Megan Thee Stallion

By Michael Kaiser
Music Journalist

Houston local Megan Jovon Ruth Pete has made a name for herself as one of the most talented and influential rappers in the game right now. Since her musical debut in 2016, Megan, known as Megan Thee Stallion, rapidly rose through the ranks. She has collaborated with multiple big-name artists including Chance the Rapper, Normani, Beyonce, and Cardi B.

Her music has consistently been at the top of the charts. Most recently, her remix of “Savage” featuring Beyonce made history by making them the first pair of women to ever win for best rap performance at the Grammys. With all the hard work Megan has put in, I think it’s safe to say that 2020 was the year of Thee Stallion.

After being born in San Antonio, TX, Megan Thee Stallion and her mother moved to Houston, TX. Rather than taking her to daycare, her mother would bring Megan with her to recording sessions. The talent in this family must be hereditary, because while she was in college, Megan began recording videos of her free-styling and uploading them to her social media. Her talent quickly helped her gain traction and make a name for herself in the male-dominated world of hip hop.

Male and female rappers seem to be held to different standards, but Megan has let it be known that she’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind. Her mother originally thought her lyrics were too sexual, but Megan didn’t let that stop her from chasing her dreams.

According to Megan, some of her biggest musical influences have been Pimp C, The Notorious B.I.G, and Three 6 Mafia. The influence of these renowned rappers is expressed in her music through her expert word-play and confidence. Juicy J, one of the main members of Three 6 Mafia, actually produced Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Pimpin” on her album titled Fever. In 2017, Megan uploaded her “Stalli Freestyle” to Youtube.

This is one of her best freestyles and it helped her gain some well-deserved recognition. Currently sitting at over 10 million views, this video helped pave the way for Megan’s successful rap career, and it depicts her free-styling faultlessly for 2 minutes straight in her Houston neighborhood.

In 2018, Megan became the first female rapper signed to her label. She also released her album titled Tina Snow, which includes some classics such as “Cocky AF,” “Big Ole Freak,” and “Make a Bag” featuring Moneybagg Yo.

In an interview, Megan stated she didn’t want to be “poppin’ this year and not poppin’ the next.” Her confidence and unmatched work ethic have ensured that Megan is here to stay.

In 2019, she became one of only 11 artists included in the annual XXL Freshman Class. Her cipher was one of the best that year, and she blew everyone out of the water as she showed the other Freshman why she deserved her spot. Megan’s obvious talent and rise in popularity have earned her some great new gigs as well as some befitting awards.

If you’ve never listened to Megan Thee Stallion before, I would highly recommend her songs “Cash Sht” featuring Da Baby, the remix of “Savage” featuring Beyoncé, and “RNB” with Young Dolph. “Cash Sht” received a ton of praise from critics, and became arguably the best song on the album. The remix of “Savage” created hype for an already popular song by featuring Queen B herself.

The original song was later released on Megan’s “Suga” EP. Later, she surprised fans by releasing a remix featuring Beyoncé in 2020 on her Good News album. The influence of Three 6 Mafia is evident in the song “RNB.” The song was released as a single by the king of Memphis, Young Dolph, featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

Since the beginning of her career, she has performed at SXSW, Rolling Loud, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, and the Grammys. She has also received multiple BET Awards and now 3 Grammys. Her music has become wildly popular, especially with her collaborations with Cardi B and Beyonce on “WAP” and “Savage” respectively. These two chart-toppers helped Megan secure a Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” this past weekend.

Not only was this the first year Megan won a Grammy, but she also became the first female hip hop artist to win this specific award since 1999 when the talented Lauryn Hill won. It’s been amazing watching Megan Thee Stallion grow and improve these last few years, and I’m excited and hopeful to see what her future looks like.

Image Credit: Megan Thee Stallion, 1501 Certified Entertainment, 300 Entertainment