Megan Thee Stallion is a primary instance of an artist propelled rapidly into mainstream consciousness. For years, she gained a repute for her formidable lyricism by way of freestyles that helped her develop a cult-like following in a post-Cardi B period of rap music. 2018’s Tina Snow and 2019’s Fever confirmed what all her day-one followers knew from the bounce: she’s a star. Nonetheless, her method to mainstream success felt contrived, particularly after the discharge of “Sizzling Woman Summer time.” The allure of Houston’s Southern belle appeared watered all the way down to attraction to a broader viewers.
The whirlwind journey she skilled up to now few years has raised questions in regards to the sustainability of her profession. Regardless of changing into a essential darling, Good News and Traumazine, have been simply missed. In some ways, they showcased Megan’s strengths, however exterior elements, together with her authorized battle with 1501 Certified Entertainment and the Tory Lanez trial, eclipsed her accomplishments to the purpose the place her music grew to become secondary. Her presence felt extra outstanding in company sponsorships than as an MC, as seen in her collaborations with Nike and Planet Health.
Megan Thee Stallion Returns With Vengeance
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This brings us to Megan, her third studio album and, extra importantly, her first as an impartial artist. For the primary time, it doesn’t really feel like there’s any added weight on Megan exterior of discovering her personal consolation as an artist. The truth is, this looks like Megan’s most realized imaginative and prescient on wax. She’s unapologetic, confrontational, attractive, and dominant all of sudden, even throughout a number of missteps on the mission.
“HISS” encapsulates her angle in its temporary intro. The diss music itself undoubtedly set the tone for the resurgence of rap beef in 2024. “I simply wish to kick this shit off by saying, Fuck y’all! I ain’t gotta clear my title on a motherfuckin’ thang,” she declares. “I am finna get this shit off my chest and lay it to relaxation.” Whereas everybody from Drake and Nicki Minaj to Tory Lanez and Akademiks catch strays (in addition to her ex Pardison Fontaine), she persists on subsequent information like “Rattle” and “Figueroa” (“I’m a mothaf*ckin’ Brat, not a Barbie”). It’s on these three songs that Megan sounds probably the most invigorated as an MC – her refined flows and electrifying deliveries instantly command consideration, however that momentum rapidly dies down in subsequent efforts.
“The place Them Ladies At,” geared up with trunk-rattling bass and a Memphis-esque vocal pattern on the hook, is anthemic and prone to dominate the summer season (maybe with a TikTok push, it might crack the highest 10 on the Sizzling 100). Nonetheless, it seems like one thing Megan’s finished extra successfully up to now. The tracklist suffers a little bit of a decline from this level onward.
The Versatility Of Megan
Picture by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic by way of Getty Photographs
Songs like “Broke His Coronary heart,” produced by Tay Keith, tackle a pattern of Jeezy’s “I Luv It” however fail to do the unique justice, largely as a result of it popifies a entice traditional. Although it is one of many a number of efforts that affirm the message of ladies’s empowerment, particularly within the context of her extremely publicized break-up, it fails to penetrate equally to the tracks main as much as that music. Sadly, using traditional samples throughout this album doesn’t appear to have any level exterior of familiarity. “BOA” suffers the identical destiny with its pattern of Gwen Stefani’s “What You Ready For?” This problem isn’t restricted to Megan Thee Stallion or her album; it’s prevalent within the music business. At a time when it’s straightforward to differentiate successful document from a TikTok document, these types of samples appear geared toward feeding into algorithms greater than the individuals’s desires.
The consistency Megan initially kicks off begins to fall flat in alternate for a flagrant displaying of versatility. Songs like “Otaku Sizzling Woman” and “Mamushi” ft. Yuki Chiba are compelling leaps into her anime fandom and makes an attempt to assist her crossover to worldwide markets. It’s efficient for what it’s price, however with out sustaining cohesion throughout all 18 tracks, it deviates from the essence of what she began with this mission. Yuki Chiba and Megan share incredible chemistry on “Mamushi,” which even sees the Houston star rapping in Japanese. Nonetheless, it feels oddly positioned within the tracklist.
Waving The Flag For The South: GloRilla, UGK, Huge Okay.R.I.T & Extra
The center chunk of the album looks like filler, particularly as soon as the again half of the mission hits. Megan’s strongest factors intensify her id because the main girl of the South. The manufacturing, particularly Juicy J’s contributions (“Paper Collectively” ft. UGK, alongside Go Grizzly & “Moody Woman” alongside Hitkidd), is clean, soulful, and barely smoky, offering equal measures of grit and seduction. These peaks on the mission really feel like full-circle moments for Megan, particularly the UGK function and a posthumous verse from Pimp C – Meg’s favourite rapper and the inspiration behind the Tina Snow persona. Nonetheless, it’s the inclusion of UGK, GloRilla (“Accent”), Huge Okay.R.I.T., and Buddha Bless (“Miami Blue”) that breed a consolation zone for Meg with out complacency. It’s a transparent show of her musical lineage, embracing friends like GloRilla whereas correctly honoring the legends that preceded her.
All through the hardships Megan has confronted over time, her resilience has remained certainly one of her most inspiring qualities. On Megan, it takes heart stage in its brightest kind. Regardless of the string of hate she confronted as a taking pictures sufferer, her struggles to get out of her contract, and witnessing the tables flip in opposition to her amongst those that as soon as embraced her, Megan Thee Stallion rises above the adversity and delivers an album that encompasses self-love within the face of overt — and sometimes misguided — criticism. Positive, the tracklist might have been extra succinct, and some filler tracks might have been simply eliminated. However total, Megan delivers a physique of labor that actually showcases her capabilities as an artist and exhibits some fascinating indicators of the place she would possibly head subsequent.
About The Writer
Aron A. is a options editor for HotNewHipHop. Starting his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the largest tales within the tradition over the previous few years.
All through his time, Aron’s helped introduce numerous buzzing up-and-coming artists to our viewers, figuring out regional tendencies and highlighting hip-hop from throughout the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has additionally made a concerted effort to place spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as a part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview sequence that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron additionally broke numerous tales by way of his in depth interviews with beloved figures within the tradition. These embrace business vets (High quality Management co-founder Kevin “Coach Okay” Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Types P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Huge Daddy Kane), and the following technology of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio International, Denzel Curry). Aron additionally penned cowl tales with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.