Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from
Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her
freestyling became popular on
social media platforms such as
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
. Megan Thee Stallion signed to
300 Entertainment in 2018, where she released the mixtape ''
Fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...
'' (2019) and the extended play ''
Suga
Suga may refer to:
* Suga, Iran, a village in Qazvin Province, Iran
* Suga language, a language of Cameroon
* Suga (rapper) (born 1993), South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer
* ''Suga'' (EP), 2020 EP by Megan Thee Stallion
* ''Su ...
'' (2020), both of which reached the top ten of the
''Billboard'' 200.
She released her debut studio album ''
Good News'' (2020) to critical acclaim, appearing on several year-end best album lists. She earned her first and second number-one singles on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 with the remix of her song "
Savage" (featuring
Beyoncé), and her feature on
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...
's single "
WAP"; the latter of which was her first number one in several other countries, as well as the
''Billboard'' Global 200 chart. In 2021, she was featured alongside
Doja Cat on the
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
's 2020 single "
34+35
"34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande, included as the second track on her sixth studio album, '' Positions'' (2020). It was written by Grande, Albert Stanaj, Courageous Xavier Herrera ...
", which reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed this with her debut compilation album ''
Something for Thee Hotties'' (2021), which reached the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, and spawned the single "
Thot Shit", which reached the top twenty in the US, and received a
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance nomination.
In July 2020, Megan Thee Stallion was the victim of a shooting committed by rapper
Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and convicted felon. He received initial recognition from the mixtape ''Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story'', rel ...
in
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California.
Geography
The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains.
The neighborhood touches Studio City, Unive ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
. The shooting was a major element of her debut album, ''Good News''. In December 2022, Lanez was tried and convicted on all counts in relation to the attack on her.
Throughout her career, Megan Thee Stallion has received
several accolades, including six
BET Awards, five
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, a ...
, four
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
, two
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
, a
''Billboard'' Women in Music Award, and three
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. At the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 20 ...
, she became the second female rapper to win
Best New Artist, after
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...
. In 2020,
''Time'' named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world on
their annual list. Outside of music, she has focused on her education, graduating from
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,00 ...
with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in
Health Administration
Health administration, healthcare administration, healthcare management or hospital management is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of public health systems, health care systems, hospitals, and hospital network ...
in 2021.
Early life and education
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete
was born on February 15, 1995,
in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, and her mother, Holly Thomas,
immediately moved to
Houston
Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
after her birth. Thomas rapped under the name "Holly-Wood" and would bring her daughter with her to recording sessions instead of putting her in daycare.
Pete was raised in the
South Park neighborhood of Houston
before moving with her mother to
Pearland at age 14, where she lived until she turned 18.
Pete began writing raps at age 14.
When she eventually showed Thomas her rapping skills at age 18, Thomas required that Pete wait until she was 21 to pursue rapping as a career.
Her mother commented that her lyrics were too sexually suggestive for her young age.
Pete attended
Pearland High School and graduated in 2013. Her father died during her freshman year of high school.
In 2013, while Pete was a student at
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU or PV) is a public historically black land-grant university in Prairie View, Texas. Founded in 1876, it is one of Texas's two land-grant universities and the second oldest public institution of higher learni ...
, she began uploading videos of herself
freestyling on social media.
A clip of Pete battling against male opponents in a "
cypher" went viral. The exposure helped Pete gain a larger digital presence and following on social media.
She garnered fans by posting her
freestyles on her
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
while in college. She refers to her fans as "hotties" and credits her hyperactive fan base for her early success.
After taking time off from school, Pete resumed her studies at
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a public historically black university in Houston, Texas. The university is one of the largest and most comprehensive historically black college or universities in the USA with nearly 10,00 ...
. She graduated on December 11, 2021, with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in
health administration
Health administration, healthcare administration, healthcare management or hospital management is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of public health systems, health care systems, hospitals, and hospital network ...
.
She adopted the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
"Megan Thee Stallion" because she was called a "stallion" in adolescence due to her height ()
and "thick" body frame;
voluptuous and statuesque women in the
Southern United States
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
are colloquially called "stallions".
Career
2016–2017: Early beginnings
In April 2016, Megan Thee Stallion released her first single "Like a Stallion".
This was followed by the small SoundCloud-exclusive mixtapes ''Rich Ratchet'' (2016), and ''Megan Mix'' (2017). In September 2017, Megan Thee Stallion made her professional solo debut with the commercially released EP ''Make It Hot.''
The EP's 2017 single "Last Week in HTx" became her most successful single during this time, amassing several million views on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
.
In 2017, Megan Thee Stallion released the song "Stalli (Freestyle)", as a
rework of late musician
XXXTentacion's "
Look at Me!".
Around this time, Megan Thee Stallion auditioned to be a cast member on ''
Love & Hip Hop: Houston''; however, the proposed spin-off of the ''Love & Hip Hop'' franchise was postponed indefinitely in June 2016.
2018–2019: ''Tina Snow'' and ''Fever''
In early 2018, Megan Thee Stallion signed with
1501 Certified Entertainment
Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...
, an independent label in Houston run by T. Farris
and owned by former baseball player
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...
.
[ The first female rapper signed to the label,] she then performed at SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
in March 2018. In June 2018, Megan Thee Stallion released a 10-song extended play titled ''Tina Snow
''Tina Snow'' is the second extended play by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on June 8, 2018, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment. It features the single "Big Ole Freak
"Big Ole Freak" is a song by Americ ...
'' under the label''.'' The EP was named after her alter ego, "Tina Snow", who she describes as "a more raw version" of herself. ''Tina Snow'' was positively received by critics. Eric Torres of ''Pitchfork'' wrote: "she provided plenty of freak anthems with quotable lyrics to wield against ain't-shit men". She stated in an interview with '' Mic'' that she is not afraid to talk about sexuality, nor does she feel boxed in to either the "intelligent" or "freak" dichotomy. Nandi Howard of ''The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'' referred to her ability to rap with "electrifying pace and precision". In November 2018, Megan Thee Stallion announced that she had signed with 300 Entertainment, making her the first female rapper to be signed by the label. It was during this time that she was scheduled to support Australian rapper Iggy Azalea on her Bad Girls Tour; however, the tour was later cancelled.
On January 22, 2019, Megan Thee Stallion released "Big Ole Freak
"Big Ole Freak" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio on January 22, 2019, as a single from her 2018 EP ''Tina Snow.'' It debuted at number 99 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, before ...
" as a single from her EP, ''Tina Snow'', and also filmed a music video for the track. The single, " Is It Love This Time", is sampled throughout the single. On April 15, "Big Ole Freak" charted at number 99 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 giving Megan Thee Stallion her first chart entry, with it later peaking at number 65 on the Hot 100. ''Fever
Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...
'', her second mixtape, was released on May 17, 2019. The album received critical acclaim and landed on several year-end critics lists, with ''Paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre e ...
'' calling it the best album of 2019. Taylor Crumpton of ''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 ...
'' rated the album 8/10 and wrote in the review, "Megan's delivery of perfectly executed bars are comparable to successions from a fully automatic machine gun; a carefully studied aim of fiery stanzas that could only be carried by a rapper with extensive knowledge of the genre's early practices of battle rap." On May 21, 2019, she released the music video for the opening album track, "Realer", which is inspired by the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president ...
film style. On June 20, 2019, she was announced to be one of eleven artists included in the 12th edition of '' XXL''s " Freshman Class". Her freestyle in the cypher was praised by music critics. In July 2019, Chance The Rapper
Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape ''10 Day'' in 2012. He ...
released his debut studio album, '' The Big Day,'' and Megan Thee Stallion was featured on the track, "Handsome". On August 2, 2019, ''A Black Lady Sketch Show
''A Black Lady Sketch Show'' is an American television sketch comedy series created by Robin Thede for HBO. The show consists of comedy sketches performed by a main cast of Black women, currently consisting of producer and creator Thede, Gabrielle ...
'' premiered on HBO; the show uses Megan Thee Stallion's song "Hot Girl" in the opening title sequence.
On August 9, 2019, Megan Thee Stallion released the single " Hot Girl Summer", featuring fellow American rapper Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents. ...
and singer Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
. The song, an ode to her viral "hot girl summer" meme, came about after an Instagram Live session between Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion. It peaked at number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Megan Thee Stallion's first top 20 single, and topped the ''Rolling Stone'' 100. The week thereafter, she featured on Quality Control compilation album, '' Quality Control: Control the Streets, Volume 2,'' on the track "Pastor", alongside Quavo and City Girls
City Girls is an American hip hop duo consisting of Yung Miami (Caresha Romeka Brownlee; born February 1994) and JT (Jatavia Shakara Johnson; born December 1992). The duo originate from Miami, Florida, and garnered attention after making an un ...
. In September 2019, Megan Thee Stallion signed a management deal with Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, ma ...
. In October 2019, she created and starred in a horror series, ''Hottieween'', directed by Teyana Taylor. In that same month, she performed a NPR Tiny Desk Concert during the Tiny Desk Fest. In November 2019, ''Time'' placed Megan Thee Stallion on their inaugural "Time 100 Next" list.
2020–21: Career stardom and debut album
In January 2020, Megan Thee Stallion released the single "Diamonds
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...
" with singer Normani, for the soundtrack of the superhero film ''Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predato ...
'' released the same year. That same month, she announced her debut album ''Suga
Suga may refer to:
* Suga, Iran, a village in Qazvin Province, Iran
* Suga language, a language of Cameroon
* Suga (rapper) (born 1993), South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer
* ''Suga'' (EP), 2020 EP by Megan Thee Stallion
* ''Su ...
'' and released the 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 ...
"B.I.T.C.H.
"B.I.T.C.H." is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released as the lead single from her third EP ''Suga (EP), Suga'', on January 24, 2020. The song was met with positive reviews and it charted at number 31 on the ''Billboard'' ...
". In February 2020, she featured on the single "Fkn Around" by Phony Ppl, and appeared on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh in ...
'', performing "B.I.T.C.H.". The next month, she announced that her debut album was delayed as a result of her attempting to renegotiate her contract with 1501 Certified
Carl Demonte Crawford (born August 5, 1981), nicknamed "The Perfect Storm", is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. He ba ...
. She started the hashtag "#FreeTheeStallion" to raise awareness of the issue, noting that "he did not
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
understand some of the verbiage" when she signed the initial contract with 1501.
On March 6, 2020, she released the EP, ''Suga
Suga may refer to:
* Suga, Iran, a village in Qazvin Province, Iran
* Suga language, a language of Cameroon
* Suga (rapper) (born 1993), South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer
* ''Suga'' (EP), 2020 EP by Megan Thee Stallion
* ''Su ...
'', against the wishes of 1501, after a judge granted a temporary restraining order
A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Restraining and personal protection o ...
against the label''.'' That same month, the song " Savage" from the EP went viral
Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents).
Viral may also refer to:
Viral behavior, or virality
Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example:
* Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
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 ...
, when popular user Keara Wilson used it for a dance challenge video, which racked up 15.7 million views and 2.4 million likes as of March 20, 2020. A remix featuring Beyoncé was released on April 29, 2020. The song became Megan thee Stallion's first top 10 entry in the United States shortly after the remix's release, eventually becoming her first chart topper in the country. "Savage" also helped boost ''Suga''s sales, propelling it up to number 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Proceeds from the song went to Houston nonprofit Bread of Life which provides disaster relief for residents affected by COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
. Megan Thee Stallion was also judge on the HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netwo ...
voguing competition show ''Legendary'' which debuted in May 2020. She released the song " Girls in the Hood" on June 26, 2020, before featuring on Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...
's single " WAP" and appearing in its music video in August 2020. "WAP" became her second number-one single in the U.S., breaking the record for the most streams
A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...
for a song in its first week of release in the U.S. (93 million).
Megan Thee Stallion became a Global Brand Ambassador for Revlon
Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brot ...
in August 2020. She received her first-ever ''Billboard'' Music Award nomination when she was nominated for Top Rap Female Artist in September 2020. A few days later, she was featured in the annual ''Time'' 100 list of the most influential people in the world. Her write-up for this listing was composed by American actress Taraji P. Henson. Megan Thee Stallion tied with Drake when she received eight nominations at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards
The 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards is a recognition ceremony that was held on October 27, 2020 as the 15th instalment of the BET Hip Hop Awards. The nominations were announced on September 29, 2020. Hosted by ''Wild 'N Out'' cast members and hosts of ...
, including Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
. She also tied with Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
as the most nominated musician at the 2020 People's Choice Awards, earning six nominations each. Megan Thee Stallion would also become the second most-nominated act at the 2020 American Music Awards. In October 2020, she released the single, "Don't Stop Don't Stop may refer to:
Albums
* ''Don't Stop'' (Annie album) or the title song, 2009
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jeffrey Osborne album) or the title song, 1984
* ''Don't Stop'' (Jolin Tsai album), or the title song, 2000
* ''Don't Stop'' (Rockets al ...
" featuring rapper Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
, and promoted it by performing it on the 46th season premiere of ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
''. She performed a "politically charged" version of " Savage" that evening, in which she addressed racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
, the Attorney General of Kentucky
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, they serve several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer ( ...
Daniel Cameron, and sent a message about the importance of protecting black women
Black women are women of sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic descent, as well as women of Australian Aboriginal and Melanesian descent. The term 'Black' is a racial classification of people, the definition of which has shifted over time and ...
and the Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brut ...
movement. She continued working for this cause by writing an op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. ...
for ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' titled "Why I Speak Up for Black Women", which received acclaim. Megan Thee Stallion appeared in the 2020 comedy special '' Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine''. She received four nominations at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 20 ...
, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for "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 thir ...
". She went on to win the former, which made her the first female hip hop artist to do so since Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...
in 1999, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, both for "Savage (Remix)".
On November 13, 2020, Megan Thee Stallion announced the release of her debut studio album '' Good News'', which was released on November 20, 2020. The release of the album also coincided with its fourth single " Body" as well as its music video. The album debuted at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and at number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine that ranks contemporary R&B, R&B and hip hop music, hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...
with over 100,000 album-equivalent unit
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to tradit ...
s sold. On January 14, 2021, Megan Thee Stallion was featured on the remix of Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
's single "34+35
"34+35" (pronounced "thirty-four thirty-five") is a song recorded by American singer Ariana Grande, included as the second track on her sixth studio album, '' Positions'' (2020). It was written by Grande, Albert Stanaj, Courageous Xavier Herrera ...
", the second single from her sixth studio album ''Positions'' alongside American singer and rapper Doja Cat. A music video for the remix was later released on February 12, 2021. In June, she released the single " Thot Shit" with a music video that follows around an hypocritical social conservative
Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social instituti ...
politician. Megan Thee Stallion won the most awards at the 2021 BET Awards ceremony with four. Boy band BTS released a remix of the single "Butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food), spread, melted a ...
" featuring the rapper, which reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Global 200. She also led the nominations for the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards
The 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards is a recognition ceremony that was held on October 5, 2021 as the 16th installment of the BET Hip Hop Awards. The nominations were announced on September 9, 2021.
Cardi B and Lil Durk lead in nominations, all with 9 ...
along with Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...
, with nine each; both rappers won the most awards during the ceremony with three for "WAP". Megan Thee Stallion was featured on DJ Snake
William Sami Étienne Grigahcine (born 13 June 1986), known by his stage name DJ Snake, is an Algerian French music producer and DJ, first achieving international recognition in 2013 by releasing an instrumentation-oriented single called " Turn D ...
's single " SG", along with Ozuna
Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (; born March 13, 1992), known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican singer. Five of his studio albums have topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart, with ''Aura'' (2018) charting at number seven on ...
and Lisa of Blackpink
Blackpink (, commonly stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album ''Square O ...
, released in October. Megan released '' Something for Thee Hotties'', a collection of previously unreleased songs and freestyles, on October 29, 2021. The compilation album debuted at number five on the US ''Billboard'' 200, becoming Megan Thee Stallion's fourth top 10.
On September 16, 2021, Post Malone announced the Posty Fest 2021 lineup, with Megan Thee Stallion as one of the performers at the festival based in Arlington, Texas, next October. Megan was honored as one of ''Glamour
Glamour may refer to:
Arts
Film
* ''Glamour'' (1931 film), a British film
* ''Glamour'' (1934 film), an American film
* ''Glamour'' (2000 film), a Hungarian film
Writing
* ''Glamour'' (magazine), a magazine for women
* ''The Glamour ...
''s Women of the Year in November. Megan won three awards at the 2021 American Music Awards, tying with Doja Cat and BTS for the most during the night.
Megan Thee Stallion graduated from Texas Southern University on December 11, 2021. Shortly after, Megan was honored with the 18th Congressional District of Texas Hero Award by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee for her philanthropy efforts in Houston. In the coming days after Megan's graduation, she signed an exclusive first-look deal with Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
that will see her create and produce executive content, including television series and other projects.
2022–present: ''Traumazine''
On March 11, 2022, Megan Thee Stallion released a collaboration with English singer Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco-pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Grammy ...
, named " Sweetest Pie". On March 27, Megan made a surprise appearance at the 94th Academy Awards
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after its usual late February dat ...
where she performed alongside various artists "We Don't Talk About Bruno
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" is a song from Disney's 2021 computer-animated musical feature film ''Encanto'', with music and lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was released by Walt Disney Records as part of the film's soundtrack on Nove ...
" from the film '' Encanto''. Megan made history becoming the 2nd female rapper to perform the Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
. the first being Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
in the 81st Academy Awards ceremony. She received acclaim at the Oscars for the surprise performance, with ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' stating: "Megan Thee Stallion Makes 'Encanto' Track...All the More Magical at Oscars."
Outside of music, on February 15, 2022 - her birthday - Megan Thee Stallion announced the launching of a nonprofit, the Pete and Thomas Foundation, in honor of her late mother and father Holly Thomas & Joseph Pete Jr. The foundation seeks to help underserved communities in Houston, Texas and beyond with education, housing, and health and wellness needs. On May 1, 2022, the Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner
Sylvester Turner (born September 27, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who is serving as the 62nd mayor of Houston, Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, Turner was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 until 2016 ...
honored Megan for her philanthropic and humanitarian efforts for the Houston people by proclaiming May 2 Megan Thee Stallion Day in Houston, Texas, which falls on the same day as her grandmother and late mother's birthday. She received an honorary key to the City of Houston, a symbolic cowboy hat and belt buckle. In a ''Rolling Stone'' cover story, Megan revealed that she collaborated with Future
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currentl ...
for her upcoming second album on a song titled " Pressurelicious".
On August 11, 2022, Megan Thee Stallion took to Twitter to announce that her second studio album ''Traumazine
''Traumazine'' is the second studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on August 12, 2022, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified.
Upon release, ''Traumazine'' received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its produ ...
'' would be released the next day.
Artistry
Public image
Megan Thee Stallion is known for her confidence, sensuality, and explicit lyrics. She presents her sexuality throughout her lyrics, videos, and live performances. In an interview with ''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 ...
'' she stated, "It's not just about being sexy, it's about being confident and me being confident in my sexuality." On her Texas rap origins, she told ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'', "I don't feel like we ever really had a female rapper come from Houston or Texas and shut shit down. So that's where I'm coming from."
Influences
Megan Thee Stallion cites her mother as her first and biggest influence. She has considered Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).
S ...
and his 2006 solo album, '' Pimpalation'', an influence since her childhood, admiring his talk-rap delivery and "cockiness", and stating that she wants to inspire the same confidence that the rapper does through his music. Other inspirations she has named are the Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
, Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
, and Three 6 Mafia, and she credits Q-Tip as her mentor. She has said in interviews that when she was coming of age in the 2000s, she would listen to her favorite rap songs from acts like Three 6 Mafia and Pimp C, and ask herself, "How good would this sound if a girl did it?"
She has also been influenced by Beyoncé. In her Grammy Awards acceptance speech with Beyoncé for " Savage", she said: "Ever since I was little, I was like, 'you know what? One day, I'm gonna grow up and I'm gonna be like the rap Beyoncé.' That was definitely my goal. .I love her work ethic, I love the way she is, I love the way she carries herself." In a ''Teen Vogue
''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since 2015, following ...
'' interview, she spoke about Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accents. ...
as another influence: " hewas here before us, so this is who we had to look at, at this time. So, definitely she has been an inspiration to me."
Alter egos
In multiple interviews, Megan Thee Stallion has referred to herself as "Tina Snow", one of her alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differe ...
s and also the name of her debut EP, ''Tina Snow''. It was influenced by Pimp C
Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).
S ...
's alias Tony Snow, and has similar confidence and an unapologetic sexually dominant delivery. "Hot Girl Meg" is another alter ego who is described as embodying Megan Thee Stallion's carefree and outgoing side, which she compares to a "college, party girl." She stated that she introduced "Hot Girl Meg" on her EP, ''Fever''. She has also referred to herself as "Thee Hood Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...
"''.''
Trademarks
Megan originated the viral
Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents).
Viral may also refer to:
Viral behavior, or virality
Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example:
* Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
catchphrase "hot girl summer" on social media. It is a derivative of another of her most-known catchphrases, "hot girl", also derived from "real hot girl shit". She first used the phrase in a tweet on April 14, 2018. It later appeared on the ''Fever'' album cover, which read, "She's thee HOT GIRL and she's bringing THEE HEAT." She defined the term as "women and men being unapologetically them, just having a good-ass time, hyping up their friends, doing you." Megan Thee Stallion officially trademarked the term "hot girl summer" in September 2019 after applying for it in July of that year. A song of the same name was released on August 9, 2019.
In addition to "hot girl" and "hot girl summer", Megan Thee Stallion is known for her signature ad-lib which involves sticking her tongue out, creating a "creaky", audible "agh" or "blah" sound. In August 2019, Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
created an official emoji for this tongue symbol which could be spawned directly after the hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
"#megantheestallion". This symbol also inspired the cover art
Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ...
of her EP ''Suga
Suga may refer to:
* Suga, Iran, a village in Qazvin Province, Iran
* Suga language, a language of Cameroon
* Suga (rapper) (born 1993), South Korean rapper, songwriter, and record producer
* ''Suga'' (EP), 2020 EP by Megan Thee Stallion
* ''Su ...
'' which was revealed in March 2020.
Other ventures
In September 2021, Megan partnered with Nike for a promotional campaign and fitness program through the Nike Training Club app. In October 2021, Megan appeared on First We Feast and Complex Media's Hot Ones. On October 14, 2021, it was announced that Megan Thee Stallion signed a wide-ranging deal with multinational fast-food company Popeyes that includes her own Popeyes franchise, a new hot sauce (Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce) and co-branded merchandise. She partnered with Cheetos for a Super Bowl commercial in 2022.
Megan was on the grid of the 2021 United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor racing event that has been held on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The Grand Prix later became part of the Formula One World Championship. , the Grand Prix has been held ...
where attempts to interview her by Martin Brundle
Martin John Brundle (born 1 June 1959) is a British former racing driver, best known as a Formula One driver and as a commentator for ITV Sport from 1997 to 2008, the BBC from 2009 to 2011, and Sky Sports since 2012.
Brundle contested the 19 ...
were snubbed by her bodyguards leading to criticism, causing F1 to introduce the "Brundle Clause", prohibiting bodyguards on the race grid.
Television and film
On December 16, 2021, she signed an exclusive first-look deal at Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
, to create and executive produce new series and other projects. On February 17, 2022, it was announced that Megan will co-star in A24's first movie musical titled ''F*cking Identical Twins,'' described as "a spin on '' The Parent Trap''". She guest starred in the Disney+
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...
series '' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'' as a fictionalized version of herself.
Philanthropy
She contributed $15,400 worth of Thanksgiving turkeys and helped hand them out to 1,050 households in need at the Houston Food Bank portwall pantry, in November 2019. In April 2020, she donated over $10,000 to bail relief effort for Houston protestors. The same month, Megan teamed up with Amazon Music
Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights ma ...
to donate to a Nursing Facility in Houston. All the proceeds collected from her collaboration on Beyonce's 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 thir ...
went to Bread of Life, which helps local Houston communities with Covid-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
relief efforts. The song raised over $2.5 million dollars.
In October 2020, she partnered with Amazon Music's rap rotation to launched the "Don't Stop" scholarship fund that awarded two women of color pursuing associate, bachelor or postgraduate degrees, $10,000 each. In February 2021, she launched "Hotties Helping Houston" with Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, the National Association of Christian Churches disaster services, Taraji P. Henson, 300 Entertainment, Maroon 5, Revlon
Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brot ...
, Mielle Organics, Fashion Nova, and Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single " Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, with who ...
to help senior citizens and single moms recovering from the area's storm related devastation. In March 2021, she collaborated with Fashion Nova for the 'Women on Top" initiative, which would give away $1 million dollars to support female-owned businesses and organizations. The same month, along with Fashion Nova and journalist May Lee, they donated $50,000 after the Atlanta spa shootings to the legal non-profit, Advancing Justice Atlanta.
In June 2021, she offered a full tuition, four year scholarship to the Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, ma ...
school of music, sports & entertainment at Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LI ...
. In June 2021, she partnered with Cash App
Cash App (formerly Square Cash) is a mobile payment service available in the United States and the United Kingdom that allows users to transfer money to one another (for a 1.5% fee for immediate transfer) using a mobile phone app. In September 2 ...
to make "Investing for Hotties" educational videos. This partnership also donated $1 million dollars worth of stock to randomly-selected fans.
In October 2021, as part of her wide-ranging agreement with Popeyes, she made a six-figure donation to the charitable organization Houston Random Acts of Kindness.
BTS Army launched "Thee Army Fund" project, in collaboration with the "Hotties" which raised over $120,000 to donate to three different organizations: ( Woman for Afghan Women, Black Women of Wellness, and Houston Food Bank) in her name to congratulate her on the Butter (Remix). As part of her ceremony to receive the key to the city of Houston, the non-profit Pete and Thomas Foundation donated $5,000 to three people in Houston to assist with their education, housing and wellness expenses.
Personal life
Megan Thee Stallion mentioned being part Creole in her songs "Cocky AF" and "Freak Nasty" as well as in a tweet in September 2017. Her mother, Holly Thomas, died in March 2019 from a longstanding cancerous brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secon ...
, and Megan's great-grandmother died in the same month. She mentioned her mother's death (''Ever since my mama died, 2019'') on beginning of her song "Flip Flop" from the second studio album, ''Traumazine
''Traumazine'' is the second studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on August 12, 2022, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified.
Upon release, ''Traumazine'' received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its produ ...
'', released on August 12, 2022. In addition to acting as her manager, Megan's grandmother was a major influence on her decision to study health administration and also helped foster her goal to establish assisted living facilities in her hometown of Houston.
She has six dogs: three French bulldogs named 4oe (pronounced Four), Dos, and Oneita; a Cane Corso
The Cane Corso is an Italian breed of mastiff. It is usually kept as a companion dog or guard dog; it may also be used to protect livestock. In the past it was used for hunting large game, and also to herd cattle.
History
According to the ...
named X; a Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
named Five; and a Merle Dog named Six.
She is a huge fan 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 her favorites are ''My Hero Academia
is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 2014, with its chapters additionally collected i ...
'' and ''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. ...
''.
Megan Thee Stallion confirmed her relationship with fellow rapper Pardison Fontaine via Instagram Live on February 19, 2021.
She is openly bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, wh ...
.
Tory Lanez shooting
On July 15, 2020, Megan Thee Stallion stated that she had suffered gunshot wounds and that she had undergone surgery to remove the bullets. Her statement countered an earlier TMZ report that she had injured her foot on broken glass three days prior when she was in a car with rap and R&B musician Tory Lanez
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson (born July 27, 1992), known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and convicted felon. He received initial recognition from the mixtape ''Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story'', rel ...
(Daystar Peterson) and an unidentified woman; the car was pulled over by police and Peterson was arrested on gun charges following a vehicle search.
On July 27, 2020, she revealed that she was shot in both feet and denounced the rumors in an Instagram Live session, where she also recounted the incident and cried. The following month, Megan claimed that Peterson was the person who shot her, saying that "I didn't tell the police what happened immediately right there because I didn't want to die." On September 25, 2020, Peterson released his fifth album, '' Daystar'', in which he addresses the allegations on nearly every song, and denies that he shot Megan, while also claiming she and her team were "trying to frame" him.
The same day, in a statement to '' Variety'', Megan's attorney, Alex Spiro, claimed Peterson's representatives had attempted to launch a "smear campaign" using falsified messages to "peddle a false narrative" discrediting Megan. Peterson's team denied this, saying that they would investigate who was behind the fake emails and would take appropriate action. Megan later stated that she had been offered money by Peterson and his team to keep quiet on the issue following the incident.
On October 8, 2020, Peterson was charged with shooting Megan Thee Stallion by L.A. County prosecutors. An arraignment
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant, to inform them of the charges against them. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea. Acceptable pleas vary among juris ...
for him was scheduled on October 13; however, it was delayed to November 18, after Peterson's attorney requested a continuance
In American procedural law, a continuance is the postponement of a hearing, trial, or other scheduled court proceeding at the request of either or both parties in the dispute, or by the judge '' sua sponte''. In response to delays in bringing case ...
. Megan was issued a protection order against Peterson, directing him to stay at least 100 yards away from Megan and not contact her. He was also ordered to surrender any guns he owns. In an op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. ...
for ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', published on October 13, 2020, Megan addressed the shooting allegation further, writing: "Black women are still constantly disrespected and disregarded in so many areas of life. I was recently the victim of an act of violence by a man. After a party, I was shot twice as I walked away from him. We were not in a relationship. Truthfully, I was shocked that I ended up in that place."
Peterson pleaded not guilty to assault with a semiautomatic handgun in late November 2020. In the same month, Megan Thee Stallion released her debut studio album, '' Good News'', on which the album opener is the diss track
A diss track, diss record or diss song (diss – abbr. from ''disrespect'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the t ...
" Shots Fired" directed towards Peterson. The song gained acclaim, with many critics noting that it samples and interpolates
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points.
In engineering and science, one often has a n ...
the 1995 song " Who Shot Ya?" by The Notorious B.I.G.
In April 2022, Peterson was arrested for violating a protection order relating to the case; he was released shortly after on an increased bond of $350,000. On the 13th of December, Megan Thee Stallion testified in Lanez's assault trial reliving the events and stating that she "wish she had died". On December 23, the jury convicted Lanez on three felony charges in respect to the shooting: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and gross negligence in discharging his firearm.
Discography
* '' Good News'' (2020)
* ''Traumazine
''Traumazine'' is the second studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on August 12, 2022, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified.
Upon release, ''Traumazine'' received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its produ ...
'' (2022)
Filmography
Film
Television
Tours
Supporting
* Bad Girls Tour (2018; cancelled)
* Legendary Nights Tour (2019)
* Future Nostalgia Tour
The Future Nostalgia Tour was the second concert tour and first arena tour by English singer Dua Lipa, in support of her second studio album, ''Future Nostalgia'' (2020). Originally announced in December 2019 and scheduled to take place from Ap ...
(2022)
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of artists who reached number one in the United States
*Southern hip hop
Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Memp ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Megan Thee Stallion
1995 births
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American musicians
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American women musicians
21st-century LGBT people
21st-century women rappers
African-American songwriters
African-American women rappers
African-American women singers
American people of Creole descent
American shooting survivors
American women rappers
Bisexual women
Entertainers from Houston
Grammy Award winners
LGBT African Americans
LGBT rappers
Living people
Pearland High School alumni
People from Pearland, Texas
Prairie View A&M University alumni
Rappers from Houston
Rappers from San Antonio
Rappers from Texas
Shooting survivors
Songwriters from Texas
Southern hip hop musicians
Texas Southern University alumni
Trap musicians