"Girls in the Hood" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her debut studio album, '' Good News'' (2020). It was released on June 26, 2020, through 1501 Certified Entertainment and

300 Entertainment Theory Entertainment LLC, doing business as 300 Entertainment, is an American record label founded by Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Todd Moscowitz, and Roger Gold. The label's roster includes acts across multiple genres such as hip hop, rock, pop, e ...

, as the album's

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

. Built around a sample of "

Boyz-n-the-Hood "Boyz-n-the-Hood" is the debut single by Eazy-E, then leader of a new rap group, N.W.A. Released in March 1987, the single was a local hit, reissued, by year's end, on N.W.A's EP titled ''N.W.A.'' and on the unauthorized compilation album '' N.W. ...

" by Eazy-E and featuring electric guitar and 808 drums, it is a hip hop song with braggadocious lyrics. The song received widespread critical acclaim from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, some of whom praised it for repurposing what they believed to be

misogynoir ''Misogynoir'' is a term referring to misogyny directed towards black women where race and gender both play a role. The term was coined by black feminist writer Moya Bailey in 2010 to address misogyny directed toward black transgender and cisgen ...

in "Boyz-n-the-Hood" into an anthem for women. "Girls in the Hood" peaked at number 28 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and at number 3 on the

Deutsche Black Charts Deutsche Urban Charts (DUC), former also known by various names including Deutsche Black Charts (DBC) and Deutsche Hip Hop/R&B/Dancehall Singles, is a German chart released weekly by Deutsche Trend Charts (owned by Public Music & Media Ltd. and iss ...

. It was certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

in the United States by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA). A

lyric video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

for the song was released on June 26, 2020. To promote the song, Megan Thee Stallion performed it at the

BET Awards 2020 The 20th BET Awards took place on June 28, 2020. The ceremony celebrates achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. They also honored the many African-American people killed from police brutality and racial in ...

and as part of a virtual concert for

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

that same year.

Background and composition

The release date of "Girls in the Hood" was announced on June 24, 2020, as June 26 via Megan Thee Stallion's social media accounts. On June 26, 2020, prior to the song's official release, Megan Thee Stallion teased the song by posting a video clip to Instagram of her

twerking Twerking (; possibly from 'to work') is a type of dance that came out of the bounce music scene of New Orleans in the late 1980s. Individually performed chiefly but not exclusively by women, performers dance to popular music in a sexually prov ...

in a sundress. After the song was teased, American rapper Reemarkable, daughter of Eazy-E, spoke out regarding Megan Thee Stallion sampling "

" since, according to her, she and his other children were barred from allowing recreation or sampling of his music. The song was released on June 26, 2020, as the

for ''Good News''. It was written by Megan Thee Stallion, Bobby Sessions, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ilyah Fraser, and

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Ph ...

, while produced by IllaDaProducer and Storch. The cover for the single features Megan Thee Stallion in a pink paisley halter top with a fuzzy hood and hoop earrings, standing in front of a pink paisley background. Merchandise for the song was created by black female artists; Megan Thee Stallion boasted that she "can't wait for y'all to see it". A

for "Girls in the Hood" was released on June 26, 2020, and features a "colorful" compilation of pictures, videos, and animations of Megan Thee Stallion, including the rapper flexing her body. On

TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...

, a clip of US

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

(VP)

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who is the 49th vice president of the United States. She is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history, as well ...

saying, "Mister Vice president, I'm speaking," to former VP Mike Pence during the 2020 United States VP debate, set to "Girls in the Hood", became a trend in October 2020. Another trend on TikTok featuring the song with a clip of Megan Thee Stallion saying, "I can't talk right now, I'm doing hot girl shit," in which users showed themselves doing mundane tasks, was created by makeup artist Chelsea Uchenna in November 2020. It became popular in early 2021. "Girls in the Hood" heavily samples Eazy-E's 1987 song "Boyz-n-the-Hood", putting a "modern", "feminist" spin on it. Its instrumental includes electric guitar and 808 drums. Lyrically, the song mainly consists of "defiant", braggadocious one-liners, including its opening lyrics, "Fuck being good, I'm a bad bitch/I'm sick of motherfuckers trying tell me how to live". Kyann-Sian Williams of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' surmised that the lyrics are from the perspective of Megan Thee Stallion's pimp alter ego Tina Snow. Several lyrics were directly inspired by Eazy-E's original lyrics. Megan Thee Stallion also references her haters on Instagram, her love of

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

, and the Japanese manga series ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'' in the song. Jessica McKinney of ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'' described the rapper's flow on the song as "aggressive", "relentless", and "reminiscent of ... the freestyles that put her on the map in the early stages of her career". Clover Hope of '' W'' described the song as "vigorously immodest".

Critical reception

"Girls in the Hood" was met with moderate praise from

. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' gave "Girls in the Hood" the title of "Best New Track", with Sheldon Pearce remarking that the song repurposes the

of "Boyz-n-the-Hood" "for those it disenfranchised", adding, "It feels like Megan is leading a revolt of the women mistreated in rap songs." ''

British GQ ''GQ'' (formerly ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and ''Apparel Arts'') is an American international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on ...

''s Olive Pometsey similarly commented on the connection to the misogynoir of the original, writing that it "hasn't aged well post-

MeToo #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in ...

", and that, with "Girls in the Hood", "Megan flipped the switch and turned it into a song that gives power back to women". For ''

All Songs Considered ''All Songs Considered'' is a weekly online multimedia program started in January 2000 by NPR's ''All Things Considered'' director Bob Boilen. At first, the show featured information and streaming audio about the songs used as bumper music on ...

'',

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's Sidney Madden also wrote about the misogynoir in "Boyz-n-the-Hood" and praised Megan for using "venomous, crushing one-liners" to "stomp out and shrivel up every last shred of male ego frailty". '' MusicOMH''s Ben Devlin stated that "Girls in the Hood" "continu da trend of egan Thee Stallionreappropriating male-centric rap songs that started with '' Suga''s B.I.T.C.H". Justin Curto of ''Vulture'' said that the rapper switched "the misogynistic violence of "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Eazy-E", turning it "into one of her strongest empowerment anthems yet". Williams gave the song a rating of four out of five stars, calling the song a "banger" with "cocksure attitude" and writing, "The larger-than-life braggadocio is what we all love Megan for, and it's in abundance on this single." Chuck Arnold of the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' named "Girls in the Hood" the number one "song of the summer", dubbing it a "

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

-edged banger". '' Billboard''s Jason Lipshutz called the song "a distinctive anthem for egan Thee Stallionand for women everywhere" and "a fresh showcase for her skills", calling her wordplay "top-notch" and her punchlines "unexpected". ''

Consequence Consequence may refer to: * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior * Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...

''s Nina Corcoran wrote that the song's "rapid-fire verses" are a "straight-up vocal flex", referring to it as "memorable". ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

''s Craig Jenkins called Megan Thee Stallion's rapping on the song "immaculate", writing that, on the song, "Meg's unique character and interests shine through". Fred Thomas of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

stated that the song had the "same direct impact" of "Boyz-n-the-Hood". Devlin of ''MusicOMH'' called the song "well-judged" and regarded her "flexing" on the track as "effortless and masterful". ''Complex Australia'' wrote that the song had "the reckless, cocky attitude that made 'Boyz-N-The-Hood' timeless", and considered the song's message "unflinchingly progressive, positive and quintessentially 2020". '' BrooklynVegan''s Andrew Sacher wrote that the song "does not disappoint one bit". '' Clash''s Robin Murray called the track an "emphatic close" on the album. For '' Teen Vogue'', Asia Milia Ware named "Girls in the Hood" one of the best songs of 2020. For ''Consequence'', Candace McDuffie wrote that, although "Girls in the Hood" was an "exciting opportunity", the chorus of "Boyz-n-the-Hood" was not interpolated enough "for its potency to stick". Kyle Kohner of '' Exclaim!'' called the song "refreshing" in a review of ''Good News'', but added that it and "

Savage Remix "Savage" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on March 6, 2020, as part of her EP '' Suga'' and later sent to US Top 40 radio formats on April 7, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment as the th ...

felt "ultimately unnecessary" on the album due to their being released "what seems like ages ago". '' BuzzFeed News''s Niela Orr stated that the song lacked a "middle ground" between "the lofty idealism that egan Thee Stallion hascome to stand for and the escapism that's fueled her so far". In a ranking of the 17 songs on ''Good News'', Carl Lamarre of ''Billboard'' ranked the song 15th, saying that the song "is placed at a point in which Meg begins losing steam". Henree and Ebie Wright (both daughters of Eazy-E) both expressed anger at Megan Thee Stallion for her use of her father's song, with Henree attacking the song, claiming "Cease and desist. Someone tell me how we stop that. Because we want our daddy's legacy”.

Commercial performance

"Girls in the Hood" peaked at number 28 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, at number 9 on the ''Rolling Stone'' Top 100, at number 90 on the Canadian Hot 100, and at number 3 on the

. It was certified

in the United States by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA).

Promotion

Megan Thee Stallion gave her debut performance of the song at the

on June 28, 2020, in a medley with " Savage (Remix)". The pretaped performance was directed and choreographed by Megan Thee Stallion's frequent creative collaborator JaQuel Knight. Inspired by the ''

Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...

'' film series, it took place in a desert setting and showed the rapper in feathers and black leather, accompanied by off-road vehicles and "warrior women". It was staged with the help of a taskforce that ensured safety measures for the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

were followed. The performance was included on a list of the best music videos made in lockdown during the pandemic by Mark Savage of

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, who remarked that Megan Thee Stallion "stole the show". It was also named the third best music video of June 2020 by ''Pitchfork''s Eric Torres, who wrote, "In under five minutes, she sets the bar for any virtual awards show performances that dare follow," also regarding it as the best performance of the night. Pometsey of ''British GQ'' commented that the performance "channelled all of the fury of ''Mad Max'', but with much more attitude and better choreography"; '' Esquire''s Gabrielle Bruney identified it as "one of the most fun moments of the night". '' Harper's Bazaar''s Lauren Michele Jackson wrote that it was "as sleek as any music video", while Zach Seemayer of '' Entertainment Tonight'' called the video's setting "one of the best postapocalyptic settings in any music video in recent memory". During Megan Thee Stallion's first virtual live concert on August 29, 2020, which was streamed on

, she performed the song.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. * Megan Thee Stallionvocals, songwriting * IllaDaProducerproduction, songwriting *

production, songwriting * Bobby Sessionssongwriting * Dr. Dresongwriting * Eazy-Esongwriting * Ice Cubesongwriting * Shawn "Source" Jarrettengineering * Jaycen Joshuamixing * Colin Leonardmastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2020 singles 2020 songs 300 Entertainment singles Megan Thee Stallion songs Song recordings produced by Scott Storch Songs with feminist themes Songs written by Dr. Dre Songs written by Ice Cube Songs written by Megan Thee Stallion Songs written by Scott Storch