The Rise of Megan Thee Stallion, In Five Songs

• 
  
  “The Houston Cypher” (2016)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=_gCBwtwYyZg
  
  
  
  Megan told Vulture that her infamous verse in “The Houston Cypher” — the fiery local moment that laid the structure for widespread dominance — was done on a whim. “My homeboy was like, ‘Megan, I need you to come with me to this cypher,’” she mentioned. “And I’m like, ‘A cypher? I ain’t going to that.’ And he was like, ‘No, for real, Megan. It’s gonna be lit, come on.’ So I was like, ‘All right, cool. I’ma go.’” She pulled up to the rooftop cypher because the sole woman rapper in a large circle of at least two dozen fellow Houston artists. You could see: Once it’s her turn to step up (she goes second), all attention melts away from each person else.
  
  
  She’s direct, certain, and bossy. The striking cypher verse reveals total confidence in her delivery, so much so that the blurred faces in the background can be seen smiling and hollering as her hands move over her body and her hips slowly sway from side to side. This X-rated minute placed her piece on the larger board of the industry, going viral and introducing her to a global intended for her to rule.
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  “Stalli Freestyle” (2017)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=gvSD05Yu7Ig
  
  
  
  per year later, Megan was in a different place. On her first mixtape, Rich Ratchet, she noticed power in her sexual dominance while rapping over the classic beats of Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin” and Ashanti’s “Foolish.” Nevertheless in 2017, she washed the board. Soon after hearing XXXTentacion’s “Look At Me!,” She dropped a rework it a number of months later in “Stalli (Freestyle).” Alternatively opposed to clinging to a “aye” at the end of every rhyme, she punches each one with powerful conclusions and requires a step up from her cypher verse, firmly rooted in a blossoming superstardom.
  
  
  The video followed a series of mostly now-deleted Instagram freestyles. “Stalli” was the next step up from the cypher and gave the world an original visual component for Megan. The effect was almost instantaneous. It cracked a million views without a sweat and showed us that even any time she’s keeping it simple visually, she’s a magnet for the camera. She retained that cypher confidence moved with the sort of grace that leaves you defenseless with your eyes glazed. It became her biggest song and video at the time that put her into label crosshairs.
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  “Freak Nasty” (2018)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=DNVuhP8ehdo
  
  
  
  Almost two years to the date immediately after her cypher verse, Megan gained a boost by signing with local Houston label 1501 Certified Ent. Under its umbrella, she released Tina Snow, a EP where she introduced a rawer version of herself, unafraid to mention whichever comes to her mind. The tape is a smash; she soon signed with 300 Entertainment, residence of Young Thug, Tee Grizzley, and several more. The “Freak Nasty” video landed in August, showcasing what she is about right now (as Tina Snow), which is the same as what she’s been about (as Megan Thee Stallion).
  
  
  More boss talk. More sex. More cars. Good life. No stress. If Megan Thee Stallion hisses, Tina Snow roars — the Killer Frost to Megan’s Caitlyn Snow. On “Freak Nasty,” Snow pushes Stallion off to the side, fearlessly striding into livelier, dancing territories. The video is all about the power of the feminine body, of Snow, and Stallion’s shared body. Snow and Stallion have to exist as separate entities, however if they can mesh with each other, they can find some group kind of peace.
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  “Big Ole Freak” (2019)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=oBYf6gpVvRA
  
  
  
  With folded arms, Tina Snow and Megan Thee Stallion walked into the light for an exhilarating, sensually striking jam, “Big Ole Freak.” The song noticed its legs by means of the its video; watching it feels like viewing the final battle of Avengers: Endgame and appreciating the culmination of a years-long story. It also ferns the seeds for the next chapter.
  
  
  It’s striking to hear the ferocity of the artist’s softer side (something not previously shown) on the same track. Like a darker, lustier version of Mariah Carey’s “Hypnotize," it’s immediately evident that things are different for Megan this go around. The fist-clenching boss talk of “Stalli (Freestyle),” and “Freak Nasty” has been refined into a smirking statement of all-encompassing sexuality. This time, she raps not about how she’s better than the rest in bed, although as an alternative chuckles at how she has a male wrapped around her fingers.
  
  
  Then, thanks to the #BigOleFreakChallenge, her reign really started. Megan, in a cropped white tee and small shorts, kicked off a twerking competition at a gas station (inspired by influencer DJ Duffey) and invited the world to try and outdo her. The challenge, the song, and Megan all grew larger. The song infiltrated streaming-service playlists like Apple Music’s The A List: Hip-Hop and Spotify’s RapCaviar. And months later, the song still sticks around, even by way of the release of her debut LP, Fever.
  
  
  
  
  



• 
  
  “Cash Shit” ft. DaBaby (2019)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=2Xe7OAFljOA
  
  
  
  Megan’s new project, Fever, showcases the power of Tina Snow, Hot Girl Meg (another of her identities that she’s previously described as her party animal character), and her own personality. The three personalities converge on the confident bass booster that is “Cash Shit,” poetically featuring DaBaby, a rapper of a similar, viral success.
  
  
  Only several days old, it’s already in contention for song of the summer (per Twitter talk anyway) and it’s the highest-charting Fever song on Apple Music (at the time of publication, it sat at no. 30). The pair’s chemistry is what really sells it, making each bar punch a little harder than the last. Once put opposite a rapper who can match her tornado-like delivery, Megan really shows off her skill and the extent of what she can do. Like a real fever, right now that she’s settled in, she’ll be here for the long haul.