Rap is half sport, half entertainment. As listeners we love being thrilled by dizzying displays of technical ability merged with megawatt personalities. We have established veterans that oversee the game, mythical legends that we place upon “Top 5” pedestals, and young upstarts that are vying to become rap’s next star. In 2019, the field of upstarts is as crowded as ever, with loads of young rappers making great music. Of course a few rappers always manage to outshine their peers setting themselves apart as true stars. Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion, is making a name for herself as rap’s next big thing.
Megan Thee Stallion raps like she’s wearing a perpetual sneer. Her Houston twang drips disdain, like a queen addressing peasants. She has no time for broke niggas or broke bitches. If you’re not deemed worthy to be in her presence, she will cast you to the side with a scoff and a withering line about how you should know that she didn’t cum if you have to ask. Her personal ethos can be boiled down to these lines from ‘WTF I Want’ the opener of her 2018 EP ‘Tina Snow’: “I do what the fuck I want, when the fuck I want. Bitch don’t like me all you want, run up, bet you won’t.” She is brash, charismatic, menacing, and witty with an ear for hits that makes her stardom feel inevitable.
Although Houston is known for its iconic chopped-n-screwed sound, Megan’s music pulsates with an energy far beyond that. Her music pays homage to Houston legend, Pimp C, by way of her confident delivery and raw sexuality. Her lyrics are loaded with lines dedicated to her sexual prowess and escapades with other women’s men. Sex appeal is her weapon of choice and she wields it like a double edged sword, evoking lust in men and envy in their girlfriends with a smirk on her face the whole time. The cockiness that Megan exudes is evident in her flow as well. Her rapping ability isn’t something to dismiss, especially after hearing a song like her hit ‘Hot Girl’, with a beat so hard describing it as riotous would be a disservice. Megan is able to find multiple pockets within the beat, switching flows like a veteran while making a banger that could shut down any club.
The way female rappers are received and evaluated is very different from their male counterparts. For some reason, a belief seems to exist that there can only be one female rap star at a time. People act like it is impossible for Cardi B and Nicki Minaj to exist at the same time, and as Megan’s buzz continues to build, there will be more and more people asking whether Megan is the one to “dethrone” Cardi. Frankly, that mentality is bullshit. Rather than trying to make these talented artists fit into your myopic view, why not embrace them all and realise that they’re making bold and exciting music? Megan has publicly declared that she has no need for petty beefs or unnecessary conflict that people might seek to create between her and her talented peers. Artists like Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty, and Megan are just a few names in a new era of promising female rappers and they have shown admiration and respect for each other’s craft. Megan has repeatedly said that she doesn’t want to be known for anything other than rapping. Her talent, focus, and work ethic make for a fierce combination, and show why she has breakout potential.
In 2016, a Houston cypher was filmed, with the intention of showcasing the wide array of talent in the city. One minute and thirty-four seconds into the video, Megan appears, and for the next minute and twenty-one seconds, she steals the entire show. It is an early glimpse of an artist who can’t help but outshine her fellow Houstonians through the sheer force of her personality and crisp flow. Fast forward to 2019 and now she’s racking up over a million views on the video for her smash single ‘Big Ole Freak.’ When you watch that video, even though it’s clear she’s working with a budget on another level, Megan’s magnetism is still the draw as she dares you to take your eyes off of her for the duration of the song. Her burgeoning fanbase, affectionately known as ‘Hotties’, continues to grow from day to day as Megan’s star continues it’s ascent. While many will be quick to call her an overnight success, this is the product of years of hard work and grinding. In an interview with Billboard, in response to how she’s been handling her rapid rise, this is what she had to say: “I’m just thinking — we’ve got to keep working harder. Because my main thing is just to keep outdoing myself.” Thee Stallion doesn’t seem like she’s going to let up anytime soon and rap as a whole is better for it. With a new project scheduled to drop in April titled ‘Fever’, Megan has a chance to show the game that the Houston Hottie is here to stay.
