You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of Megan Thee Stallion. After all, nearly everyone was walking around singing “I’m a savage!” when her single, “Savage,” and an accompanying dance, blew up on TikTok in 2020. 

However, Ms. Thee Stallion is more than just a “savage.” And the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper isn’t her only noteworthy track. There’s more to her story, starting from the days before she was a three-time Grammy-winning recording artist. 

Early life and education

Before Megan Thee Stallion was one of the most popular female artists in the rap game, she was just Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, a girl born in San Antonio, Texas, on February 15, 1995, and raised a few hours east in Houston.

Megan’s introduction to music came early, thanks to her mother, Holly Thomas. From 2001 to 2007, Thomas released music as “Holly Wood.” Holly Wood’s career was short-lived, but in a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, Megan says those six years were enough to inspire her. She started writing her own raps at around seven years old.

Surprisingly, Megan’s early introduction to rap didn’t lead her straight to the recording studio. Instead, after graduating high school, Megan headed to Prairie View A&M to study health administration. 

During her time at the historically black college and university (HBCU), Megan saw some male classmates freestyling. They inspired her to start spitting bars again, so she began recording and uploading videos of herself freestyling and rapping in cyphers. People liked what they heard, and eventually, Megan amassed a loyal following.

Breakthrough in the music industry

While she gained an online following quickly, Megan didn’t jump from being a full-time college student to one of the most influential people in the rap industry overnight. Her evolution was gradual. 

Early career and viral success

The first Megan Thee Stallion songs were released on SoundCloud in 2016 on mixtapes “Like a Stallion,” “Rich Ratchet” and, in 2017, “Megan’s Mix.” Those three releases didn’t exactly make Megan a household name. But they weren’t necessarily unsuccessful. They set the stage for her to release her first official extended play (EP), seven tracks brought together and named “Make It Hot.” 

“Make It Hot” was an improvement from Megan’s previous releases, and the EP proved she had potential. Listeners noticed her talent, and so did former baseball player Carl Crawford. He signed her to 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018, making her the first female rapper signed to the label.

Megan Thee Stallion put out her first project under the label, an EP called “Tina Snow” named after Megan’s alter ego, in 2018. This release, which included her first breakout single, “Big Ole Freak,” marked the beginning of Megan’s rise to stardom. 

Hit singles and popular songs

Since “Tina Snow” and “Big Ole Freak,” Megan has continued releasing music, much of which centered around female empowerment and sexuality. Take “Savage,” a track first released in 2020, as an example.

In the song, which was later remixed with Beyoncé, she says, “I’m a savage / Classy, boujee, ratchet / Sassy, moody, nasty.” Not only was it a catchy, undoubtedly danceable tune, but some consider it a significant moment for intersectional feminism, as Megan reclaimed terms like nasty, ratchet and savage that have commonly been used to insult Black women.

Before she and millions of listeners went around proclaiming their savagery, Megan was celebrating a “Hot Girl Summer,” proven in the track of the same name released in August 2019. The song, featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj and debuting at number 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, is a celebration of female sexuality.

You can’t forget about “Body,” the song Megan released in November 2020 as a body-positive anthem. The up-tempo song features Megan’s signature raunchy lyrics about her desirability and opens with a not-safe-for-work (NSFW) sample of a woman moaning. There’s also “WAP,” a Cardi B tune featuring Megan, all about how the two women want to be pleased in the bedroom, released just a few short months before “Body.” 

Albums and EPs

Megan released her first full-length project on November 20, 2020, a 17-track album called “Good News.” The album features several notable names in the industry, including DaBaby, City Girls, Lil Durk, SZA, Big Sean and Beyoncé. Thanks to its preceding mixtapes and EPs, not to mention the singles Megan released and was featured on prior, the long-awaited album was successful. The record earned a number two slot on the Billboard 200 list the week after its release. 

Megan Thee Stallion’s next studio album came in 2022 with “Traumazine.” The 18-track project was her final work with 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified and focused primarily on the struggles the rapper has endured. One of these is not being taken seriously as a Black woman, as heard in the song “Not Nice,” where Megan raps, “I guess my skin not light enough, my dialect not white enough.” Another is anxiety, which she explores in track 11, “Anxiety” — “I’m a bad bitch, and I got bad anxiety,” she raps. 

Megan’s vulnerability on her sophomore album paid off. The album, featuring artists like Future, Dua Lipa and Jhené Aiko, debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. Plus, it was a sort of catharsis for the Texan, giving her a platform to open up to her Hotties — Hotties are what Megan affectionately calls her fans — for the first time.

“Megan” is the rapper’s third studio album and the first she released as an independent artist. Released in August 2024, the 18-track project showcases Megan’s versatility. Songs like “Mamushi” featuring Yuki Chiba appeal to anime-loving Hotties, while “Hiss” calls out critics and puts haters in their places. The album is applauded for its overall fun vibe, having received plenty of positive reviews and boasting a number-one spot on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at its debut. 

Concerts and tours

Thanks to her catchy, relatable and empowering lyrics and skillfully produced beats, Megan connects with her fans through her music. Featuring a few of her fellow A-listers on her projects probably doesn’t hurt, either. But Megan doesn’t just reach her fans through recorded tracks. She connects with them through her live performances, too.

A Megan Thee Stallion show is all about the fun. As she moves around the stage, rapping and talking to attendees, she’s often surrounded by eye-catching effects like smoke and flames or video vignettes. She and her dancers will also show off their moves in dance breaks throughout the show. Most of her shows leave room for her to showcase her twerking skills. Often, she does this kneeling, which is where the phrase “Megan knees” came from. 

Her performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs is a prime example of what you can expect at a Megan Thee Stallion concert. Dressed in a body-baring yellow strappy outfit, Megan treated the audience to a performance of songs like “Hiss” and “Mamushi” while stopping to break it down with her dancers from time to time. 

Megan encourages concertgoers to enjoy the fun, too, but with one caveat: don’t blow smoke her way. Blowing marijuana smoke in her direction is what you shouldn’t do at concerts, she joked during a show in her hometown. “I don’t want to be high,” she said in a video shared on social media. “If I get high, the show is over. I’m going to the hospital. Call the police.” 

Awards and nominations

Thanks to her musical abilities and advocacy efforts, Megan Thee Stallion has managed to bring several awards and honors home. 

Grammy wins and other major awards

Many musicians dream of having the United States Recording Academy recognize and award them for their talents. Megan Thee Stallion managed to hit that milestone just a few short years into her career. 

Her first GRAMMY nominations came in 2021 when she was nominated for Best New Artist, and her “Savage” remix — this version of the track featured Queen Bey — earned Record of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance nominations. Record of the Year was the only of those categories where Megan was not hailed as the winner. The Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song wins were especially high honors, as these marked the first time women had come out on top in those categories.

The next year, Megan once again found herself on the list of GRAMMY nominees, in the Best Rap Performance category for her song “Thot Shit” and in the Album of the Year category as a featured artist on Lil Nas X’s “Montero.” However, she lost out to Baby Keem and Jon Batiste, respectively. 

The Recording Academy isn’t the only entity to give Megan flowers. She’s the recipient of a host of other awards and honors, including:

• Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2020 Apple Music Awards 
• Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the 2021 and 2022 BET Awards ceremonies
• Powerhouse Award at the 2019 Billboard Women in Music Awards

The “Hot Girl Summer” hasn’t only racked up musical achievements. She’s also managed to earn a few trophies for her advocacy efforts. 

In April 2024, Planned Parenthood awarded Megan Thee Stallion the Catalyst for Change Award at the organization’s Spring Into Action gala. Planned Parenthood released a statement explaining why they gave her the honor, saying, “An outspoken advocate for women’s rights and Planned Parenthood, Megan has used her global platform to draw attention to the organization’s mission and work.”

In September 2024, Megan was honored at the Golden Hearts Awards as the recipient of the inaugural genLOVE award for outstanding philanthropy. The award honored the efforts her non-profit organization, the Pete and Thomas Foundation, has taken to help fund charitable programs in Houston. The foundation, founded in 2022, is best known for its Emergency Power Program, which the rapper introduced to give senior citizens affected by Hurricane Beryl access to power during natural disasters. 

Influence and cultural impact

It’s impossible to deny the impact Megan Thee Stallion has had on the rap industry. You also can’t overlook the mark she’s made in other areas. Two of these are female empowerment efforts and the mental health world.

Megan’s consistent self-proclamation as a Hot Girl has rubbed off on her female fans, and her music and personality have permitted women to embrace their sexuality. The proof is in the chart rankings.

Take her hit song, “Hot Girl Summer,” as an example. The anthem about living your best life became one of the hottest songs of 2019, debuting at the top of the Rolling Stone Top 100 chart. Other tracks from Hot Girl Meg that echo the same “live your best life and own your hotness” themes, like “Savage” and “WAP,” are just as popular, proving that Megan Thee Stallion is helping lead the female empowerment charge. 

Following the release of the uber-vulnerable “Traumazine,” Megan launched her website, www.badbitcheshavebaddaystoo.com. The site focused on providing mental health resources for Black and LGBTQIA+ people and further reinforced her interest in promoting mental health care and reminding her fans that they are never a bother.

When it comes to higher education, Megan is an outspoken advocate. Not only did she return to Texas Southern University (TSU) to complete her Bachelor’s degree in 2021, but her non-profit also partnered with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to establish a scholarship fund at TSU and provide financial support, school supplies and other resources for students in need. 

Future projects and legacy

While there’s no way to predict everything the future holds, it’s safe to assume that whatever’s ahead for Megan Thee Stallion is bright.

Until we know what she has planned next — perhaps another album or another leg to the Hot Girl Summer tour — we’ll have to rely on streaming her already released music and watching “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words,” the 2024 documentary following the music icon’s road to stardom.

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