Monaleo is arguably the most interesting thing happening in Houston rap right now. Honestly, it’s not even close. While everyone else is busy chasing a generic "baddie" aesthetic that feels like it came off an assembly line, she’s out here jumping over cinnamon brooms and rapping about Hoodoo.
The track Sexy Soulaan isn't just a song. It’s a whole manifesto.
If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok or X lately, you’ve definitely seen the clips. Monaleo—real name Leondra Roshawn Gay—dropped this bomb as a promotional single for her second studio album, Who Did the Body, which hit the streets in October 2025. But the buzz started way before the official drop. She actually teased it during her viral, all-pink wedding to Stunna 4 Vegas.
Talk about a marketing play.
What Does Soulaan Actually Mean?
Let’s get the terminology straight because a lot of people are getting this confused. This isn't just a catchy word she made up. The term Soulaan (or Soulaani) refers specifically to Black people who are descendants of chattel enslavement in the United States. It’s an ethnic designation. It’s about heritage, the "Soul American" experience, and the culture that existed before and after colonization.
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Monaleo didn't just stumble onto this. She’s been very vocal about how the term resonated with her because of her own family history. Her grandmother and mother are the quintessential Southern Black women. When she heard "Soulaan," it clicked.
"If you ain't Black, stay the f--- out the business," she raps. That’s not just a bar; it’s a boundary. She’s reclaiming the Black American Princess (BAP) archetype, but she’s adding layers of ancestral weight that you don’t usually find in a club banger.
The Visuals: More Than Just a Cookout
The music video for Sexy Soulaan, directed by the "Evil Twins" (George and Frederick Buford), is a masterclass in cultural archiving. On the surface, it looks like a standard, high-energy Black cookout. But look closer.
You’ve got:
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- The Black American Heritage Flag (not the standard stars and stripes).
- Elders in the background, grounding the youth.
- Specific Hoodoo-adjacent rituals, like the sweeping of the porch.
- Solidarity flags from Haiti, Angola, and Congo.
She explained in a Billboard interview that she included those other flags to show diaspora solidarity. To a cop in America, it doesn’t matter if you’re from Port-au-Prince or Port Arthur. You’re Black. Period. By stitching those flags together, she’s acknowledging the different branches of the same tree while centering the "Soulaan" experience in the middle of it all.
Breaking Down "Who Did the Body"
The song is the third track on Who Did the Body, an album that feels much more mature than her debut Where the Flowers Don't Die. The production on Sexy Soulaan—handled by Leondra herself alongside Terence Williams and Martin Pitt—is tight, frantic, and undeniably Southern. It’s only two minutes long.
Two minutes!
That’s the modern era for you, but she packs more personality into those 120 seconds than most rappers do in a full LP. It’s brash. It’s clever. It’s got that signature Monaleo grit where she sounds like she’s smiling while she’s threatening to "beat down yo block."
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The Tracklist Vibe
Who Did the Body is a "Southern Gothic" inspired project. Tracks like "Spare Change" and "Putting Ya Dine" (which also went viral) show her range, but Sexy Soulaan is the heart of the record. It represents her transition from a viral breakout star to a legitimate cultural curator.
Why This Matters in 2026
We’re in an era where cultural appropriation is a constant debate. Monaleo is taking a "pro-Black, not anti-anyone" stance that feels incredibly grounded. She isn't just rapping about jewelry and cars (though there’s plenty of flex). She’s rapping about sovereignty.
She’s a 24-year-old mother and wife who is teaching her generation about their roots without sounding like she’s giving a lecture at a university. It’s "music therapy," as she calls it. Given her history of being open about mental health, suicide attempts, and surviving domestic violence, seeing her step into this "Sexy Soulaan" persona feels like a victory lap.
The wedding was a huge part of this narrative. It wasn't just a celebrity event; it was a cultural ceremony. Jumping the broom—a West African tradition kept alive by enslaved Black Americans—was a central moment. She’s showing that you can be "pink, posh, and proper" while still being deeply rooted in the soil.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're just getting into Monaleo, don't just stop at the TikTok snippets. To really get what she's doing with the Sexy Soulaan movement, you should:
- Watch the Music Video: Look for the symbolism. The way she uses the Black American Heritage flag is a specific choice that many fans missed on first watch.
- Listen to the Full Album: Who Did the Body works best as a cohesive piece of Southern Gothic storytelling. It’s short (about 32 minutes), so it’s an easy spin.
- Research the Terms: Look into the "Soulaan" movement if you're interested in the intersection of Black American ethnicity and modern music. It’s a rabbit hole, but a necessary one to understand her lyrics.
- Support the Live Show: She’s been hitting festivals like Rolling Loud and her stage presence is famously high-energy. She’s a "church-trained" vocalist, so the live vocals actually hit.
Monaleo is proving that you can be a "Sexy Soulaan" and a scholar of your own history at the same time. She’s not just a rapper; she’s a cultural architect.