American rapper Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, notably known as “Megan Thee Stallion” has managed to continuously create waves in the music industry since her mainstream success in 2019. Popping out on the rap scene, her impact on the industry remains both impressive and admirable. Megan Thee Stallion started her career in 2017 with her three underground extended plays: “Make It Hot”, “Tina Snow” and “Suga,” which boosted her into the industry and secured her a place on the US Billboard charts. With personality, talent and wit, Megan has paved her own way for the successful career she possesses now.
Though Megan holds several achievements such as Grammy awards, Billboard Music Awards and Black Entertainment Television awards, they did not come easily.. Similar to situations with other successful artists, controversy sparks and celebrities’ reputation declines. The importance of celebrity influence lies within how successful artists such as Megan overcome their adversity and become greater. She manages to take all her conflicts and turn them into admirable lessons. She undeniably serves as a role model for Black women and female artists in her field. She has managed to claim the summer season and encourage thicker girls to embrace themselves despite society’s view of them. Megan has brought a new wave of confidence to Black women and has no intention of stopping.
While experiencing several waves of misogynoir—a specific type of misogyny experienced by Black women—Megan’s provocative presentation also manages to upset countless people. Disregarding her empowering messages and her impact on her audience, several people believe Megan does not deserve the positive praise she receives. Megan’s hyper-sexual image tends to throw viewers off and repel the liking of certain demographics. Other rap artists such as Doja Cat and Nicki Minaj have performed with this type of expression before, but they do not receive the amount of praise Megan does.
“Megan Thee Stallion’s ability to carve out a space for herself as an independent artist demonstrates the importance of prioritizing empowerment and independence. She solidifies her position as a creative force and entrepreneur. I believe brand leaders should take note and prioritize empowering their artists… to define their own unique pathways and contribute to the brand’s success,” Jeetendr Sehdev at Forbes said.
While unapologetically presenting as herself, Megan has managed to build a household name for herself and pull fans from all over the world. The concept of women in rap did not appear recently, but Megan has shaken the industry. She writes lyrics in hopes of inspiring women and breaking the traditional boundaries set for women. In songs such as“Freak Nasty,” and “ WAP,” featuring fellow rapper Cardi B, Megan raps about embracing sexuality and breaking the traditional expectations made for women. While using provocative lyrics and vivid imagery to captivate audiences, not everyone views Megan’s way of expression as admirable.
“Megan has managed to bring something new to the rap industry and inspire a new generation of ‘hotties’. She’s the epitome of confidence and being unbothered, I wouldn’t call myself a stan, but she has something about her that brings all types of audiences in. Yeah, I think she’s great,” Junior Brianna Gilbert said.
Megan takes all the adversity against her and turns these problems into a lesson. For example, when the entire internet turned against her during the Tory Lanez shooting, Megan received hate speech and thousands of people challenged her claims. Celebrities still feel human emotion, and words like these impact mental health. Even with all the odds against her, Megan kept moving forward and has continued doing what she loves. At first glance, seeing “Megan Thee Stallion possesses the qualities of a role model,” may alarm certain audiences. However, by looking into her impact and all she brought to the rap industry, this would not exist as a hyperbolic claim.
