Monaleo

Emerging from the Houston scene that also launched Megan Thee Stallion, rapper Monaleo delivers her own distinctive lyrical voice through a charismatic, ladies-first outlook paired with a strong focus on mental health. After her debut single “Beating Down Yo Block” went viral in 2021, she performed at festivals ranging from Rolling Loud to Coachella, captivating audiences with assured stage presence and precisely crafted verses.

Leondra Roshawn Gay entered the world in El Paso and grew up in the Houston suburb of Missouri City, where she sang in school and church choirs and spent some time studying mortuary science. Her only musically active relative then was her younger brother, who records as Yung Rampage and encouraged her to try making music herself. Following a difficult breakup, Gay—whose stage name combines Mona Lisa and Leondra—recorded “Beating Down Yo Block” spontaneously in 2020, directing blunt rebukes at unreliable partners over a sample of Yungstar’s Houston rap classic “Knockin Pictures Off Da Wall.” The track quickly amassed millions of streams and views, prompted Mary J. Blige to share footage of herself rapping along, and secured Gay a spot on the 2021 Rolling Loud lineup.

Later standalone releases such as 2021’s “Suck It Up” and “We Not Humpin” amplified her assertive tone still further. The latter gained renewed traction after Monaleo issued a remix featuring fellow Southern rapper Flo Milli, who later invited Monaleo onstage as a guest during her own 2023 Coachella performance. Monaleo issued her first album, Where the Flowers Don’t Die, in 2023, revealing range beyond her boastful delivery. Alongside “Beating Down Yo Block,” “Ass Kickin,” and “Wig Splitter,” the project included more melodic numbers such as “Cologne Song” and “Miss Understood,” the latter drawing directly from Gay’s experiences with depression, anxiety, and self-harm.