Riddle me this! I am a Grammy-winning American rapper whose lyrics categorically discuss gender, race, and sex. I am an emblem of confidence, and body positivity, as anyone can see in most of my songs. Who am I? This riddle captures the essence of Megan Thee Stallion and her achievements of the past few years.
Her message comes across loud and clear in songs like “WAP,” where she featured alongside Cardi B. Megan’s loyal fan base, whom she refers to as her “hotties:, support her enthusiastically. She also has millions of followers on Twitter and Instagram, a reflection of how far she’s reached less than a decade.
Megan Thee Stallion tirelessly crusades against abuse and violence endured by Black women. As a superstar and a Black woman, she describes her mother and grandmother’s massive influence on her life. Already a rap star, she still pursued and bagged her college degree.
In many ways, Megan attracts the spotlight that’s often handed to her on a platter. She’s our celebrity highlight this week, so join us as we celebrate this body positivist and music icon.
Growing Up with Great Examples
Born as Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, little Meg was born in San Antonio, Texas on February 15, 1995. She spent her early years in Houston’s South Park community with her mother, Holly Thomas, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. Megan’s family greatly shaped her identity as a rap artist and a Black woman. In an interview with NME, she explained, “I had really good examples of women in my life, and they always put it in like, ‘Megan, you’re amazing… You’re doing so good.’ But, of course, that came from my father too. So, I didn’t know anything else from birth.”
As for her dad, Joseph Pete Jr., he spent the first eight years of Megan’s life in prison. Still, they grew close after his release, before he died when Megan was 15.
Holly Thomas, Megan’s mother, was a bill collector for a while, before building her rap career from 2001 to 2007. As a rapper, she used the stage name, Holly-Wood. Megan would go with her to the recording studio after school during her music career, and remembers that the setting intrigued her:
“My mom thought I was asleep or watching TV, in her own words. But I was listening to the instrumentals being played over and over. So, I would be in the other room just writing rhymes in my little kid’s folder, just things that I thought sounded cool. So, I owe everything to my mom.”
The first time Megan rapped for her mother was at age seven, accompanied by a Barbie toy that provided pre-recorded instrumentals and beats. Sometimes, Meg would steal her mother’s instrumentals and write her own lyrics to them.
Breaking Into the World of Rap
In 2016, Megan participated in a “cipher” freestyle contest with local Houston rappers, delivering the sweet lines of a confident and in-control rapper. This performance earned her a broader reach and fame. As her successful career kicked off, her mother became her manager,encouraging her to take the career seriously and rap with her voice only.
All it took were videos of Megan freestyling on social media platforms, such as Instagram, to fuel her breakout into the music mainstream. Signed to 300 Entertainment in 2018, Megan released the mixtape Fever (2019) and then the EP Suga (2020). These both peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, reflecting their raging success.
As Megan rose to fame, she never stopped relying on her mother. According to her, “I always just said, ‘I’m going to call my mama. She’ll know what to do.'”
You can imagine that losing this support when her mother passed away due to a brain tumor in March 2019 was crushing. Her great-grandmother’s death in the same month brought even more pain.
So, it’s easy to understand why, after taking time off from school, Pete resumed her studies at Texas Southern University to fulfill a promise she’d made to her mother.. On December 11, 2021, about two and a half years after her mom’s death, she received her Bachelor of Science in health administration. She explains that achieving this goal was her way to honor both her late mother and her late grandmother.
According to Meg,, “I want to get my degree because I want my mom to be proud. She saw me going to school before she passed.”
Making Her Mark
When it comes to body positivity, Hot Girl Meg never disappoints. Her daring looks make it clear she’s never afraid to take a fashion risk. Most of her risqué outfits have left the internet buzzing for days after she wore them. Megan combines hair transformations, makeup, and snazzy-looking outfits to make her own unique mark.
Over and over, she’s broken the internet with her outfits and hair transformations:
- Megan Thee Stallion attended the Spotify launch party in May of 2019, rocking a skin-baring white set.
- In 2019, the Houston artist brought Texas to New Jersey with a rhinestone cowgirl outfit and thigh-length teal hair.
- Just a few months after that, the rapper made another fashion statement in an all-red outfit and thigh-high boots at the 2019 WPGC Birthday Bash,
- In June of that same year, Megan took her love of two pieces to the next level at the 2019 BET Awards, stealing the spotlight on the red carpet.
- Again, she sported a two-tone, red and white hairstyle to a Pretty Little Thing party in 2019
- At Lil Weezyana 2019, she rocked a super cropped top and a coordinating thong connected to her boots through strips of fabric that revealed her bra.
- Once again, in 2019, Meg went full red. This hairstyle turned out to be one of her most outstanding looks to date.
- Again, in November of the same year, Megan sported an eye-popping red dress for the 2019 American Music Awards.
- Megan strode into 2020 rocking beachy waves and a volumized middle section.
- Then, she wore a see-through outfit to perform at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
- The rap star popped into IG to start 2021 with natural curls that perfectly fit the beach scene.
- Then, in May 2021, Megan rocked a mini dress with a dramatic cutout to the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
With each outfit and hair transformation, Megan boldly preaches her message of confidence to every black woman out there. Thee Stallion is never reluctant to make a fashion statement.
In addition to her statement looks, Hot Girl Meg has built a lustrous rap career so far, and she has the awards to prove it.. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, Megan went home with the Best New Artist award, and she also won awards for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for the remix of “Savage” featuring Beyoncé.
The Pete and Thomas Foundation: Giving Back to the Community
In addition to all her musical achievements, Megan Thee Stallion launched a charity to mark her 27th birthday. In an Instagram post, the American rap sensation shared the news with this caption:
“In celebration of my birthday, I’m honored to introduce the Pete and Thomas Foundation. @PeteThomasFDN is a non-profit organization focused on uplifting and assisting women, children, senior citizens, and underserved communities in Houston, Texas, and worldwide. My parents raised me to help others and give back, and I’m incredibly proud to launch this foundation in their memory,”
The charity’s purpose is to provide aid for women, children, and senior citizens in underserved neighborhoods in Houston, Texas. However, their services also extend around the globe in a bid to make “meaningful and positive” impacts in people’s lives, emphasizing education, housing, health, and wellness.
In the video montage, Megan says, “I really wanted to make my mom proud. I really wanted to make my grandma proud and make myself proud. You know, how can I help something? Like, what can I do to make a change?” Her charity work reflects her mom’s influence, which continued after her death.
Conclusion: A Stallion in Several Ways
There’s lots to appreciate about Meg-Thee-Stallion, her foundational childhood to the start of her rap career, education, and life as a philanthropist. Her title of “stallion” doesn’t just describe her body. She’s also a stallion socially and musically, giving in “stallion quantity” and inspiring countless others.
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