The Alpha, the Omega and everything in between, the recognition of Nicki Minaj (“Pink Friday 2”) as the most successful female icon in the rap industry is ubiquitous; her name is the primary answer when asking Google, “Who is the Queen of Rap?” 

With her 2010 album “Pink Friday,” her legacy commenced through exponential sales and a confident stance in the music industry. From “Did It On ‘Em,” the birthplace of her famous line “All these b*tches is my sons,” to her recent “FTCU,” Minaj’s indomitable talent, versatility and record-smashing numbers have solidified her as an unavoidable figure in the ever-fluctuating music field.  

A young entry into the industry, Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, better known by her stage name Megan Thee Stallion (“HISS”), began writing her early music in 2016 and found mainstream success off “Big Ole Freak,” a component of her 2018 “Tina Snow” EP. Advancing her career, collections such as “Fever,” “Good News” and the most recent “Traumazine” pushed Megan Thee Stallion to the forefront of female lyricism and through various maximas of virality. 

Graduating from Texas Southern University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in health administration, Megan Thee Stallion’s dichotomy of an intelligent college graduate and successful rapper before receiving her degree raises her as an idol to other women. With so much flair behind the stallion, it is obvious why she is known as “Hot Girl Meg.”

As prominent women within a historically male-dominated music genre, the sour development between Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion is a shock to the fanbases of both music stars. The two collaborated with Ty Dolla $ign for “Hot Girl Summer,” a 2019 release that earned Megan Thee Stallion a platinum certification for the works and seemingly solidified the connection between both rappers.

Megan Thee Stallion would later work with Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, better known by her stage name Cardi B (“JEALOUSY”), in “WAP” and “Bongos” amidst a feud between Minaj and Almánzar. This partnership, however, allegedly did not affect Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion’s relationship at the time, though the legitimacy of this claim is questioned. 

The first sign of a feud occurred in early January 2021, when both artists unfollowed one another, initiated by Minaj. Following this, songs released by both would conceal messages allegedly aimed at one another. “Seeing Green,” “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” and “FTCU” by Minaj are believed to have attacked Megan Thee Stallion by referencing topics from her inappropriate use of alcohol to the 2020 gunshot wound she received at the hands of Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, who is serving a ten-year jail sentence for the shooting. 

Megan Thee Stallion would take apparent jabs at Minaj in “Thot Sh*t,” “Gift & A Curse” and “Bongos,” though these claims, similar to the ones faced by Minaj, are based on speculation. While the lyrical undertones across these songs never explicitly attacked either rapper, they were catalysts for the boiling point on Jan. 26, when Megan Thee Stallion dropped “HISS.” 

Kicked off by a string of expletives and a demanding voice, Megan Thee Stallion’s thunderous, energetic introduction lays the foundation for what to expect in the remaining three minutes.

“I just wanna kick this sh*t off by saying f*ck y’all, I ain’t gotta clear my name on a motherf*ckin’ thing,” Megan Thee Stallion said. “I’m finna get this sh*t off my chest and lay it to rest, let’s go.”

Megan Thee Stallion starts with a bellowing beat into a visceral rhythm of shots at her envious opponents and those who have wronged her. From wannabe fake gangsters to hypocritical males having a say in women’s bodies, Megan Thee Stallion begins on a robust note and ends on a satisfying crescendo, a literal final laugh for those who think they’re “competing” with her. The most notable lyric of Megan Thee Stallion’s song comes straight from the first verse, not even a minute into her latest magnum opus.

“These h*es don’t be mad at Megan, these h*es mad at Megan’s Law.”

Megan’s Law refers to a United States federal law that requires law enforcement authorities to make the information of registered sex offenders public and is named after Megan Kanka, who was sexually abused and killed in 1994 by her neighbor Jesse Timmedequas, a charged child molester.

The lyric is remarkable in its applicability throughout the music industry. Though no one was named, the sentence could have been towards any artists charged with sex crimes, from Tekashi 69 to R. Kelly. Notably, fans of Megan Thee Stallion immediately correlated the lyrics to Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Nicholas Petty. Petty was convicted of attempted rape following an attack on a 16-year-old in 1995 and served over four years in jail, and has since registered as a sex offender. 

Having flown too close to the sun, Minaj burned herself. After continuous disses, Megan Thee Stallion proved her musical abilities enough to intertwine such a devastating blow in a short sentence, one that instigated a reaction from Minaj within an hour of “HISS”’s release.

Minaj previewed a reactionary track to “HISS” on an Instagram Live, freestyling lyrics referencing Pete’s height and the 2020 Lanez shooting. The track “Big Foot” was subsequently uploaded to YouTube on Jan. 29, which Minaj claimed is not a diss track on X, formerly Twitter. Lyrics from the song, however, suggest the spontaneous snap in tensions is behind Minaj’s latest work. 

“This lil’ beggin’ wh*re talkin’ ‘bout Megan’s Law, for a free beat you could hit Megan raw. If you a ghostwriter, party in Megan jaw. Shots thrown, but I still ain’t let Megan score,” Minaj rapped.

“Big Foot” was swiftly met with opposition and a suffocating wave of critique. The rushed nature of the song made the flow awkward, with Minaj’s typical traits nowhere in the acoustic concoction she had inefficiently created. In addition, Minaj pushed the limits of disrespect from petty beef to full-blown insults regarding Megan Thee Stallion’s mother.

“Big Foot, but you still a small fry, swearin’ on your dead mother when you lie.”

“H*, the things you’ve lied about, even pertaining to your mom, you don’t want them out, okay?”

Minaj’s outburst over “HISS” has been under scrutiny, with many wondering why the once-reasonable rapper suddenly became so agitated in such a disorganized fashion. Fans also wonder where her spirited rhythm and wordplay went with this diss.

Megan Thee Stallion is not Minaj’s first case of industry beef: she has feuded with Remy Ma, Lil Kim, Cardi B and, comically, Mariah Carey at one point. Though the act of artists dissing one another is not revolutionary, it is an essential part of the rap/hip-hop dynamic. Head-ons with other rappers bolster lyrical and expressive developments, boost sales for either one or both parties involved, and result in the creation of new music.

“No Frauds” and “Barbie Dreams” are two of Minaj’s works that had enough time to be developed and carefully constructed before being released, meant to address Remy Ma and Meek Mill, respectively. Unfortunately, the haste seen in the Minaj/Stallion situation set an unfavorable and even dangerous precedent for the “Queen of Rap,” as her career proves to be less reinforced than once thought.

The beef between both stars is on track to be one of the messiest and scornful interactions in feud history. Though Megan Thee Stallion has responded to the “Big Foot” diss, she has not directly spoken with Minaj regarding the song. “Big Foot,” seeing an initial influx of streams and views, has consistently fallen down the U.S. Spotify charts; on its third day, it quickly slipped from no.23 to no.69.

“HISS” continues to ride its wave of stardom, debuting at no.1 on Billboard Hot 100 on Feb. 5. Though this is Pete’s third time in this sensational position behind “Savage” with Beyonce and “WAP” with Cardi B, it is her first solo launch to the top. Megan Thee Stallion has also unveiled her plan to go on tour in summer 2024, with specifics still in the making. As of Feb. 5, she anticipates to tour Massachusetts, California and Tennessee.

Image from MTV International via YouTube.com