{"id":38672,"date":"2025-08-27T03:36:03","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T03:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/hiphopmagizine\/monaleo-on-being-a-top-lyricist-saving-lives-pressures-on-women\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T03:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T03:36:03","slug":"monaleo-on-being-a-top-lyricist-saving-lives-pressures-on-women","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/hiphopmagizine\/monaleo-on-being-a-top-lyricist-saving-lives-pressures-on-women\/","title":{"rendered":"Monaleo on Being a Top Lyricist, Saving Lives, Pressures on Women"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt Hip Hop Magizine News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"9431463036\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: xx-large;\">Top of My Game<\/span><br \/>After beating down the block and throwing bows, Monaleo aims to save lives with her message of resilience.<br \/><em>Interview: Kyle Eustice<\/em><br \/><em><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">Editor\u2019s Note: This story appears in the\u00a0Summer 2025 issue of XXL Magazine, on newsstands\u00a0now and available for sale on the XXL website.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/tags\/monaleo\/\" target=\"_blank\">Monaleo<\/a> just had an epiphany. Shortly after returning from Mexico in late April, where she<br \/>celebrated her 24th birthday cruising on a yacht and swimming in the ocean\u2019s crystal blue waters, she tweeted, \u201cMy third eye is open. Something shifted for me yesterday. Sometimes you just gotta stop giving a f**k and focus on what you can control.\u201d Her time spent in another country gave her a fresh perspective and renewed confidence. During the trip, she recorded a loose yet bold cover of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=u6T2JjOP1OA\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Jackson\u2019s \u201cHuman Nature\u201d<\/a> with the lyrics, \u201cTell me why these h*es don\u2019t like me\/Why they hate me so much?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a fair question. The Houston native has been on an upward trajectory since the 2021 release of her viral single, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/28R3EJ4K1iU8aR0aoRxIzK?si=tOGn-XRQRHyfBlnaU8ebJg\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cBeating Down Yo Block,\u201d<\/a> which has amassed over 50 million streams on Spotify and was certified gold by the RIAA in 2023. That same year, she followed up with her debut album, <em>Where the Flowers Don\u2019t Die<\/em>. By 2024, she created a lit anthem, \u201cDon Who Leo,\u201d anchoring her sophomore effort, <em>Throwing Bows<\/em>. This year, the certified spitter has been dropping collabs with Foggieraw (\u201cPrairie View\u201d), That Girl Lay Lay (\u201cOff Top\u201d), Mello Buckzz (\u201cMove Pt. 2\u201d) and KenTheMan \u201cFirst (Remix).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But behind the glamorous photo shoots, glitzy music videos and Instagram Stories is Leondra<br \/>Roshawn Gay, a young woman who hasn\u2019t always been so outwardly confident and often<br \/>questions her value. While painful at times, looking back at some of her formative life experiences has helped give her the strength to share openly about her struggles with mental health via her music and interviews.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to <em>XXL<\/em> in May via Zoom, it\u2019s clear that the recent Columbia Records signee is at a<br \/>crossroads in her life. The \u201cshift\u201d she mentioned seems to have lit a fire under her. Here, the mom to Khalick, 2, and soon-to-be wife to fellow rapper Stunna 4 Vegas, opens up about saving lives, being at the top of her game, ageism in hip-hop, rooting for Doechii and getting married.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>XXL<\/em>: What are you most proud of that you\u2019ve accomplished so far in 2025?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>I\u2019m just proud that I got up every single day. This year started weird for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>It was just slow in a music sense. I\u2019ve been trying to figure out musically where I want to<br \/>land. The recording process has been kind of wonky because I\u2019m trying to figure out what is it that I want to talk about. How do I be more intentional with my music and while still keeping my fan base?<\/p>\n<p><strong>You celebrated your 24th birthday on April 24. What did you do?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>Yes, I went to Mexico this year and last year, too. It had to be all pink and a big, grand experience. I just wanted to celebrate, be free and be liberated. I wanted to feel like I\u2019m content, happy and satisfied with who I am and where I am. That\u2019s my goal for 24 \u2019cause every year, it\u2019s just constantly me tearing myself down for not being as far as I would like to be or as big as I would like to be.<\/p>\n<p>Before I was a rapper, it was stuff like, \u201cI got an 89 percent instead of 90.\u201d It\u2019s just ridiculous sh*t, and I never let myself celebrate. I want to focus on what\u2019s in front of me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does getting older scare you or excite you?<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It excites me. I always tell people I can\u2019t wait to be in my 30s because I feel like the women I meet that are in their 30s are so level-headed and not emotionally all over the place. I feel like I\u2019m so f**king unhinged right now. The older ladies just be chillin\u2019 and they\u2019re so sweet, beautiful and nice. They\u2019re graceful in their auras and<br \/>that\u2019s what I\u2019m going for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do you think hip-hop shuns the older generation instead of embracing them like rock does?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>They\u2019re ageist. I\u2019m going to speak for Black women, specifically. We\u2019re the most disrespected people on the face of this earth at times, and we don\u2019t really get much grace with anything. We can\u2019t get a little bit older. We can\u2019t get wrinkles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left\">We can\u2019t go get work done either because we\u2019re f**king changing our appearance. God forbid you gain some weight or have a baby. It\u2019s never-ending. It\u2019s one of those goalposts that\u2019s constantly being moved.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align:center\">Listen to\u00a0Monaleo&#8217;s &#8220;Don Who Leo&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p><strong>There was a moment of clarity you had over the last few months. What was that?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>Something shifted for me to where I was like, I don\u2019t want to be so critical of myself anymore. I just want to allow myself this space and the opportunity to grow. I\u2019m outside of the parameters that people put on me. It was like, F**k it. Nothing matters.<br \/><strong><br \/>You mentioned you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re as far as you should be. Where do you place yourself among the other women rappers in the game right now, and why do you feel like you\u2019re the MVP currently?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re all on the same playing field, but I think rap is competitive, and it\u2019s supposed to be. It\u2019s a sport at the end of the day. I feel like I\u2019m one of the top lyricists out of my class. I put in real time, effort and energy into writing my music. In terms of pure, raw talent and energy being transmuted, that energy can\u2019t be replicated. It\u2019s what separates me from some of my peers, but I think everybody is great in their own individual way.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What moved you to write such a kind tweet about Doechii being a superstar and nobody fitting the role better than her earlier this year?<br \/><\/strong><br \/>I love Doechii. Me and Doechii have been cool for a while, maybe three or four years. I always felt like Doechii was supremely talented. She\u2019s one of the artists that I really respect. She puts a lot of time, effort and energy into her art, and she has real skill and talent. I felt inclined to<br \/>publicly show her some love.<\/p>\n<p>I feel the narrative with Doechii is getting lost. A lot of people are insinuating things about her that aren\u2019t true or just trying to discredit her. I\u2019ve literally watched her grow from the ground up. I saw her very early on in her journey, and she\u2019s been a monster in terms of people not being able to f**k with her.<\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s ironic that she\u2019s having her moment and a little two-faced because the people on the internet pretend like they\u2019re championing for Black women and darker-skinned women. But when a darker-skinned woman gets some good looks\u2014and she\u2019s getting some very well-deserved opportunities\u2014all of a sudden people want to sh*t on her. It\u2019s just strange and unwarranted. I wanted to cut through the bullsh*t \u2019cause it was starting to piss me off.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m very passionate about this because I see it with woman after woman. They did it with Sexyy Red. They do it with Latto. They do it with Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla. They do it with every female artist, and they\u2019re gonna do it with me when I have my moment. Like, I\u2019m not bigger than the program. I know the time is coming, too.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one of the things that frustrates me about being a woman in rap. Everybody feels like they have the right to speak openly and freely and be critical of you under the guise of constructive<br \/>criticism, but it&#8217;s really just outright hatred.<\/p>\n<p><q class=\"pullquote alignfull\">&#8220;I WANT TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND REALLY CREATE A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT THE S*!T THAT THEY\u2019VE BEEN THROUGH.&#8221;<\/q><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you feel like there is competition with women in rap?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, of course. We\u2019re super competitive because naturally you feel the pressure from the outside world. It\u2019s particularly even more competitive than it is with male rappers. I feel like male rappers, they all have their own lane. They\u2019re all allowed to exist at the same time. It can be a thousand niggas with the name Lil Whoever the F**k.<\/p>\n<p>No shade to those rappers because they\u2019re all phenomenal and doing their thing, but they are allowed to just simply exist versus female rappers. They only feel like it can be a certain few at a time. Then you have the added pressure of having to be drop-dead gorgeous, beautiful, sexy, have big, fat, juicy boobs and long hair.<\/p>\n<p>Every single day, you gotta wake up like that and be extremely talented. You have to shoot these crazy-a*s, elaborate music videos and come up with these crazy, elaborate performances, while niggas can stand on stage half high off of pills and drugs and whatever the f**k else that they\u2019re doing and can barely recite the words. We\u2019re out there in f**king platform heels, tight-a*s clothes, corsets and push-up bras.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align:center\">Watch Monaleo&#8217;s &#8220;We On Dat&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve been so honest about your mental health journey. How do you navigate those moments when you feel depressed?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had a really long period like that in my life. Before I became a music artist, for a while, I was really trapped and conflicted. I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn\u2019t really see myself living past a certain age. Once I just got older, I was just like, Well, damn, what do I do now? I kind of put it off.<\/p>\n<p>People would ask me growing up what I wanted to be, and it was just so many different things. I could never put my finger on it. But I always felt like I had enough time to figure it out until I graduated high school. That\u2019s when it got the roughest for me. I really did not know how<br \/>I was gonna get out of that.<\/p>\n<p>But once I took that energy and put it into a creative outlet, I feel like the energy was transmuted; it was converted into something positive because there was so much energy. Even though it was negative and heavy, I just needed somewhere to place it. Thank God I got in the studio one day for sh*ts and giggles and really just turned it into a thing for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How does this come through in the new music you\u2019re creating?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not a cash grab for me. It\u2019s not like a trendy topic to speak on, then let it go and be on some totally different sh*t. It\u2019s a way of life. It\u2019s the way that I live my life \u2019cause I\u2019ve really gone through some tough sh*t.<\/p>\n<p>I really been in some dark places that I didn\u2019t even know I was going to get out of, so it gets really serious for me. I want to make sure I honor that part of my life with a lot of respect, and I want to make sure I convey the message as clear as possible. I don\u2019t want it to feel corny or forced. I want it to be like, as organic as possible and authentic and genuine. \u2019Cause I want to really reach people like deada*s, like for real, for real, in a real way.<\/p>\n<p>I want to connect with people and really create a space where people feel comfortable enough to talk about the sh*t that they\u2019ve been through. And we can all move forward together as a pack. I don\u2019t want to lose any more people to suicide. I don\u2019t want to lose anymore when somebody dies.<\/p>\n<p>This is something in private that I feel I\u2019ve actually never spoken about. I feel obligated or responsible for not being loud enough with my message because I feel in my heart of heart\u2014from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head\u2014that I\u2019m gonna be one of those people that can really spread the message and save people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You and Stunna 4 Vegas have a son together. How did becoming a mother change your perspective on life?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Becoming a mom is one of my fondest memories. When I think about my life, it\u2019s one of those things that I\u2019m just like, I can\u2019t believe I did that, and I want to relive it all the time. But unfortunately, I don\u2019t think I should have a million kids, but it was such a wonderful experience.<\/p>\n<p>It was a pivotal moment in my life. When you have a child, you gotta get a little more serious because you have a baby that depends on you. I did grow up a lot that day, but I grew up for the better. I grew up for not only him, but for me as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How great is it to be with somebody in the same profession as you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Stunna is an amazing partner. I say partner because we really share the load. In areas that I lack, he\u2019s there to pick up the slack and vice versa. He\u2019s a great dad, and he\u2019s so hands-on, and he\u2019s excited to be a dad. He grew up without a dad, so he feels like part of his life\u2019s purpose is to be a good dad because he didn\u2019t get that experience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And you got engaged?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We got engaged two years ago. People are just now finding out.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So, there\u2019s going to be a wedding later this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, exactly. I can\u2019t wait to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DMn58neyVaj\/?hl=en&amp;img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\">document the process<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align:center\">Listen to Monaleo&#8217;s <em>Throwing Bows<\/em> Album<\/h3>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"single-post-image \">\n<figure class=\"img-tag has-sizer alignnone\">\n<p><span class=\"visually-hidden\">Monaleo photo<\/span><\/p><figcaption>Joshua Hopes\/Scanlics<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>The summer 2025 issue of XXL magazine featuring Monaleo&#8217;s interview is available to <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.xxlmag.com\/collections\/freshman-2025-capsule\/products\/xxl-magazine-freshman-class-2025-issue\" target=\"_blank\">purchase here<\/a>. The issue also includes interviews with all 12 members of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/freshman\/\" target=\"_blank\">2025 Freshman Class<\/a> and producer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/cardo-got-wings\/\" target=\"_blank\">Cardo Got Wings<\/a>,\u00a0as well as conversations with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/key-glock-interview-album\/\" target=\"_blank\">Key Glock<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/larry-june-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\">Larry June<\/a>,\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/amine-interview-album\/\" target=\"_blank\">Amin\u00e9<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/nardo-wick-interview-rapper\/\" target=\"_blank\">Nardo Wick<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/tags\/tech-n9ne\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tech N9ne<\/a>, X-Games snowboarding champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/zeb-powell-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\">Zeb Powell<\/a> and more, plus a look back at what the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/2024-freshman-report-card\/\" target=\"_blank\">2024\u00a0XXL\u00a0Freshman Class<\/a> has been doing and a deep dive into who&#8217;s the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.xxlmag.com\/the-biggest-and-best-xxl-freshman-ever-bracket\/\" target=\"_blank\">biggest and best XXL Freshman ever<\/a>.<br \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"photogallery-title\">See the 2025 <em>XXL<\/em> Freshman Class Artists and Producer<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script 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