Crowns aren't given; they're snatched...
Nicki Minaj understood this as she unapologetically stormed into Hip Hop, effortlessly shapeshifting through flows and personas as if she were five rappers rolled into one petite body, turning men into mice if they dared to share a track with her. As her star rose, so did her ego, and fans loved it! So, in 2010, it was no surprise when Nicki didn't wait for Lil Kim to "shit or get off the pot" before declaring herself the new Queen of Rap with a devilish question, 'Did I Kill the Queen?'
Fast forward fourteen years, the Hip-Hop landscape seems poised for another coronation or, as some may view it, beheading, after the release of Megan Thee Stallion's bold warning shot to the industry on "HISS."
The venomous track, meticulously crafted by Bankroll Got It, Shawn 'Source' Jarrett, and longtime collaborator LilJuMadeDaBeat, stands as Megan Thee Stallion's unwavering response to those who shamelessly exploited her tragedy for likes, views, and goofy punchlines.
Although Meg refrained from explicitly naming individuals, we all know the men who love how Megan's name tastes on the tips of their tongues - Drake, Pardi, Lil Yachty, cosplaying Tory Lanez supporters. However, it's the shot heard around the world at Nicki Minaj that has thrust Megan Thee Stallion back into the forefront of female rap. Her bold but necessary move now has Hip-Hop asking: "Did Megan Just Kill the Queen?"
OFF WITH HER HEAD
Nicki Minaj has relentlessly targeted Megan Thee Stallion over the years, often strategically lining up these attacks with the release of her own music. These performative acts of bravado served as Nicki's way of mobilizing her crazed Barbz, who seemed to rally around her music only when there was a promise of a one-sided rap beef. With every tear-drop emoji and lyrical jab - "That .40 cal a make 'em dance like a go-go," Megan stayed silent, lulling Nicki Minaj into a false sense of victory.
However, Meg's silence was not out of fear or defeat but rather a calculated build-up to a deadly response. On January 26, Megan Thee Stallion finally hissed, and, as she predicted, a hit dog holla'd.
But what wasn't predicted was that within the first 52 seconds of a three-minute song, Megan Thee Stallion would set off a chain of events that would send Nicki Minaj (and Roman) into a 72-hour tailspin after uttering two words - 'Megan's Law.' Megan had Nicki Minaj so discombobulated that she was on Instagram Live, flustered and talking crazy: 'fragment, fragment..uh..sca..fragment foot, bitch bu-bu-bu-bullet, fragment, bitch,' and excessively tweeting. When she finally took it to the booth, Nicki dropped one of the most embarrassing diss tracks ever, making people question the validity of her pen. While some may view this as Megan Thee Stallion simply winning a rap beef, the true impact of 'HISS' is twofold: it exposed what 'Today's Nicki' has become to her casual fans while simultaneously erasing any lingering aura of fear she may have held over the new female rappers.
MEGAN'S LAW
"These hoes ain't mad at Megan; these hoes are mad at Megan's Law" is a deceptively devastating line. At first glance, it doesn't read like a typical diss. Much like venom, its impact may not be immediate, taking a few minutes or even hours to take effect. But when it does, the results are lethal. In this case, it took only 15 minutes before Nicki Minaj felt the sting of Megan's words, causing her to run to social media, crying foul (and wolf) and accusing Megan Thee Stallion of coming for her husband.
The more Nicki Minaj attempted to elicit sympathy by playing the family card and using it as an excuse to taunt Megan about her 'dead mother,' the faster Megan Thee Stallion's verse spread throughout social media. Every search of 'What is Megan's Law' became a venomous strike against Nicki Minaj's reputation.
This is where Megan Thee Stallion's intelligence outwitted Nicki Minaj's emotional gaslighting. Megan used the power of wordplay to get her 'lick back' while rising above Nicki's chaos. Instead of targeting Nicki's husband, she strategically answered a three-year-old question: 'Why is Nicki Minaj so mad at Megan Thee Stallion?'
So when Megan raps, "These hoes ain't mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan's Law," she is letting us know that Nicki has misdirected anger. She is actually mad at Megan's Law - the federal law that requires law enforcement to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders, which Nicki's husband happens to be.
This showcases Megan's brilliance with the pen because, as soon as Nicki Minaj began her rant, it sparked curiosity about the law and why it was so triggering. People started Googling 'Megan's Law,' causing it to trend. As they learned about the details of the law, jaws dropped. Their curiosity led to further investigations—people searched Nicki's husband on the Megan's Law website, revealing details of his crime. The rabbit hole deepened as individuals delved into his case. They discovered Jennifer Hough, the victim, and learned about her ongoing lawsuit. Additionally, they stumbled upon allegations of Nicki Minaj attempting to make her recant her story. All of this unraveled from just two words.
So, the actual shot that Megan Thee Stallion took was not aimed at Nicki Minaj's husband—and, if she did, so what? It was at Nicki Minaj's precious brand. Meg not only humiliated Nicki Minaj but exposed all her business to the general public, many of whom had no clue about her personal life. Read the comments; many people revealed that Nicki Minaj's meltdown was how they discovered she was married to a 290 registrant. Megan Thee Stallion made Nicki Minaj tell on herself.
This is why Nicki Minaj went off on Megan; it was not about protecting her family; it was about her protecting her brand because that is how artists keep the money rolling in.
Before "HISS," Nicki Minaj probably thought she had gotten past the "husband problem." Hip Hop media ignored the story and still called her the "Queen of Rap," she got her first Vogue cover and another number-one album. She even got Rihanna to pose with her and her husband and had J Cole nonchalantly giving the couple relationship advice on her latest album, PF2. These were signs to the public that she was still good with A-listers and legends.
Nicki Minaj's plan to sweep her husband's past under the rug and normalize their relationship to the public was working until Megan decided to "HISS." Once that warning shot went off and caught the attention of not just Hip Hop but Nicki Minaj's casual Pop fans, all of Nicki Minaj's efforts came crashing down. Now, all the questions, whispers, and judgments about Nicki Minaj are back.
Furthermore, many people are just discovering Megan's Law, and their lasting association with it will be through 'HISS,' where they learn about Nicki Minaj being married to a sex offender. This revelation might even find its place in HISStory books, assisting in teaching about sex laws. Nicki Minaj's name, and therefore her brand, is forever linked to this law in some people's minds - YIKES!"
MEGAN'S PEN VS NICKI'S EGO
Much of this situation could have been avoided if Nicki Minaj didn't have a fixation on attacking Megan. Megan cleverly exploited Nicki Minaj's lack of self-control and her need to put on a show for the Barbz.
Had Megan opted for the easy route of simply labeling Nicki's husband as a rapist, the impact wouldn't have been as powerful. Nicki would have still reacted, but some might have perceived Megan's casual use of such a loaded term as tacky. Moreover, people don't need to look up the word "rapist," but they do 'Megan's Law' which contributed to the virality of 'HISS.'
This showcases why Megan Thee Stallion's pen deserves respect. She was shrewd in orchestrating this situation because even without Nicki's reaction, Drake would have been dragged. A win-win situation, LOL.
THE QUEEN OF RAP IS DEAD
Setting aside the potential impact of this battle on Nicki Minaj's overall brand, regarding that crown she loves so much—Megan has snatched it away. Any illusions of Nicki Minaj being the undisputed Queen of Rap are officially over, and it is not just because Megan Thee Stallion beat her in this battle; it is how badly Megan beat her with just a warning shot. "HISS" is not even a Nicki Minaj diss track. This battle of words was so lopsided that some are now second-guessing Nicki Minaj's pen game.
Who would have guessed that Megan Thee Stallion would turn the great Nicki Minaj into an internet joke over her writing? Think about that. Nicki Minaj is getting clowned for one of her raps, not for something
she did outside of music, but for the one thing she was considered one of the best to ever do - WOW.
Let's be clear: Now that Nicki Minaj won't be seen as the reigning Queen of Rap anymore, it doesn't automatically mean the title transfers to Megan or that she desires it. It simply means the title no longer belongs to Nicki.
The Queen of Rap title was always more associated with New York. Girls from other regions rarely laid claim to it. Female rappers outside of NY were typically preoccupied with earning respect.
Look at Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks share animosity towards Megan Thee Stallion simply because she hails from the South. For southern rappers, rap is about earning respect rather than chasing invisible crowns. Megan might leverage this victory to redirect the focus of female rap towards the craft of rapping, not fixating on a title. If fans choose to dub her the Queen, then fine, but Meg might prefer to refrain from self-proclamations and dismantle the notion of there being only one Queen.
With Nicki Minaj's reign coming to an end, it could be open season on the Queens rapper, who often gave out verbal lashings to the girls whenever she had a bad day. If other female artists decided to line up to take their shot, can anyone really blame them?
DISS SONG TO A HIT SONG
Megan Thee Stallion turned a "diss" song into a hit song and now sits at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with "HISS." While it is still too early to predict how the landscape of female rap will change after this battle, one thing was exposed - While Nicki Minaj may have a "husband problem," It's becoming clear that female rap has a Nicki Minaj problem because she is now the one who won't "shit or get off the pot."
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