Thirty years ago, Outkast member Andre 3000 said one of the most infamous lines in Hip-Hop history, as the rap group was booed off while accepting the award for “Best New Artist” during the 1995 Source Awards: “The South got something to say.”
During that time, the East and West Coasts were engaged in a prolific music battle to show who owned the rap genre. Andre 3000 and Outkast winning that night is a moment that changed the trajectory and image of who the “shot callers” of the rap game were, officially putting the South on the map.
In 2025, we are still seeing the products of that unfiltered storytelling that came from the first era of Southern Hip-Hop.
Houston rapper Monaleo, famous for her 2021 song “Beating Down Yo Block,” released her third studio album, “Who Did the Body?” on Friday, Oct. 17. Inspired by her past aspirations to be a funeral director, even studying mortuary science briefly in college, Monaleo contemplates concepts of death, grief, remembrance and expectation in this album.
The 12-track album starts with the intro song, “Life After Death,” where Monaleo ponders her own death, what happens after, its impact on her family and friends and how she wants to be remembered.
She speaks about wanting to advocate to God for her family, watching over them as they cry about her death, a sentiment that she adamantly refutes, wanting them to know she is OK and to move forward:
“Watching all my people crying, can they feel that I'ma be okay? I'm good/ Why you curled up in that bed?/B—h, get up and get out (uh-huh).”
While the song has a beautiful sentiment and a distinctive southern flair, the beat doesn’t carry the same impact as Monaleo’s cadence. It is clearly a 90s-00s-inspired beat, but it's missing the strength of her usual gangster-rap-esque beats.
The second track on the album “Bigger than Big” came from a freestyle in a collaboration between Twitch streamer Kai Cenat’s third Mafiathon and On The Radar Radio.
Though not the album’s most lyrically developed track, Monaleo raps over a church beat about her rise to stardom, dismissing comparisons with the line, “B—es be thinking they bigger than me, but who's bigger than me when I'm bigger than big?”
“Sexy Soulaan,” “Putting Ya Dine” and “We On Dat” were released as singles before the album’s release.
“Sexy Soulaan” sparked controversy for its pro-black, anti-white supremacist message. In the video, Monaleo celebrates black culture at a cookout, singing “All the non-blacks to the back,” while displaying the Black American Heritage flag. Some critics argue she distorted the flag’s meaning and blurred the specific cultural identity connected with the term Soulaan.
The line mentioned previously has also brought forth allegations that Monaleo promoted “Black Supremacy,” with some conflating the term “Black fatigue” with the song.
“Sexy Soulaan,” along with “We On Dat,” has garnered positive attention for promoting African-American spirituality and culture. “We On Dat” features Monaleo dancing with her friends, rapping about defending herself and confronting people who have gossiped about her.
Monaleo appears with indigo-stained hands and female familial elders in traditional Hoodoo attire, surrounded by white dresses hanging from a tree to symbolize their ancestors.
The album includes the remix to the song with features from iconic southern rappers Bun B, Paul Wall and Lil’Keke.
While continuing the theme of paying homage to ancestors and those we have lost, the song “Open The Gates” references Heaven, Eve and the Serpent, and pays tribute to her friends Darren, Yonna, Xaven and Enchanting, who have passed away.
Enchanting was an up-and-coming rapper who died due to an overdose. Enchanting went viral for her song with her mentor Gucci Mane, “No Luv,” featuring Big Scarr and Key Glock.
The album also includes “Freak Show” featuring Lizzo, which takes a club-spooky route to its production. It feels like a vampire-club banger. “Tamron Hall,” named after the award-winning journalist and talk show host, takes a more surprising turn as the rapper starts to show off her vocal skills, transitioning into a fully vocal song with “Locked In.” “Locked In” talks about her experience moving on from a breakup and shows the vocalist’s potential as a rapper.
“Spare Change” takes a very visibly late 80s-early 90s rap aesthetic. Monaleo uses this song to show off her storytelling abilities that are reminiscent of many early rappers. It is one of, if not the best, lyrically executed songs on the album. It has a blunt and impactful message about judging those who are in unfortunate situations, and the unfortunate impact those events have on those they impact.
Telling the story of a man who was addicted to drugs, overdosing, leaving behind his daughter, who eventually turns to prostitution, which leads to Monaleo doing her post-human autopsy, with the song’s hook being “Don't be stingy, spend some change/ Shake, shake/ Don't you know that bums have a name?”
In “Dignified,” Monaleo uses the same modern, theatrical storytelling style to reflect on the abruptness of death. She paints a scenario where she and her friends die in a drunk driving incident, using it to give a powerful message about the dangers of driving under the influence. The song ends with her plea to “die dignified,” while acknowledging that one can not predict their death.
The last of the newer songs on the album is “Diary Of An OG,” which reflects on her physical duties, moral responsibilities and ethical obligations as an older sister. Telling of the burdens and loneliness of an older sister, even as you work harder to provide for your family and younger siblings.
Monaleo’s album powerfully honors her culture and spirituality with refreshing flair, though it lacks consistent production quality. Some songs, such as “Life After Death” and “Bigger Than Big,” could have benefited from swapping beats. While the storytelling is strong, it feels uneven and could use a more cohesive narrative style like in Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale” or JID’s “The Forever Story.”
Rating: 3.5
