Houston rapper Monaleo has gone viral several times on TikTok for her skillful and witty lyrics.
However, her new song “Sexy Soulaan” has gone viral for a slightly different reason: it’s celebration of Black American culture!
The term “Soulaan” refers to African American descendants of slavery living in the US. It was coined by T-Roy Parks, Maroc Wallace, and Dwayne Coleman. Soulaan is a shortened version of the term Soul Autochthonous American, meaning a black American who is native to America, rather than an immigrant.
TikTok users were excited for the song after hearing snippets of it during the rapper’s glamourous wedding to fellow rapper Stunna 4 Vegas, last week.
With lyrics like “If you ain’t black stay the f* out the business”, Leo makes it clear that she is unapologetically black and tired of others having easy access to her culture.
Her song not only uplifts Soulaan or Soulaani women, but it also references several Black American superstitions and customs.
“I’m sweeping these b* they tryna spit on the broom.”
Brooms are significant for several reasons in the black (American) community. It is said that if you sweep your own feet, you are cursed with bad luck. The only way to undo it is to spit on it.
“These b* my kids, I been dreaming ’bout fish.”
It is said that when an elder (or anyone) has a dream about fish, someone that they know is pregnant.
“You never supposed to put your purse to the ground…”
This references the superstition that putting your purse on the ground equates to bad financial luck.
“They throwing salt on the player cause they can’t get in the room.”
This references the idea that throwing salt on someone is seen as cursing someone. The “they” she’s referencing are her haters. They’re throwing salt on “the player” or her, because they cannot get in to “the room” or to the level of success that she has achieved.
Why is this song important?
Black Americans have been cultivating our own culture since our ancestors were shipped here and stripped of our native customs and traditions. However, Black American culture often doesn’t get the same respect as other cultures across the diaspora.
Growing up and even now, I was always asked the question, “Where are you from?”, to which I replied, “Queens, New York”, but almost immediately I would be met with, “No, where is your family from?”, to which I would say “just here, America.”
The use of the words, “just America”, almost minimizes the impact that black american culture has.
When I was younger, I felt like I didn’t have a real culture. All my friends had direct ties to their native cultures, and I felt like I didn’t. It wasn’t until I got old that I realized that Black American culture is its own culture, and it is so deeply embedded in me.
The problem is that my culture is so accessible to others that I didn’t even realize it as mine. Everyone listens to music created by Black Americans, talks in dialects created by black Americans, wears styles of clothing popularized by black Americans.
Black American culture is something you see every day, without even recognizing it. Black American culture is a head nod, a smile, or dap up with the other black person you walk past. It’s the bonnet and scarf you wear to bed every night. It’s the food you eat every Thanksgiving. It’s the church you used to attend every Sunday with your grandmother.
That is why Monaleo’s song is so important. Rarely do you see a song about “the culture.”
The rapper also refers to herself as a Black American Princess, a phrase coined in the 90s used to describe black women in this country. It was vastly popularized with the movie B.A.P.S., starring Halle Berry and the late Natalie Deselle Reid.
There are so many more fun references and clever bars used within this song, so please go check it out and let me know the ones that I missed! And go stream Monaleo’s music ASAP, you won’t regret it!!!
Sincerely, your favorite trendy girl,
That Trendy Black Girl🎀 
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