Monaleo

Biography

Leondra Roshawn Caldwell (née Gay; born April 24, 2001), known by her stage name Monaleo (/ˌmoʊnəˈliːoʊ/ MOH-nuh-LEE-oh), is an American rapper and songwriter. She gained recognition in early 2021 for her single "Beating Down Yo Block".

Early life

Gay was born on April 24, 2001 and raised in Houston, Texas. She attended The High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, located in Houston. She was in pursuit of a degree in mortuary science at Prairie View A&M University before putting her studies on pause due to her musical career.

Career

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. The song samples "Knockin Pictures Off da Wall" by Yungstar and was writte while she was struggling with a bad breakup. 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", the former of which samples "Outside" by OG Bobby Billions. In August 2021, Gay released a music video for the single, "Suck It Up". She released the single "We Not Humping" in December 2021; She raps over a southern hip hop beat. a remix of the song featuring Flo Milli was released in April 2022.
On May 26, 2023, she released her debut studio album, Where the Flowers Don't Die, featuring a guest appearance from Flo Milli. On September 27, 2024, Gay released her first EP, Throwing Bows, featuring guest appearances from Stunna 4 Vegas, Sauce Walka, Kaliii, and other artists. She released her second album, Who Did the Body, on October 17, 2025. She embarked on a North American tour in support of the album, but rescheduled multiple tour dates following a medical emergency. The album featured the single "Putting Ya Dine"; a remix of the song featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again was released in October 2025. She supported Summer Walker's Still Finally Over It Tour in 2026 alongside Odeal. The Houston City Council proclaimed April 24, 2026 as "Leondra Roshawn Caldwell Day". She featured on a remix of the Trim song "Nobody" alongside G Herbo which was released in July 2026.
Gay is represented by the Stomp Down collective.

Personal life

Gay has stated she is bisexual.
Gay's younger brother is rapper Yung Rampage. She has publicly shared about her past suicide attempts and mental health. In May 2023, Gay gave birth to her first child with partner Stunna 4 Vegas. Gay and Caldwell engaged in 2023 and married on September 19, 2025.
In March 2026, she suffered from "an inflamed cyst the size of a softball"; during emergency surgery, an ovary and fallopian tube were removed. She was diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).
She is a supporter of the BDS movement.