By Sophia Glenn
The ongoing conflict between Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj has recently surged as the hottest topic on social media. For those unfamiliar with the ongoing dispute within the female rap realm, let’s review the sequence of events leading to one of the most startling occurrences in the music industry this year.
Megan Pete, or American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, recently released a new single titled “Hiss.” The 28-year-old rapper from Texas released the diss track on Jan. 26, where she seemed to be biting back at the haters and individuals she alleged used her name and exploited her to get attention.
The fierce song featured lyrics like, “Why every time one of y’all Z-list [expletive] do an interview, I get mentioned?” and “Usin’ my name for likes and views, I don’t give a [expletive] what y’all make a trend, [expletive] I still win.”
Although those lyrics are bold as they are, they were not the lyrics that threw the internet for a major spin. Towards the end of the first verse, she says, “These [expletive] don’t be mad at Megan, these [expletive] mad at Megan’s Law.”
Fans revealed the rapper’s lyrics refer to the federal law requiring law enforcement to share information on convicted and registered sex offenders with the public. This line is what started the feud.
The 12-time Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj took the line as a direct diss on her husband Kenneth Petty. Petty spent four years in jail after being convicted of attempted rape in 1995 and was put on probation in 2022 after failing to register as a sex offender in the state of California. Jelani Maraj, Nicki’s brother, is also a convicted sex offender who was sentenced to 25 years to life in 2020 for sexual assault of a child.
Minaj felt the “Hiss” lyrics were disrespectful and meant to reference her and her family directly. The ‘Barbz,’ Nicki’s fans, immediately attacked Megan The Stallion and her supporters online.
Minaj released her diss track, “Big Foot,” within three days. It is not clear whether or not “Hiss” was attacking Minaj directly. However, in “Big Foot,” Minaj calls out Megan directly.
The “Barbie World” rapper calls out Megan in lyrics, saying, “This lil’ beggin’ [expletive] talkin’ ‘bout Megan’s Law. For a free beat, you could hit Megan raw.” The explicit lyrics also make jabs at Megan for her 5 foot 10 stature, saying, “She likes six feet. I call her Big Foot.”
The line, “… you get shot with no scar?” refers to the serious scandal in 2020 between Megan Thee Stallion and male rapper Tory Lanez. Megan alleged there was a dispute between her and Lanez, which ended with him shooting her in the foot. Lanez ended up being found guilty and sentenced to 10 years.
Minaj continues the song, making obvious disses at Megan, including lines about Megan’s mother, who died of cancer back in 2019. The Hotties, Megan’s nickname for her fans, immediately came online to defend their favorite artist with the hashtag #teammegan.
Amid all the chaos between the Barbz and the Hotties, some fans aren’t taking sides but using the drama as entertainment. X, formerly Twitter user @APixieRiot, wrote, “Personally, I am so thankful for Nicki and Megan’s beef because it’s been distracting me from my real-world problems.”
Although the drama still unfolds across social media platforms, it has created serious risks for the artists. Currently, Megan’s deceased mother’s grave is under tight security after the location of the gravesite was leaked on X, formerly known as Twitter. The photo has since been removed.
Fans are still arguing across social media, and the die-hards will continue battling to defend their favorite rappers.