GEN Z FAVORITES PT. 4: MEGAN THEE STALLION
ALARA ALPAY
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, born in 1995, is not your ordinary rapper. She is one of the most important female rappers today thanks to the environment she grew up in, mentality and self-confidence she inhabited in her youth, and her contribution to Generation Z is greater than you might think.
Perhaps Megan’s first and greatest inspiration was her mother, who rapped under the name Holly-wood. Instead of dropping Megan off at daycare on her way to the studio, she used to take her to the studio too – naturally Megan got used to this setting she grew up in and started writing lyrics when she was 16. Although her mother cut her way off to the industry because the lyrics she wrote were too sexually explicit, Megan took the first step of her career by uploading freestyle videos online when she turned 18!
After managing to increase her fan base thanks to the TV programs she made appearances in and the freestyle songs she uploaded to the internet, she released her first EP ‘Tina snow ‘ in 2018. Her second mixtape ‘Fever’ was named Album of the Year 2019 by Paper Magazine! However, making bad-ass music is not the only occupation of Megan…
Aside from her music career, which has been on the rise since her first EP, Megan is a college student; just like her music career, education is a must for her. In an interview with Hollywood Life in 2019, she says both of them are her plan A, and if things go well, Megan will officially graduate in the fall semester of 2021!
Megan is truly an admirable woman because while she was swamped with coursework, she released one of the most viral songs of the last two years, Savage! Like many of the artists we covered in our previous posts, the heyday of Megan’s career came when her songs, such as Savage and Captain Hook, went viral on TikTok. Countless dance challenges, followed by the release of a remixed version of Savage with Beyonce; it took Megan to an immense position among Generation Z, such as Lil Nas and Doja Cat.
One of the things that gives Megan the most strength is her sexually explicit lyrics that her mother was uncomfortable with and did not support. Megan finds these oppositions absurd, asking ‘Why I can’t rap about my body and my urges?’ Her goal is to motivate both herself and the girls who listen to her and not to be ashamed of their bodies, but rather proud. ‘WAP’, her hit song with Cardi B, is a great example of this, and we think this song has already taken its place among the iconic songs.
Male rappers have been writing lyrics that highlight their sexuality and sexual experiences as they please for decades. When 2 Live Crew released songs like ‘Me So Horny’ in the early ’90s, they were officially greeted like heroes and received a lot of support within the rap community. Although we do not deny that this is a positive step for the liberation of music, the negative reaction against Megan due to her ‘dirty’ lyrics in 2021 shows that more steps need to be taken regarding freedom of expression in the music industry.
Generation Z wants to live in a culture where sexuality is no longer a taboo, where everyone can express themselves freely, thanks to the artists who reflect how they feel. Megan’s technical talent and self-confidence in this matter, perhaps, will make her one of the most loved and respected rappers of the 21st century!
