Unpacking the hottest diss tracks from two of the most famous female names in the rap game
By ELIZABETH WOODHALL — arts@theaggie.org
Content warning: This article contains discussions of gun violence, assault and profanity.
Megan Pete, better known as Megan Thee Stallion, is gearing up to drop her third studio album with the release of its second single, titled “HISS.” Her single exudes everything the “hot girl” persona is known for: calling out the haters and showing who the boss of the rap game is. Soon after, Nicki Minaj released a diss track in response. What caused this explosive feud between two of the most influential female rappers of all time?
Let’s dissect Pete’s song, “HISS.” The first two lines make pop culture references to Mariah Carey’s 2009 track, “Obsessed,” and Kris Jenner’s powerful role as manager for the Kardashian dynasty. She talks about people who have claimed to be linked with her, yet they’re just another “body” and irrelevant.
“All this free promo, I’m turnin’ a profit,” she wrote, showing the power she holds in flipping the narrative to gain profit.
She might be calling out anyone in the industry who attempts to defame her character, but she’s also calling out specific figures who have participated in this witch hunt. For example, she allegedly calls out Drake, as rumors spread that he, too, had gotten a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL): “Hate on BBLs and be walkin’ ‘round with the same scars.”
This comes after Drake released a song with 21 Savage titled “Her Loss” where he commented on the infamous trial of rapper Tory Lanez, who was indicted last year for shooting Pete in the foot: “This bitch lie ’bout getting shots, but she still a stallion.”
Additionally, Pete referenced fans who have defended Lanez. She suggested his fans download JPay, an app that allows people to connect with incarcerated people.
The conflict between Pete and Minaj began with Pete’s line: “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law.” She seemingly references Minaj, who is married to Kenneth Petty, a registered sex offender, according to Rolling Stone.
Megan’s Law is a federal policy originating from the 1994 murder trial of Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old girl who was raped and murdered by a convicted sexual offender. In 1996, Megan’s Law was passed, which allowed for public access to the records of registered sex offenders in the area. Kanka’s father expressed his frustration on TMZ with Pete’s reference of his daughter’s name in her recent single.
In retaliation, two days later, Minaj started an Instagram live and sent out several tweets calling Pete out for her “hypocrisy,” claiming that she has “proof” of her lies. Minaj then released the track “Big Foot” on Jan. 26, in which she makes several comments about how Pete allegedly uses ghostwriters, slept with her best friend’s partner and lied when she went on Gayle King’s show after the Tory Lanez incident.
She goes on to reference Pete’s lyrics: “This lil’ begging whore talkin’ ‘bout Megan’s Law / For a Free Beat, you could hit Megan Raw.”
She claims that Pete would have sexual intercourse for a good record. Despite claiming that Pete was lying about getting shot, she tells her to “‘get up on [her] good foot,” contradicting her previous line claiming that the foot injury was falsified. Minaj proceeds to reference the men Pete has been linked to in the past, such as rappers G-Eazy and DaBaby — the latter of which Pete collaborated with on the 2020 track “CryBaby.”
Minaj attempts to degrade Pete’s character throughout the track by claiming several defamatory statements. When compared to Pete’s line in “HISS,” Minaj seems to be profiting off the controversy and has released multiple versions of the track on Spotify. She threatens to release more tracks that will allegedly ruin Pete’s image.
Although it isn’t clear what provoked Minaj to release an entire track dissing Megan Thee Stallion, it is clear that they are far from their past days of collaborating on hit tracks, such as their song that created the phenomena of “Hot Girl Summer” back in 2019. However, it seems this feud will continue to be a popular topic as Minaj claims that there are more tracks to come. Pete, seemingly unbothered, went on Good Morning America on Jan. 30 to announce her new tour. We’ll see if this feud simmers down, but it’s safe to say that regardless of the outcome, both rappers will continue to stay on the top charts.
Written by: Elizabeth Woodhall—arts@theaggie.org
