High of My Recreation
After beating down the block and throwing bows, Monaleo goals to avoid wasting lives along with her message of resilience.
Interview: Kyle Eustice
Editor’s Notice: This story seems within the Summer season 2025 problem 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. Generally you simply gotta cease giving a f**okay and give attention to what you may management.” Her time spent abroad gave her a contemporary perspective and renewed confidence. In the course of the journey, she recorded a unfastened 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 along 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 Woman 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 instances, trying again at a few of her formative life experiences has helped give her the energy to share brazenly about her struggles with psychological well being through her music and interviews.

Chatting with 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 recreation, ageism in hip-hop, rooting for Doechii and getting married.

XXL: What are you most pleased with that you simply’ve achieved to date in 2025?

I’m simply proud that I bought up each single day. This 12 months began bizarre for me.

How?

It was simply sluggish 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 preserving 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 an enormous, grand expertise. I simply needed to have a good time, be free and be liberated. I needed to really feel like I’m content material, pleased and glad with who I’m and the place I’m. That’s my purpose 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 huge as I want to be.

Earlier than I used to be a rapper, it was stuff like, “I bought an 89 p.c as a substitute of 90.” It’s simply ridiculous sh*t, and I by no means let myself have a good time. I need to give attention to 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 all places. I really feel like I’m so f**king unhinged proper now. The older women 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 suppose hip-hop shuns the older technology as a substitute of embracing them like rock does?

They’re ageist. I’m going to talk for Black girls, particularly. We’re probably the most disrespected individuals on the face of this earth at instances, and we don’t actually get a lot grace with something. We will’t get slightly bit older. We will’t get wrinkles.

We will’t go get work executed 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 few months. What was that?

One thing shifted for me to the place I used to be like, I don’t need to be so important of myself anymore. I simply need to enable myself this house and the chance to develop. I’m exterior 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 need to be. The place do you place your self among the many different girls rappers within the recreation proper now, and why do you are feeling such as you’re the MVP at present?

We’re all on the identical taking part in discipline, however I feel rap is aggressive, and it’s speculated 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. By way of 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 means.

What moved you to put in writing such a sort tweet about Doechii being a famous person and no one becoming the function 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 loads 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 when it comes to individuals not having the ability to f**okay along with her.

I feel it’s ironic that she’s having her second and slightly 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 way of the bullsh*t ’trigger it was beginning to piss me off.

Why?

I’m very enthusiastic about 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 correct to talk brazenly and freely and be important 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 are feeling like there may be competitors with girls in rap?

Yeah, in fact. We’re tremendous aggressive as a result of naturally you are feeling the stress from the surface world. It’s significantly 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 similar time. It may be a thousand niggas with the identify 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 only merely exist versus feminine rappers. They solely really feel like it may be a sure few at a time. Then you’ve the added stress of getting to be drop-dead beautiful, lovely, horny, have huge, fats, juicy boobs and lengthy hair.

Each single day, you gotta get up like that and be extraordinarily gifted. It’s a must to shoot these crazy-a*s, elaborate music movies and give you these loopy, elaborate performances, whereas niggas can stand on stage half excessive off of tablets 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 if you really feel depressed?

I’ve had a extremely 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 bought 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 may 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 bought 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. Regardless that it was unfavourable and heavy, I simply wanted someplace to position it. Thank God I bought within the studio sooner or later for sh*ts and giggles and actually simply turned it right into a factor for me.

How does this come by way of within the new music you’re creating?

It’s not a money seize for me. It’s not like a classy matter to talk on, then let it go and be on some completely completely different sh*t. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the way in which that I reside my life ’trigger I’ve actually gone by way 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 critical for me. I need to be sure I honor that a part of my life with loads of respect, and I need to be sure I convey the message as clear as attainable. I don’t need it to really feel corny or pressured. I would like it to be like, as natural as attainable and genuine and real. ’Trigger I need to actually attain individuals like deada*s, like for actual, for actual, in an actual means.

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 way of. And we are able to 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 someone 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 accountable 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 toes 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 changing into a mom change your perspective on life?

Changing into a mother is one in every of my fondest recollections. Once I take into consideration my life, it’s a type of issues that I’m similar to, I can’t consider I did that, and I need to relive it on a regular basis. However sadly, I don’t suppose I ought to have one million youngsters, nevertheless it was such an exquisite expertise.

It was a pivotal second in my life. When you’ve a toddler, you gotta get slightly extra critical as a result of you’ve a child that is dependent upon you. I did develop up rather a lot that day, however I grew up for the higher. I grew up for not solely him, however for me as properly.

How nice is it to be with someone in the identical occupation as you?

Stunna is a tremendous companion. I say companion as a result of we actually share the load. In areas that I lack, he’s there to select 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 with out a dad, so he looks like a part of his life’s goal is to be an excellent dad as a result of he didn’t get that have.

And you bought engaged?

We bought engaged two years in the past. Individuals 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

The summer time 2025 problem of XXL journal that includes Monaleo’s interview is on the market to buy right here. The problem additionally contains interviews with all 12 members of the 2025 Freshman Class and producer Cardo Obtained 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 greatest and greatest XXL Freshman ever.

See the 2025 XXL Freshman Class Artists and Producer