Leondra Roshawn Gay (born April 24, 2001), known by her stage nameMonaleo (pronounced mon-a-lee-o) is an American rapper and singer-songwriter based in Houston. She released her debut single, "Beating Down Yo Block," on February 24, 2021.
Gay began working in music intermittently since January 2020. In September 2020, she released a snippet of her debut single "Beating Down Yo Block" with producer Merion Krazy.[4] The song samples "Knockin Pictures Off Da Wall" by Yungstar. She wrote the song while struggling with a bad breakup.[3][5] The song went viral on social media in January 2021, gaining over 3 million streams on Spotify and 3.3 million views on the music video on YouTube. Monaleo later released the singles "Girls Outside" and "Suck It Up."[4] "Girls Outside" samples "Outside” by OG Bobby Billions.[6] In August 2021, Gay released a music video for the single, "Suck It Up."[7][8] On May 26, 2023, she released her debut studio album, Where the Flowers Don't Die, featuring a guest appearance from Flo Milli.[9] On September 27, 2024, Gay released her first EP, entitled Throwing Bows, featuring guest appearances from Stunna 4 Vegas, Sauce Walka, Kaliii, and other artists.[10]
Gay is represented by the Stomp Down collective.[4]
Personal life
Gay's younger brother is rapper Yung Rampage. She has publicly shared about her past suicide attempts and mental health.[4] In May 2023, Gay gave birth to her first child, Khalick Anthony Caldwell II, with partner Stunna 4 Vegas.[11][9]
