High of My Recreation
After beating down the block and throwing bows, Monaleo goals to avoid wasting lives together with her message of resilience.
Interview: Kyle Eustice
Editor’s Be aware: This story seems within the Summer season 2025 situation of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and out there on the market on the XXL web site.
Monaleo simply had an epiphany. Shortly after coming back from Mexico in late April, the place she
celebrated her twenty fourth birthday cruising on a yacht and swimming within the ocean’s crystal blue waters, she tweeted, “My third eye is open. One thing shifted for me yesterday. Typically you simply gotta cease giving a f**okay and deal with what you possibly can management.” Her time spent abroad gave her a recent perspective and renewed confidence. In the course of the journey, she recorded a free but daring cowl of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” with the lyrics, “Inform me why these h*es don’t like me/Why they hate me a lot?”
It’s a good query. The Houston native has been on an upward trajectory for the reason that 2021 launch of her viral single, “Beating Down Yo Block,” which has amassed over 50 million streams on Spotify and was licensed gold by the RIAA in 2023. That very same 12 months, she adopted up together with her debut album, The place the Flowers Don’t Die. By 2024, she created a lit anthem, “Don Who Leo,” anchoring her sophomore effort, Throwing Bows. This 12 months, the licensed spitter has been dropping collabs with Foggieraw (“Prairie View”), That Lady Lay Lay (“Off High”), Mello Buckzz (“Transfer Pt. 2”) and KenTheMan “First (Remix).”
However behind the glamorous photograph shoots, glitzy music movies and Instagram Tales is Leondra
Roshawn Homosexual, a younger lady who hasn’t at all times been so outwardly assured and sometimes
questions her worth. Whereas painful at occasions, wanting again at a few of her formative life experiences has helped give her the energy to share overtly about her struggles with psychological well being through her music and interviews.
Talking to XXL in Might through Zoom, it’s clear that the current Columbia Data signee is at a
crossroads in her life. The “shift” she talked about appears to have lit a fireplace below her. Right here, the mother to Khalick, 2, and soon-to-be spouse to fellow rapper Stunna 4 Vegas, opens up about saving lives, being on the high of her sport, ageism in hip-hop, rooting for Doechii and getting married.
XXL: What are you most pleased with that you simply’ve completed to this point in 2025?
I’m simply proud that I obtained up each single day. This 12 months began bizarre for me.
How?
It was simply gradual in a music sense. I’ve been making an attempt to determine musically the place I need to
land. The recording course of has been type of wonky as a result of I’m making an attempt to determine what’s it that I need to discuss. How do I be extra intentional with my music and whereas nonetheless holding my fan base?
You celebrated your twenty fourth birthday on April 24. What did you do?
Sure, I went to Mexico this 12 months and final 12 months, too. It needed to be all pink and a giant, grand expertise. I simply needed to have fun, be free and be liberated. I needed to really feel like I’m content material, completely satisfied and happy with who I’m and the place I’m. That’s my aim for twenty-four ’trigger yearly, it’s simply continuously me tearing myself down for not being so far as I want to be or as massive as I want to be.
Earlier than I used to be a rapper, it was stuff like, “I obtained an 89 p.c as a substitute of 90.” It’s simply ridiculous sh*t, and I by no means let myself have fun. I need to deal with what’s in entrance of me.
Does getting older scare you or excite you?
It excites me. I at all times inform individuals I can’t wait to be in my 30s as a result of I really feel like the ladies I meet which can be of their 30s are so level-headed and never emotionally in every single place. I really feel like I’m so f**king unhinged proper now. The older girls simply be chillin’ and so they’re so candy, lovely and good. They’re sleek of their auras and
that’s what I’m going for.
Why do you assume hip-hop shuns the older era as a substitute of embracing them like rock does?
They’re ageist. I’m going to talk for Black girls, particularly. We’re essentially the most disrespected individuals on the face of this earth at occasions, and we don’t actually get a lot grace with something. We will’t get a bit of bit older. We will’t get wrinkles.
We will’t go get work completed both as a result of we’re f**king altering our look. God forbid you acquire some weight or have a child. It’s endless. It’s a type of goalposts that’s continuously being moved.
Take heed to Monaleo’s “Don Who Leo”
There was a second of readability you had over the previous couple of months. What was that?
One thing shifted for me to the place I used to be like, I don’t need to be so essential of myself anymore. I simply need to permit myself this area and the chance to develop. I’m outdoors of the parameters that individuals placed on me. It was like, F**okay it. Nothing issues.
You talked about you don’t really feel such as you’re so far as you have to be. The place do you place your self among the many different girls rappers within the sport proper now, and why do you’re feeling such as you’re the MVP presently?
We’re all on the identical enjoying discipline, however I feel rap is aggressive, and it’s presupposed to be. It’s a sport on the finish of the day. I really feel like I’m one of many high lyricists out of my class. I put in actual time, effort and power into writing my music. When it comes to pure, uncooked expertise and power being transmuted, that power can’t be replicated. It’s what separates me from a few of my friends, however I feel all people is nice in their very own particular person manner.
What moved you to put in writing such a form tweet about Doechii being a celebrity and no one becoming the position higher than her earlier this 12 months?
I really like Doechii. Me and Doechii have been cool for some time, perhaps three or 4 years. I at all times felt like Doechii was supremely gifted. She’s one of many artists that I actually respect. She places a number of time, effort and power into her artwork, and she or he has actual ability and expertise. I felt inclined to
publicly present her some love.
I really feel the narrative with Doechii is getting misplaced. Lots of people are insinuating issues about her that aren’t true or simply making an attempt to discredit her. I’ve actually watched her develop from the bottom up. I noticed her very early on in her journey, and she or he’s been a monster by way of individuals not with the ability to f**okay together with her.
I feel it’s ironic that she’s having her second and a bit of two-faced as a result of the individuals on the web fake like they’re championing for Black girls and darker-skinned girls. However when a darker-skinned lady will get some attractiveness—and she or he’s getting some very well-deserved alternatives—hastily individuals need to sh*t on her. It’s simply unusual and unwarranted. I needed to chop by means of the bullsh*t ’trigger it was beginning to piss me off.
Why?
I’m very captivated with this as a result of I see it with lady after lady. They did it with Sexyy Purple. They do it with Latto. They do it with Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla. They do it with each feminine artist, and so they’re gonna do it with me when I’ve my second. Like, I’m not greater than this system. I do know the time is coming, too.
It’s one of many issues that frustrates me about being a girl in rap. All people looks like they’ve the best to talk overtly and freely and be essential of you below the guise of constructive
criticism, nevertheless it’s actually simply outright hatred.
“I WANT TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND REALLY CREATE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT THE S*!T THAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH.”
Do you’re feeling like there’s competitors with girls in rap?
Yeah, after all. We’re tremendous aggressive as a result of naturally you’re feeling the strain from the skin world. It’s notably much more aggressive than it’s with male rappers. I really feel like male rappers, all of them have their very own lane. They’re all allowed to exist on the identical time. It may be a thousand niggas with the title Lil Whoever the F**okay.
No shade to these rappers as a result of they’re all phenomenal and doing their factor, however they’re allowed to simply merely exist versus feminine rappers. They solely really feel like it may be a sure few at a time. Then you might have the added strain of getting to be drop-dead attractive, lovely, horny, have massive, fats, juicy boobs and lengthy hair.
Each single day, you gotta get up like that and be extraordinarily gifted. You need to shoot these crazy-a*s, elaborate music movies and provide you with these loopy, elaborate performances, whereas niggas can stand on stage half excessive off of drugs and medicines and regardless of the f**okay else that they’re doing and may barely recite the phrases. We’re on the market in f**king platform heels, tight-a*s garments, corsets and push-up bras.
Watch Monaleo’s “We On Dat”
You’ve been so trustworthy about your psychological well being journey. How do you navigate these moments while you really feel depressed?
I’ve had a very lengthy interval like that in my life. Earlier than I turned a music artist, for some time, I used to be actually trapped and conflicted. I didn’t know what I needed to do with my life. I didn’t actually see myself residing previous a sure age. As soon as I simply obtained older, I used to be similar to, Effectively, rattling, what do I do now? I type of put it off.
Individuals would ask me rising up what I needed to be, and it was simply so many alternative issues. I might by no means put my finger on it. However I at all times felt like I had sufficient time to determine it out till I graduated highschool. That’s when it obtained the roughest for me. I actually didn’t understand how
I used to be gonna get out of that.
However as soon as I took that power and put it right into a artistic outlet, I really feel just like the power was transmuted; it was transformed into one thing optimistic as a result of there was a lot power. Though it was damaging and heavy, I simply wanted someplace to position it. Thank God I obtained within the studio in the future for sh*ts and giggles and actually simply turned it right into a factor for me.
How does this come by means of within the new music you’re creating?
It’s not a money seize for me. It’s not like a stylish subject to talk on, then let it go and be on some completely completely different sh*t. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the best way that I reside my life ’trigger I’ve actually gone by means of some powerful sh*t.
I actually been in some darkish locations that I didn’t even know I used to be going to get out of, so it will get actually severe for me. I need to be certain that I honor that a part of my life with a number of respect, and I need to be certain that I convey the message as clear as potential. I don’t need it to really feel corny or pressured. I would like it to be like, as natural as potential and genuine and real. ’Trigger I need to actually attain individuals like deada*s, like for actual, for actual, in an actual manner.
I need to join with individuals and actually create an area the place individuals really feel snug sufficient to speak in regards to the sh*t that they’ve been by means of. And we will all transfer ahead collectively as a pack. I don’t need to lose any extra individuals to suicide. I don’t need to lose anymore when any person dies.
That is one thing in non-public that I really feel I’ve really by no means spoken about. I really feel obligated or liable for not being loud sufficient with my message as a result of I really feel in my coronary heart of coronary heart—from the underside of my ft to the highest of my head—that I’m gonna be a type of individuals that may actually unfold the message and save individuals’s lives.
You and Stunna 4 Vegas have a son collectively. How did turning into a mom change your perspective on life?
Turning into a mother is one in all my fondest recollections. Once I take into consideration my life, it’s a type of issues that I’m similar to, I can’t imagine I did that, and I need to relive it on a regular basis. However sadly, I don’t assume I ought to have 1,000,000 youngsters, nevertheless it was such an exquisite expertise.
It was a pivotal second in my life. When you might have a baby, you gotta get a bit of extra severe as a result of you might have a child that is determined by you. I did develop up lots that day, however I grew up for the higher. I grew up for not solely him, however for me as nicely.
How nice is it to be with any person in the identical career as you?
Stunna is a tremendous accomplice. I say accomplice as a result of we actually share the load. In areas that I lack, he’s there to choose up the slack and vice versa. He’s a terrific dad, and he’s so hands-on, and he’s excited to be a dad. He grew up and not using a dad, so he looks like a part of his life’s goal is to be a great dad as a result of he didn’t get that have.
And you bought engaged?
We obtained engaged two years in the past. Persons are simply now discovering out.
So, there’s going to be a marriage later this 12 months?
Sure, precisely. I can’t wait to doc the method.
Take heed to Monaleo’s Throwing Bows Album
Monaleo photograph
The summer season 2025 situation of XXL journal that includes Monaleo’s interview is obtainable to buy right here. The problem additionally contains interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Acquired Wings, in addition to conversations with Key Glock, Larry June, Aminé, Nardo Wick, Tech N9ne, X-Video games snowboarding champion Zeb Powell and extra, plus a glance again at what the 2024 XXL Freshman Class has been doing and a deep dive into who’s the most important and finest XXL Freshman ever.
