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Who Is Megan Thee Stallion?
Megan Thee Stallion is a Grammy-winning American rapper known for her bold and unapologetic lyrics that address topics such as gender, race, and sexuality. A champion of body positivity and confidence, Megan gained widespread recognition with hits like “WAP,” a collaboration with Cardi B. She has amassed a loyal fan base, known as her “hotties,” and enjoys a strong presence on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. In addition to her musical career, Megan has been a vocal advocate for the injustices and violence that disproportionately affect Black women. Despite her success in the rap industry, she has also pursued higher education, balancing her studies with her career.
Early Life and Family
Megan Thee Stallion was born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete on February 15, 1995, in San Antonio, Texas. She grew up in the South Park neighborhood of Houston, Texas, raised by her mother, Holly Thomas, alongside her grandmother and great-grandmother. Megan’s father, Joseph Pete Jr., was incarcerated for the first eight years of her life, but after his release, they developed a close relationship until his untimely death when Megan was just 15. She has often credited her family for nurturing her confidence. In a 2019 interview with NME, she stated, “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.’ That came from my father too. I didn’t know anything else from birth.”
Megan’s mother, Holly Thomas, worked as a bill collector and also pursued a rap career under the name Holly-Wood from 2001 to 2007. Megan frequently accompanied her mother to the recording studio after school, where she developed an interest in music. “My mom thought I was asleep or watching TV,” Megan recalled in 2019, “but I was really 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. I owe everything to my mom.”
Megan first rapped for her mother at age 7, using a Barbie toy with prerecorded beats to accompany her lyrics. While initially hesitant to share her passion for rap, Megan’s early years were filled with other creative pursuits, including leading her middle school cheerleading and dance teams, and being involved in drill and dance teams during high school.
How Did Megan Thee Stallion Get Her Name?
Megan Thee Stallion’s professional name has its origins in her adolescence. In a 2017 interview, she explained, “Since I was younger, probably about 15 or 16, I’ve always had the same body. Older guys would always be like, ‘Oh, you a stallion.’ So I finally had to ask like, is that a good thing? Everybody pretty much took it and ran with it, and then I put it as my main name on Twitter, and ever since then everybody’s just been calling me Stallion.”
Launch of Rap Career
Megan began studying at Prairie View A&M University in 2013, where her interest in rap flourished. In a 2019 interview, she confessed, “I don’t know why I didn’t even tell anybody in high school that I wanted to rap. I just didn’t want to say anything, but when I got to college, I was just like, ‘I’m a rapper.'” She began participating in rap battles, and her freestyles quickly gained traction online.
After rapping for her mother, Holly Thomas, Megan’s explicit lyrics surprised her, though her mother recognized her talent and encouraged her to wait until she was 21 to pursue a full-time career. In 2016, Megan took part in a freestyle cypher with local Houston rappers, delivering a confident performance that garnered broader attention. Her mother, Holly, became her manager and continued to provide guidance as Megan’s career began to take off.
Megan released several mixtapes, including Rich Ratchet (2016), Make It Hot (2017), and Tina Snow (2018). Her breakout single, “Big Ole Freak” (2019), became her first track to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout this period, Megan leaned heavily on her mother’s advice, stating, “I always just said, ‘I’m going to call my mama. She’ll know what to do.'” Tragically, Megan lost her mother to a brain tumor in March 2019, just weeks after also losing her great-grandmother.
Career Success
Megan Thee Stallion’s resilience in the face of personal loss has been a driving force behind her career achievements. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she explained how focusing on her career helped her navigate grief: “The losses weigh on me… But I know what my mom and my grandma would want me to do. My mama is a very strong woman. She raised me to be super strong. If I got the platform to spread positivity, I’m gonna do it.”
Her work ethic paid off when she released Fever in May 2019, which debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. She coined the phrase “Hot Girl Summer” on Twitter, which soon became a cultural phenomenon and led to a hit song featuring Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign. The track went platinum and became the anthem of the summer of 2019. The phrase’s success was so significant that Megan trademarked it. In 2020, the song “Savage” went viral, particularly due to a dance challenge on TikTok. The remix of “Savage,” featuring Beyoncé, topped the charts, with the proceeds donated to the Houston nonprofit Bread of Life.
Megan’s Suga EP came out in 2020, and she even directed the video for “Captain Hook,” a track from the project. Her debut album Good News followed later that year. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, Megan won Best New Artist and took home additional wins for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for the remix of “Savage.”
Her influence extended beyond music. In 2020, Time magazine named Megan one of the 100 Most Influential People. She has graced multiple magazine covers, including Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, and serves as an ambassador for Revlon and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line, in addition to her partnership with Cash App. Megan also produced and starred in the 2019 YouTube series Hottieween and currently serves as a judge on the voguing competition show Legendary.
Controversies
Megan’s outspoken and unapologetic persona has often led to controversy. Her collaboration with Cardi B on the song “WAP” sparked criticism for its bold sexuality, though the song’s popularity was undeniable, reaching No. 1 on the charts. Megan defended her artistic freedom, saying, “This is my body; why can’t I talk about it? Men have been doing it for years.”
In her career, Megan has also faced legal battles. In 2020, she went to court with her first record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, to release Suga. The following year, she was involved in another legal dispute over the release of her remix of “Butter,” featuring the K-pop group BTS.
Megan is no stranger to criticism, even for personal interests such as anime and manga. She dismissed her critics, stating, “If you don’t have no haters, you’re not poppin’.”
Gunshot Wounds and Activism
In July 2020, Megan was allegedly shot in both feet by rapper Tory Lanez. Although initially hesitant to reveal details out of fear of police involvement, Megan later shared her experience, noting the online mockery and distorted facts surrounding the incident. She responded via social media, expressing how Black women are often unprotected, writing, “Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own.” She also penned an op-ed for The New York Times, where she highlighted the systemic disrespect and disregard faced by Black women.
Megan used her appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 2020 to protest the lack of justice for Breonna Taylor, adding another layer to her advocacy for social change.
Personal Life
Romantic rumors have often swirled around Megan, but she has addressed these, saying, “People think that if I’m hanging out with anybody, it got to be, ‘Oh, they’re having sex.'” She confirmed her relationship with rapper Pardi Fontaine but clarified that not every connection needs to be sexualized.
How Tall Is Megan Thee Stallion?
Megan stands at 5 feet 10 inches tall.
College and Long-Term Goals
Amid her rising fame, Megan remained committed to her education. Despite her hectic schedule, she pursued a degree in health administration, motivated by both personal ambition and her desire to honor the women in her family. Megan transferred to Texas Southern University and took online courses, intending to graduate in the fall of 2021. After graduation, she plans to open assisted living facilities in Houston, inspired by her family’s caregiving experiences. “I just feel like it’ll be a weight lifted off of family members if they had somewhere for their grandparents to go and be comfortable,” she said.
Looking beyond her career in music, Megan envisions herself as a mogul. “I don’t like to put myself in a box,” she said, expressing interest in diversifying her career. “When I’m in my 30s I don’t want to just be known as Megan the rapper—I want to be Megan the mogul. I want to have all my brand deals. I want to be known as a philanthropist.”