The rap world is currently ablaze with the earth-shaking diss track, or should we say “Hiss” track, that rapper Megan Thee Stallion dropped on Friday, Jan. 26. The track marked the feud that many of us never saw coming.
If you were equally confused as I was when you opened your TikTok FYP or Instagram Reels recently revealing some interesting female rapper beef, then don’t worry. I’ve got your back. Here’s a simplified version of what went down and what this will mean for the rap industry.
Ever since Megan Thee Stallion’s single “Hiss,” hit streaming services, fans have been posting about how one line came after the reputation of notable rapper Nicki Minaj.
The lyric in question in Megan’s “Hiss” is this: “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law,” and “bet your weak ass won’t address me.” Now, what on earth does that mean? And how does it relate to Minaj? Well, let’s break it down.
Megan’s Law is an act that requires the California Department of Justice to be politically transparent and publicly forward by naming registered sex offenders to promote the general safety of society.
Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, was convicted just under 30 years ago for attempted rape. In 2020, Petty failed to register as a sex offender, which goes directly against the established law. It’s pretty clear that Megan Thee Stallion’s reference to Megan’s Law was a quick diss to Minaj’s husband.
After the release of the single, Minaj isn’t taking the diss to her hubby lightly. She quickly jumped to defend her family in the best way she knew how — a song. As a response to “Hiss,” Minaj created the diss track “Big Foot” where she attacked Megan with the lyrics “This lil’ beggin’ whore talkin’ ‘bout Megan’s Law,” and “Shots thrown, but I still ain’t let Megan score.”
However, it’s important to note that Minaj also bashed Megan in other ways. She threw down with a lot of tweets and reposts on X, where she consistently posts about “Big Foot” while promoting one similar theme: family comes first.
While some of the tweets seem rightfully defensive, some are purely offensive to Megan. Additionally, Minaj’s Instagram Lives have been very strongly worded as she calls Megan foul names and comes after her deceased mother.
Megan hasn’t come out publicly with a response. She still advertises “Hiss” on her Instagram through promotional photoshoots and keeps things tight-knit with a limited media presence.
One could speculate that this less vocal response could be cowardice, but I believe it can be something deeper than that. Fans are noting that Megan is beating Minaj at her own game, and that can put Minaj on the defense. Historically, Minaj would employ her songs to address beef, and now that she’s has gone spam-crazy on X, Megan can sit back and plan her moves in silence, emulating what Minaj used to do.
Whether it was anyone’s place to make comments regarding the other’s family is hard to say. It can get understandably fiery in the rap industry when the majority of rap content Minaj and Megan are famous for is in an exposé style. Calling out others while maintaining a flirty, feminine confidence is the norm.
From the fans’ point of view, this beef, while entertaining, just pins two incredibly talented artists against one another. It brings fantastic energy and attention to the female rap industry, but is this how we want female rap stars represented in a male-dominated music genre? Or is this beef exactly how to normalize women in the industry?
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