Exactly one week after marrying North Carolina rapper Stunna 4 Vegas in an all-pink wedding and dominating social media in the process, Houston rapper Monaleo unleashed one of hip-hop’s most politically potent songs of the year. If her nuptials were visual proof of the importance of maintaining cultural traditions — she and Stunna literally jumped the broom together — then her new single, “Sexy Soulaan,” is a musical encapsulation of Black American culture, pride and unity.
Although the new song has been lauded for its authenticity and uplifting of Black Americans, “Sexy Soulaan” has also drawn criticism from various corners of the Internet. Some accused her of promoting “black supremacy,” others felt she was “misrepresenting [the] Black American Heritage flag,” and an entirely different group used the song to interrogate the controversial roots of the “Soulaan” term.
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Coined in a 2020 TikTok video by Maroc Horus, T-Roy Parks & Dwayne Coleman, the term “Soulaan” is an ethnonym for Black Americans. “We understand that we are from the soil,” Horus tells Billboard. “We understand that we are people who went through chattel slavery in America, but we also understand that we were here before that as well. We want to acknowledge the sovereignty that stands within the soil.”
Of the assertion that Black people lived in North America before the transatlantic slave trade, he notes, “I don’t prove anymore because once you [do], people will try to invert [and debate] your truth as if it is an opinion.” The term also stands for Soul Autochthonous American. Notably, indie D.C. rapper G. Pryor frequently used the term across his 2024 Summer ‘95 LP — but Monaelo’s track essentially serves as its introduction to the mainstream hip-hop lexicon.
“Sexy Soulaan” finds Monaleo fashioning slick wordplay out of Black American proverbs, and the Pitt tha Kidd- and Romano-crafted beat feels specifically engineered to highlight her Southern rap cadence. “I need my reparations, b—h, you gotta bring me my s—t/ These b—es my kids, I been dreaming ′bout fish,” she spits, before hilariously declaring, “You never supposed to put your purse on the ground/ But I’m slamming this coin purse on the concrete!”
Directed by Evil Twins (George and Frederick Buford), the accompanying music video employs a comedic tone to reject the played-out social media concept of inviting “allies” to the proverbial cookout. With a special emphasis on Black American fashion (ornate nails, meticulously arranged braids and sparkly grills), the music video also features notably Pan-Africanist energy — with Leo, draped in a giant Black American Heritage flag, posing in front of a quilt of flags of predominantly Black countries.
“[I wanted] to promote Black unity, Black community and Black love,” Monaleo tells Billboard while en route to the studio. “And that’s always been my personal goal, especially under the umbrella of white supremacy.”
Interestingly, Horus — who has penned op-eds decrying recent manifestations of Pan-Africanism — interpreted that scene as Monaleo simply “showing we also have love and support for our allies.” “At the end of the day, she’s an artist,” he says. “And I keep saying this, because people are looking to her for [answers] about Soulaan. I understood the language, and, in totality, that was Soulaan.”
On Friday (Oct. 17), Monaleo will release her new Who Did the Body mixtape ahead of launching her headlining tour of the same name on Nov. 30 at Chicago’s Avondale Music Hall. Coming on the heels of buzzy singles like “Putting Ya Dine” and “We on Dat,” “Sexy Soulaan” is just one piece of the beautiful puzzle that is Monaleo’s 2025.
Below, the newlywed MC talks about recording “Sexy Soulaan,” decentering the American flag in her visuals, and preparing for the rest of the year.
How has life been as a newlywed so far?
Life as a newlywed has been really good. I’m enjoying the wife’s life!
When and how did you first come across the term “Soulaan,” and why did you connect to it?
I heard about it almost two years ago. I understood it as referring to the distinct culture and history of black Americans, specifically descendants of slaves. Obviously, that spoke to me, because my ancestors were slaves. It felt like a really beautiful way to display Black American pride and continue honoring the people [who] came before me.
When did you know or kind of realize that you wanted to incorporate that term explicitly into your music?
Since I started making music, I’ve wanted to make sure that people overstood what my message was, what I stood for, and what I stood against. I always knew that I wanted to find a way to incorporate that message into my music, because it relates to my fan base and my generation. I grew up with my grandmother and my mother, Southern Black American women, so the culture and the roots run really deep. It doesn’t sound like I’m preaching, but I’m just getting my generation to understand the importance of knowing your history.
What was the “Sexy Soulaan” recording session like?
[The song] came about in Atlanta just a few months ago. I was in the studio going through some beats, pulled up [“Sexy Soulaan”], and the words just started coming to me.
I remember sitting in this feeling of gratitude and being appreciative of these ideas and thanking God for them. I was writing out the verses and really trying to articulate this message in the clearest, most concise way possible. I remember getting chills all over, like, “Thank you, God, for these ideas — because I know these ideas are not mine.” It just felt like [this song] was going to be pivotal for me.
I went in, recorded it, and as soon as I came out, I loved it immediately. Sometimes, some of my songs have to grow on me, but this one, I was like, “Oh, I love this. I’m ready to drop this.”
Visually, why was it important for you to incorporate this Pan-Africanist energy with all the different flags that are represented?
The video was really important to me. Ultimately, we’re all Black. When cops pull us over, they’re not trying to figure out if you’re from Haiti or Jamaica. That’s not what’s happening. They just see you as a Black person here in America. I wanted to show some solidarity across the diaspora, and that’s why you see the flags stitched behind me.
How do you balance making music with very specific messages through channels that are inherently universal?
What’s most important to me as an artist and as an individual is detailing my own personal experiences. I’m not here to be a spokesperson. I may not have it all right, it may not be the most correct, and it may not always be delivered in the clearest way, but I’m just here to detail my own experiences.
That’s part of the reason why I got into music: to liberate myself in this process of talking about growing up as a Southern Black American woman. I’m just here to represent me, and in unapologetically representing myself, I end up speaking for a lot of young black girls who share the same experiences as me. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that.
Why did you choose to decenter the American flag in your visuals for “Sexy Soulaan?”
You see me cloaked in the Black American Heritage flag in the video, which was intentional, because a lot of black Americans don’t really resonate with the American flag, because we know how much blood has been shed over it. And we know that we’re not really included, and they don’t really have us in mind when they’re flying these flags. That’s why it was important for me to wear the Black American Heritage flag, which was created by Gleason Jackson and Melvin Charles in 1967.
The whole purpose of that flag even being created was to have something that Black Americans could be proud of and recognize us as people, as human beings, and as contributors to this country.
What’s the best compliment you’ve gotten from a peer or a fan about this song and video?
I think the best compliment was seeing people embrace the song in a positive way and understanding its true intention. It wasn’t to promote or incite any violence towards one community or another. It was just to promote Black unity and the Black community.
I grew up really misunderstood, so when people understand where it is that I’m coming from, I can always appreciate that. That always makes me feel good and validated on this journey.
Who are some dream artists you would want on a “Sexy Soulaan” remix?
Maybe Kendrick Lamar or Megan Thee Stallion. Somebody who’s really gritty and aggressive in their rap style, and unapologetically Black. Maybe Doechii too. I think I got the point across the first time around, though. [Laughs.]
What does it mean to you to be one of the first major hip-hop artists to use the term “Soulaan” in a song?
I feel really special to have been able to shed light on Black American pride. When I initially wrote the song, I didn’t really realize that not very many people have been using the term. That’s the beauty of staying the course and doing what feels aligned to you because in that process, you spark conversations you don’t even realize will be huge talking points.
I thought, if anything, white people would be mad. I expected that. But I didn’t expect all the other conversations. I’m just glad that we are opening the floor to have these conversations, and creating spaces for our community to feel loved and celebrated and uplifted.
What else do you have coming up?
My project is dropping Friday, Oct. 17, and it’s called Who Did the Body. Then we’re going to do a “Putting Ya Dine” remix. That one happened very organically, and I’m excited because the timing feels right. I’m in a good space musically, so I’m excited for people to hear this new body of work and these new singles that are coming.
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