- 2 weeks ago
GU Content Editor Danielle Wright chats with Monaleo about music, motherhood and mental health.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00What is up, GU? It is your content editor, Danielle, right here, and I am here with the one, the only Mona Leah.
00:07Hey, how are you doing today?
00:09I'm doing good. Excited to be here.
00:12Love that, love that.
00:13Very excited.
00:14So I feel like we boast about you, we talk about you all the time on GU, and I feel like we know about the journey.
00:21But today I want to focus on the success of your project from Where the Flowers Don't Die to everything that's been going on.
00:28And so, which, by the way, I love, like Ridgemont Baby, ass kicking.
00:32I love it. I love it.
00:34Houston anthems.
00:36Period. Exactly.
00:37So speaking of Houston, it's such a big part of your identity.
00:41What is it about the city that gives you the confidence to really disrupt the music industry?
00:46I feel like we just have so many iconic talent that comes out of Houston.
00:52It's like a standard.
00:54Like, I feel like Beyonce is obviously the standard of music.
00:59So it's like, how could we both be from Houston, and I'm not bringing the same energy that Beyonce is bringing, or at least trying to channel an ounce of the energy that she brings.
01:09So it's just a lot of pressure being from Houston, but pressure in the best way possible.
01:15Love that, love that.
01:16So you recently had a baby boy, which, congratulations.
01:20We have to ask, what has been the one song that he's been loving?
01:24Like, whether you sing it to him to go to sleep, or if, like, he needs it on replay to relax.
01:30Like, what is it?
01:31Girl, I don't know about relax, but my son loves Don Julio.
01:36So every time I played Don Julio, he'd just get the bouncing around left to right.
01:42He just lights up.
01:44I think it's because I was playing it so much when he, like, around the time he was getting ready to turn one.
01:52And so now every time I play it, he just, it's like Miss Rachel.
01:56For real, for real.
01:57Like, he gets hurt, for real.
01:59So Don Julio, that's his jam.
02:01I love that you brought that up because we have to talk about Don Julio and your other freestyle, the Espresso remix.
02:08How did that song come together?
02:11What was, like, a backstory?
02:13How did Don Julio come together?
02:14Yeah.
02:15Okay, girl.
02:16So I'm in the studio.
02:18I'm in the studio.
02:19I'm in L.A.
02:21This is 2023 at this point.
02:23This is in 2023.
02:25Okay.
02:25And Don Julio comes out in, it came out in 2024.
02:28So this is almost two years ago.
02:30So I'm in the studio and I'm just chilling.
02:33I'm bobbing.
02:34I got me some Don Julio in front of me.
02:37And I must have been calling, stunning.
02:39I'm, like, calling him.
02:40He's not answering.
02:41He's supposed to be out of town shooting a music video.
02:44But we weren't really seeing eye to eye that day.
02:47So some was just like, what the fuck are you doing?
02:50So I'm calling him.
02:51He's not answering.
02:54And I'm just like,
02:55I'm going to go.
03:01I'm actually going to,
03:02I remember telling myself,
03:03I'm going to channel this energy.
03:04I'm going to go in the booth.
03:05By the time I finish recording this song,
03:10somebody better have called me back.
03:12Or else.
03:14So just picture that.
03:17And I'm in the studio and I'm,
03:18and I'm a little turnt.
03:19So I got the liquid courage.
03:21So I'm really just popping it.
03:22Just talking shit.
03:24And then he ends up calling me halfway through.
03:27And then, you know,
03:29but I had to just keep going with the song though.
03:31I had to just keep going with the song.
03:33Cause it was so good.
03:34It was,
03:34I was so invested in it at that point.
03:36It was like,
03:36no,
03:36I got to keep going.
03:39And yeah,
03:40that is the story of how Don Julio came about.
03:43I love that.
03:43I love a good little lore.
03:45But like,
03:46did you think that the,
03:47exactly.
03:47Did you think that the song was going to like pop off?
03:50It was going to be like this fun little track.
03:52Like no clue.
03:54No clue.
03:54You never really,
03:55like,
03:55I feel like you have a good idea,
03:57but you can never really predict those things.
03:59Like maybe people will like the song.
04:02Maybe people won't like the song.
04:04I,
04:04I really wasn't even concerned about that.
04:06I was just throwing paint at the wall at that point.
04:09And it's just like,
04:09whatever I feel,
04:10whatever I'm listening to that I like,
04:12I'm just going to put it out.
04:13And however people receive it is how they receive it.
04:15And six months after I put it out,
04:17then I,
04:18then it caught this buzz and this wave.
04:20And now Don Julio is,
04:22you know,
04:22but I didn't expect that at all.
04:24You know,
04:24what's so funny that you say that is that literally happened with Beyonce and
04:29bow down.
04:29Like she literally,
04:30I remember there was an interview that she did that she literally went inside the
04:34studio and she was like,
04:35I'm going to just say whatever.
04:37And that's how she made bow down.
04:38And it ended up just like blowing up.
04:40So I love that little Beyonce face.
04:42We on the same page.
04:43Be gets,
04:44I can't be,
04:44be gets me.
04:45Period.
04:46Period.
04:46So you seem to be an artist that really loves to take their time to,
04:52to perfect their craft.
04:54Absolutely.
04:54Can you dive into how you work in the studio and how you distribute,
04:59distribute to your fans?
05:00Cause I feel like when it comes to your music,
05:02it's like,
05:02we get some,
05:03we aren't popping.
05:04And then it's like,
05:05we waiting a little bit.
05:06Then we get another song and we aren't popping.
05:08So like,
05:08what's with the gap?
05:09We have to know.
05:11That's a really good,
05:13you know,
05:13I don't even be trying to have no gap.
05:15It's like,
05:16you kind of annoying to like,
05:18realize to wake up and realize,
05:19damn,
05:19it's a gap.
05:20But it's just like,
05:23you know,
05:23I just be trying to pace myself and I'm kind of like,
05:26I'm on my own journey.
05:29And I'm not in a rush,
05:32you know,
05:33I understand like the importance of striking when it's hot and,
05:38you know,
05:38you have a hot song,
05:38you want to put another one.
05:39I understand all of that.
05:40Trust me,
05:41I get it.
05:41But I'm just on my own journey.
05:46I'm on my own path.
05:46I'm going at my own pace,
05:48whatever works for me.
05:50And that's like the simplest way that I can put it.
05:55So it's never really intentional.
05:56Like,
05:56oh,
05:56I'm going to wait six months.
05:57I'm going to wait four months before I put another song out.
05:59It's just,
06:01you know,
06:01I just be in the studio recording.
06:03I just be recording.
06:03I'll be working.
06:04I'll be shooting stuff.
06:05I'll be,
06:06you know,
06:06doing videos,
06:07photoshoot shows,
06:08this,
06:08that,
06:09and the third.
06:09So it just gets to a point where you just get caught up in the elements.
06:13Yeah.
06:14And I don't want to rush to put anything out and put out something that I don't believe in.
06:18So I always try to put out songs that I really believe in when I believe in them.
06:23For sure.
06:24I really like that answer because I think in this day and age,
06:27it's so much pressure that like every Friday we have to have something out from an artist,
06:32you know?
06:32So I think it really is important for you to take your time and really just figure out everything
06:36because once you put out an album,
06:39I feel like that's when the criticism just hits.
06:42And it's like,
06:43I would rather,
06:44I'm saying like,
06:45well,
06:45I'm a personal piece,
06:45but it's like,
06:46I would rather you like take your time,
06:48know like this is a solid project and put it out.
06:52Because I know some fans will be like,
06:54we're waiting,
06:54we're waiting,
06:55you know?
06:56And it's kind of like,
06:57well,
06:57wait,
06:58like we're still waiting on R9.
06:59Like,
07:00relax,
07:00like put it out.
07:01Exactly.
07:02Wait,
07:02exactly.
07:04Like,
07:04and it's not to be rude to fans or anything,
07:06but it's just like,
07:07I'm an artist and I'm figuring out my own creative process and I want to be authentic to myself.
07:11So it's like whatever time that I need to take to make sure that I'm continuing to be authentic in this process,
07:16I feel should be respected.
07:18I love that.
07:19And it kind of brings me into my next question for you is,
07:22you know,
07:22you've been in this game for a hot minute.
07:24Is there anything that you've had to unlearn about success,
07:29especially when it comes to protecting your peace?
07:32I would say what I have to unlearn is there's not really one formula that will work.
07:41When you come into the industry,
07:43people try to convince you that like you have to follow the same blueprint that somebody else followed.
07:48And the truth of the matter is your process is your process.
07:54So how somebody blows up may not work for you.
07:57And I'm a very firm believer in like,
08:00I'm not about to go copy what I see is working for the next woman because it worked for her.
08:07And I've completely abandoned my own mission.
08:10And now I'm jumping on her shit.
08:12And now I'm trying to do what I see her doing because it's working for her.
08:15And I feel like people can smell that on you where you're not being authentic.
08:19And when you're trying to follow somebody else's way,
08:21following somebody else's footsteps.
08:23I saw this interview that Nicki Minaj did.
08:28And she said,
08:29when you jump from trend to trend to trend,
08:34you basically become faceless.
08:36And I completely agree with that.
08:38Like when you try to hop on whatever is hot,
08:43you lose your own authenticity.
08:46And like I said,
08:47when you come into this industry,
08:48people try to convince you that there is one way of doing things.
08:54Like,
08:54oh,
08:54you have to do this.
08:55Like this is the order of sequence that you have to follow.
08:58You have to do this and this and this and put out this song and you have to do a sample.
09:02And you got to sign to a major label and you got to do this and this and that.
09:04But in this order and I just completely disagree with that.
09:10And Doshi is a perfect example of like,
09:13if it's going to work for you,
09:15it's going to work no matter how long it takes,
09:17no matter what the song sounds like.
09:19If it's going to work,
09:20it's just,
09:21if it's in the cards for it to work out for you,
09:23it's just going to work out for you.
09:25So that's why I always say I'm just at my own pace.
09:28I'm not in a rush because when it comes,
09:31I want to make sure that I'm fully equipped
09:33and I'm prepared and I'm grounded and I'm seated in who I am.
09:39So it's like,
09:40this feels good to me.
09:42And this feels like it belongs to me.
09:44For sure.
09:45I feel like you're a very like individual artist.
09:49There's nobody that sounds like you.
09:51There's nobody who puts out projects like you.
09:53There's no one that is like you even lyrically.
09:56I think one thing I love about you is you do stay true to that Houston sound,
10:00but you found a way to truly make it your own,
10:02which is also very important.
10:05Absolutely.
10:05Thank you for that.
10:06Of course.
10:07Of course.
10:07I want to talk about your signature look,
10:10which is this Leo beat.
10:11I feel like this makeup look,
10:13it's like,
10:13it's the Leo look.
10:14It's me.
10:15It's really me.
10:16It's really me.
10:18At this point,
10:19I need to work with a makeup company or something because this,
10:23I get so many compliments on my own beat.
10:25And people are always like,
10:26who does your makeup?
10:27I'm like,
10:27girl,
10:27I do it.
10:28What the fuck are you talking about?
10:29I ain't doing it.
10:31Yes.
10:31I love it.
10:32My signature beat.
10:33Obviously I like a matte base.
10:38Lots of blush on the cheeks,
10:41blush on the nose.
10:42And you know what?
10:43I just think it's so funny that everybody's coming around to the blush on the
10:46nose thing because when I was doing it back in high school,
10:50when I first started doing makeup and I was doing it in high school,
10:52I remember everybody like,
10:53what's on your nose?
10:54Why is your nose red?
10:55Are you sick?
10:56Like it just used to be all types of weird little comments and people,
11:00they didn't get it.
11:01They really didn't get it,
11:02but it never deterred me.
11:04So I'm there.
11:04It just feels great to see everybody coming around to the blush nose.
11:08Cause it's like,
11:08Oh wow.
11:09How ironic.
11:10Cause when I was blushing my nose,
11:12everybody was like,
11:12I was fucking crazy.
11:14Granted,
11:14I probably had a little bit of blush blindness.
11:16Like I might've been,
11:18I probably still got a little bit of blush blindness to this day.
11:20Like I love a lot of blush.
11:22I just think it's so cute and feminine and dainty and fairy-esque like,
11:27and princessy.
11:28I like it personally,
11:29but yeah,
11:30that's my signature beat.
11:31And you know,
11:31this face only takes like 45 minutes.
11:33I'm getting so good that it's like,
11:36I,
11:36if I have like 30 minutes,
11:37it could still look like this if I'm locked in.
11:41Oh,
11:41I can never,
11:42I can never,
11:42but like,
11:43I want to know,
11:43like how do you get it so that it's all like flawless?
11:47Like what's the skincare prep?
11:49The skincare prep.
11:51So I like the,
11:51um,
11:52the Bobby Brown skin enhancer.
11:54It's like a,
11:54it's like a face base.
11:56It's what it's called.
11:56A face base.
11:57It's kind of like a moisturizer.
11:58And then I like the milk makeup,
12:01the grip primer.
12:02Yeah.
12:02The hydro grip,
12:03the hydro grip.
12:05Love that one too.
12:06That's like the base.
12:07And it's kind of,
12:08it's still glowy,
12:09but it's tacky.
12:11So that makeup is in place.
12:13And then I like to set it with,
12:16um,
12:17a couple of different setting sprays,
12:19but I definitely like to set my makeup with the one size,
12:22um,
12:23waterproof.
12:24The setting spray.
12:25Mm-hmm.
12:25The pink,
12:26the one in the pink bottle.
12:27Okay.
12:28Oh,
12:28I know what you're talking about.
12:29So good.
12:29Your makeup will not move.
12:31Very flawless.
12:32Yeah.
12:33Airbrushed.
12:33I'm going to have to make a trip to Sephora after this.
12:35Exactly.
12:36I can take you.
12:37I'll tell you exactly which products I use.
12:39I will take you up on that.
12:41But also speaking of your look,
12:44pink has been a very,
12:45very,
12:46very expressive color for you.
12:47I love pink.
12:48I wore pink today because of you.
12:50And it looks amazing on you,
12:51by the way.
12:52Looks great on you.
12:53We almost,
12:54we almost wore the same thing today.
12:56Mm-hmm.
12:56And I packed this in my suitcase
12:57and I was going to wear it today,
12:59but I was like,
12:59nah,
12:59I'm going to just wear some chill shit today.
13:01Mm-hmm.
13:02Because I wanted to get,
13:03yeah,
13:03we almost wore the same thing.
13:05So we were in sync.
13:06We would have been sitting here,
13:07matching.
13:07No,
13:07for real.
13:08Looking at each other like,
13:09like the Spider-Man beam.
13:12The Spider-Man beam,
13:13yes,
13:13girl.
13:14So yeah,
13:14so is it just because it's your favorite color?
13:16Because it's like everywhere.
13:17Yeah,
13:18it's the color that makes me feel the most comfortable.
13:20It just reminds me of my childhood and I just feel like I'm healing my inner child by wearing pink every day as an adult because it's something that I love to do.
13:32And in the midst of everything that I was going through in my childhood in my childhood, I remember wearing pink and painting my walls pink and that was like my safe color.
13:44So now that I have free will and I'm an adult and I got adult money, that's what I choose to like, you know, make my own.
13:52And people, not everybody agrees, but everybody's always trying to get me to do other colors and it's so annoying to continuously have the same conversation over and over and over again.
14:03Cause I could say it a thousand different ways.
14:05Like this is the color that I'm going to wear, but I'll be bumping heads with like stylists, my team, my managers.
14:12They always be like, please, Leah, with the pink sheet, like you're blowing me.
14:17It's been five years.
14:18Yes, it's been five years.
14:19So you should know at this point, it's not a game.
14:22Pink or nothing.
14:23Pink or nothing.
14:24I'm really living the pink lifestyle.
14:26So yeah, it's my favorite color though.
14:28I love it.
14:28I will always wear pink.
14:29Maybe I'll get out.
14:30Maybe I will grow out of it though.
14:31Okay, girl.
14:32But no, I'm a pink girl too.
14:34Like I never get tired of it.
14:36Like I'm not even close to being tired of it.
14:38So it's like, damn, I wonder when I will grow out of it and wear other shit.
14:41I'll be looking at other colors like, damn, that's fly.
14:43But I wouldn't wear that cause it's not pink.
14:46Well, I'm really excited because I feel like, yeah, pink is such like a core color for you.
14:51Like I don't think I can imagine you like a blue or green.
14:54Could you imagine if I came in here with like green hair?
14:57Girl, I could see it.
14:59But I had to have my pink so that I'm going to look like an AKA for real.
15:03No facts.
15:04If I came in here like that, yeah.
15:05Facts.
15:06So Black Girl to Black Girl, what's a message or affirmation that you tell someone who may be struggling with mental health?
15:11I would tell them my go-to is you are worthy, you are loved, you are appreciated, and you would be missed.
15:22Because a lot of people, well, first of all, when I was going through what I was going through a few years ago, I remember I joined a forum online, like a chat, group chat.
15:33And I was just kind of venting to it anonymously.
15:35We were talking to each other anonymously so nobody knew who I was.
15:38I didn't know who they were.
15:39We had screen names, and I was just kind of venting, and I would never forget, and I screenshotted this because it was so impactful.
15:45It was such a short sentence, but it was so impactful to me.
15:48One of the people on there was like, Leo, we would miss you.
15:51And I'm like, my dude, they didn't know me.
15:54We had never met each other.
15:55They didn't know what I looked like.
15:56They just said that, and I could tell that they were very sincere about that.
16:01And sometimes that's all people need to hear, because sometimes people just feel like they're not appreciated in certain spaces.
16:07They're not wanted.
16:10They don't belong.
16:11They might feel the imposter syndrome.
16:12All the things that kind of seep into your brain when you're struggling with yourself.
16:19So telling people that is like, that's like my go-to, because that's what worked on me.
16:27And that's how I really feel.
16:29I miss people who I've never even met before all the time, and I just feel like more people need to hear that they're appreciated.
16:35And like, actually, we do need you here.
16:38That's what I would tell them.
16:39I love that.
16:40Very, very sweet.
16:41So winding down to my last question, let's talk now about your next project.
16:46So what do you want your next era to feel like emotionally and visually?
16:52That's a really good question.
16:55Emotionally, I want my next project to be candid and taboo.
17:06So I want to talk about all the taboo topics that people are normally not comfortable talking about.
17:12Okay.
17:12So I'll be getting into that on my next project.
17:15And then visually, I want it to be...
17:17Pink.
17:18Of course.
17:19Always pink.
17:20Always pink.
17:21But, you know, I want to...
17:23So I'm going back to school this summer for mortuary science.
17:27I went to school for mortuary science before I became an artist.
17:30And in the midst of that, I'm working and doing it.
17:32But then I become an artist.
17:33So I ended up dropping out of school.
17:38But I'm going back to school this summer for mortuary science.
17:41And I want to just talk more about grief and death and just normalizing those conversations.
17:49Insurance, like...
17:51For real, I want to normalize that because I feel like it's so taboo in our community.
17:55Yeah.
17:55That we don't really...
17:57We don't talk about it pretty much at all.
18:01And I feel like I've had so many run-ins with death.
18:04So many experiences with death.
18:07Near-death experiences.
18:10You know, people around...
18:12I just noticed that my family is really finicky about that topic.
18:16And a lot of people in our community are finicky about that topic.
18:19And we're underprepared emotionally, financially.
18:24And I just want to open up the space to have a conversation about that.
18:29So that's what I'm trying to do for my next project.
18:33In a tasteful way, of course.
18:34I feel like once you start talking about death and stuff like that, people get real...
18:37Finicky.
18:38Finicky.
18:39You know, they start calling you devil worshiper and all types of weird stuff.
18:43And it's like, none of the things.
18:45I just always...
18:47It's just one of those things that a lot of people struggle with.
18:51And so I want to be able to have that.
18:53And it's something that I have personally really struggled with.
18:56I struggle with grief.
18:59To this day, I have a very difficult time getting over certain deaths that have occurred already in my life.
19:05So I just want to be able to have that conversation with my community.
19:07And I just want to talk more about it.
19:11Yeah, for sure.
19:12I mean, being candid myself, when my grandmother passed, I think that was my first real experience with death.
19:22And it was as if no one wanted to talk about it.
19:26I couldn't talk to my mom.
19:27I couldn't talk to my auntie.
19:28No one wanted to talk about it.
19:30So I think it is important for our community to be more vocal about it and talk about it as a family, especially.
19:37You know, because everybody is grieving in their own way.
19:39But I think it makes it easier when you're able to really just grieve together rather than by yourself, for sure.
19:45Absolutely.
19:46There's like, you know, power in solidarity and being there for each other and being able to lean on your community, lean on the people around you.
19:56And I'm also sorry about your grandmother, too, because I know, like, my grandmother is a pillar in my family.
20:02So I know even when my grandmother is sick or a few years ago, my grandmother had a stroke and everybody was just kind of like, we were looking at you like, what the hell do we do?
20:13Like, so I know that was very difficult for you.
20:15So I'm sorry that you had to experience that.
20:17But, yeah, I agree.
20:18I think that we should have more open conversation.
20:21And I just feel like death is inevitable.
20:23And it's one of those things that is, I hate to say it, looming over us.
20:28Yeah.
20:28Essentially it is.
20:29Essentially it is.
20:30And it's like, it's like the elephant in the room sometimes.
20:34And it's like, let's just have this conversation.
20:37Like, I'm one of those people who already have life insurance.
20:40I have all my things in order.
20:42I talk to my insurance people, what happens if this, what happens if that, who gets what?
20:46Like, I'm very, I'm overly prepared.
20:51God forbid, but I'm really, but it's just, it's just one of those things.
20:54Like, you can never be too prepared.
20:56And I feel like people like to pretend like it's, it just don't be happening.
21:00Yeah.
21:00And be put in, you know, and it leaves families with a lot of stress and misplaced anger and aggression and emotions.
21:09And it affects people's mental health.
21:11Like, it's just a lot.
21:12So I want to do my part and try to open up that conversation.
21:15And I hope that people receive it well.
21:17Because like I said, I just, I know how awkward that conversation can be.
21:21So that's the goal for me.
21:24For sure.
21:24For sure.
21:25Now I do want to end you, James, on a lighter note.
21:28So I'm going to ask you one more question.
21:30So what can we expect from you for the remainder of 2025?
21:36Let's see.
21:36We're in April.
21:37So, number one, my birthday is next week.
21:41Period.
21:42Okay.
21:42Happy early birthday.
21:44So that's what you can expect.
21:46I'm getting older.
21:47No.
21:48I'm putting out singles, some really fire singles.
21:52And they all live in different, you know how I am with my singles.
21:55All my singles are just all over the place.
21:58But I really enjoy that because I get an opportunity to live in these different spaces and worlds for a short time.
22:04And then I can move on so I can, you know, I have the opportunity to get shit out and I move on to the next thing that I'm on.
22:09But so expect some singles, expect a project later this year.
22:16Expect some hot shit, some fire looks.
22:19I'm getting married this year as well.
22:21So expect a very grand.
22:23Actually, you know what?
22:25Expect a very grand wedding.
22:26I really would love to do something with Essence, though, surrounding the wedding.
22:31Because I feel like Essence has supported me so much.
22:35So I would love to do some sort of spread or even like what we did a few years ago when we did the spread and we took all the pictures and we did the write-up.
22:43Even if it's something like that, I would love to have a Black publication present at the wedding.
22:52Yeah.
22:52So that's one of my goals as well.
22:54So I hope we can do something with Essence for that.
22:56For sure.
22:57Side note, we actually do have a series called Bridal Bliss that we do on the Essence side.
23:02So I definitely need to let Nandi know about that.
23:04Yes.
23:05For sure.
23:06But congratulations on getting married soon.
23:10And yeah, so this has been GU James with Danielle and Mona Leo.
23:14Until next time.
23:15Bye.
23:22Bye.
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