TRIGGER WARNING for sexual assault and domestic violence against women.
When Megan Thee Stallion released her new single, “HISS,” it immediately caused waves across the internet. Megan allegedly takes shots at those in the rap world who have negatively mentioned her in the past, specifically regarding when Tory Lanez assaulted her. However, one line from “HISS” particularly caught the internet’s attention: “These h*es be mad at Megan, these h*es mad at Megan’s Law.”
Megan’s Law is a federal law that requires law enforcement to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. This lyric is likely a diss toward fellow female rapper, Nicki Minaj, whose husband is a registered sex offender.
Nicki Minaj did not like this diss. While Nicki was not mentioned by name in Megan’s song, she took the diss personally and let her fans (the Barbz) know exactly how she was feeling on X, formerly known as Twitter. Nicki then released a song in return, entitled “Big Foot,” in which she made numerous references to the Tory Lanez shooting incident as well as the death of Megan Thee Stallion’s mother. Fans of both rap legends will remember that the pair released a song together in 2019, but it’s probably safe to say that the Barbz and the Hotties will be at war for weeks to come.
TMZ published a news story claiming that the cemetery where Megan’s mother is buried had notified police that the location was leaked online by the Barbz and there would need to be an increase in security. Barbz on X would also doxx (purposefully share private information) several users who made negative comments about Nicki.
This feud with Megan Thee Stallion that Nicki Minaj is engaging in adds to a list of female rappers that have come under fire from Nicki. Nicki has historically had beef with Lil Kim, Remy Ma, and Cardi B, which makes many fans wonder if the only reason Nicki still owns the “Queen of Rap” title is because she is threatened by other female rappers who are just as talented as she and puts them down before they can show their talents. For example, some Megan fans will remember the incident where Cardi B confronted Nicki Minaj at a New York Fashion Week event where Cardi left with a bump to her head from one of Nicki’s bodyguards. This confrontation was allegedly the result of Nicki Minaj making comments about Cardi B’s child.
Megan Thee Stallion has been the subject of many negative remarks and lyrics from media personalities and rappers over the past three years since she exposed Tory Lanez for shooting her in the foot. Many male members of the industry would call her a liar or accuse her of wanting clout. Nicki capitalizing off of Megan’s trauma after so many people came after her for “lying” about the Tory Lanez shooting left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths.
One thing to note is that Nicki Minaj is benefiting from misogyny to continue the feud with Megan. Since Megan went public about her traumatic shooting incident, she has faced online harassment from an
industry that has historically perpetuated violence against Black women. Many people, mostly men, did not believe Megan—she is viewed as an impossible victim because of her stature and body, as well as someone who is hypersexualized. The stereotype of “angry Black woman” is harmful to Megan’s case and Nicki Minaj weaponizing it hurts Black women and girls trying to escape that stereotype.
Megan has chosen to take the high road in this situation and completely disregard “Big Foot” and its lyrics. She instead continues to promote “HISS” and her upcoming summer tour. While this beef may not end soon, Megan shows that she is very much unbothered by Nicki’s rants.
If there is a lesson to be learned from this rap beef, it’s that misogyny is still very real in the rap world. Female rappers are fighting against an industry that does not allow women to flourish. Megan and Nicki have both shown they have the talent to make it far in the rap world. When engaging with content online about this feud, it is important to remember to not engage with content that promotes harmful racial stereotypes about Black women and traumatic incidents.
Hopefully, both icons will put their beef aside and continue to work on perfecting their art. I am very excited about Megan’s upcoming album and Nicki’s tour!