the singers were rivals.