Many fell in love with Megan Thee Stallion‘s early videos on YouTube, including her Stalli Freestyle and Hottie World series. For me, it was seeing her perform at SXSW 2018 for a HipHopWeekly showcase in Austin, TX. The Houston star hit the stage before an entire crowd of women—who jampacked the prior empty space. In her Tina Snow era at the time, Meg performed some of her early popular songs that were already making waves in her hometown. Wearing a cut-off, cropped gray hoodie, blue jeans and her 1501 chain at the time, the then 23-year-old shut down the stage with well known tracks, “No Heart” and “Cocky AF.”
Many freestyles and viral moments later, the same confident “femcee” catapulted to an even bigger status of fame with her hit single “Big Ole Freak” — which became her first Billboard 100 entry at No. 99. “Savage (Remix)” featuring Beyoncé would become her first No. 1 song in 2020. Surely on “cloud 9” with her mother Holly Thomas by her side, Megan was surrounded by the right team and support system to get her to the next level— unfortunately, it wouldn’t stay that way forever.
2019-2020 was a tumultuous time for Meg, as both her mother and grandmother passed away two weeks a part, legal issues caused her to step away from 1501 Certified (later signing to Roc Nation), and she found herself being shot in the foot by someone she trusted. The aftermath of the shocking incident would go on for three years in the courts before she would receive justice in 2023: seeing Tory Lanez be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
No amount of Grammy-Awards, college degrees, collaborations with her dream artists or exciting opportunities were enough to mentally cope with all of the post traumatic stress she felt, mixed with commentary from the public.
“I had to start realizing if you don’t want to like somebody, nothing that they’re going to do or say is going to make you like them,” Megan told VIBE. “If you have already made up in your mind ‘I don’t like you’ there’s nothing that I was going to be able to do or say to change your mind about that.” As there are many who have publicly sided with the Canadian artist and many more who have publicly showed support for Megan, the time has come for her to tell her story from her own perspective.
In the trailer for her forthcoming documentary Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words, the “Bigger In Texas” star travels back to her youthful days in Houston, up to being one of the biggest women rappers of today. “How can I be Megan Thee Stallion and I’m not having fun,” she opens up the trailer. Speaking of the importance of having her mother in her life, to how the shooting incident changed her life, to taking her mental health seriously—she admitted in the two-minute clip that “Megan Thee Stallion is trying to protect Megan Pete.”
Through her adversities and setbacks, Megan has continued to use her platform to uplift and inspire, while maintaining her infectious energy as a trailblazer, advocating for mental health and body positivity. Whether it’s delivering high-energy performances or sharing her story of personal growth, she continues to prove that she’s not just a star—she’s a movement.
Ahead of the documentary’s premiere on Amazon Prime on Thursday (Oct. 31), the Houston Hot Girl spoke with VIBE, where she shared the “why” behind telling her story now. Megan also reflected on how she continues to “rebuild” herself from that once local star at SXSW 2018 to the global phenomenon she is today.