Who Did The Body
Houston MC Monaleo has long draped herself in pink, using the color as both armor and attitude, but as she proves on *Who Did the Body*, beneath all the glam lies true grit. Tracks like “Spare Change” and “Sexy Soulaan” radiate the same fiery confidence that fueled her 2021 breakout single, “Beating Down Yo Block,” while the strip club-ready “Freak Show” (featuring Lizzo) is the MC’s audacity in full form. But don’t for a second believe Monaleo is going it alone. On “Tamron Hall” she declares, “I got God whenever I walk, I can never fail if I lose it all.” Hailing from a hometown that has always honored the ability to flex as a divine blessing, it’s no wonder Houston legends Bun B, Paul Wall, and Lil’ Keke show up on the triumphant closer “We on Dat,” happy to pass the torch to their shared city’s next star.
The Houston artist shines as a storyteller over bouncy throwback Southern hip-hop. Though she has a beautiful voice, the ballads still don’t measure up.