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If there’s any modern online trend that has been grinding folks’ gears lately, it’s “the cookout.” The mythical, metaphorical gathering of Black folks for celebration and commiseration is beginning to lose its cultural cachet thanks to a laissez-faire approach to giving invitations to outsiders, and Houston rapper Monaleo is over it.
In the video for her new song “Sexy Soulaan,” Monaleo throws her own cookout in the backyard — and throws out anyone who comes along thinking they belong because they can mimic aspects of the culture. Combining well-worn adages with her own homespun wisdom, the Texas tongue twister details her philosophy, explaining why she thinks, “If you ain’t Black, stay the f*ck out the business.”
“Blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice / You know they say the bigger the bush, the deeper the root / I’m knowing it’s a bitch like me that’s being produced, but you can’t / Outdo the doer, I’m doing the do,” she raps, as her sisters and cousins twerk, line dance, and cavort — and a pair of nosy white boys get chucked.
Monaleo’s come a long way from “Crying On Your Birthday.” Earlier this month, she celebrated her nuptials in a hometown ceremony where she debuted the new song, which adds a new dimension to her artistry. We’re looking forward to hearing how this new facet develops on her upcoming follow-up to 2023 debut, Where The Flowers Don’t Die.
Watch Monaleo’s “Sexy Soulaan” video above.
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