Background and career
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actress. She gained recognition after videos of her freestyling went viral on social media. After signing 1501 Certified Entertainment, she released her debut mixtape Fever (2019) and the extended play Suga (2020), both of which reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. She achieved mainstream success with the singles "Cash Shit", "Hot Girl Summer", and "Savage". Megan's debut studio album, Good News (2020), included a remix of "Savage" featuring Beyoncé, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won two Grammy Awards. In 2021, she featured on Cardi B's single "WAP", which became her second US number-one single. Her next studio albums, Traumazine (2022) and Megan (2024), were influenced by a lawsuit with her former label. The latter's second single, "Hiss", became her first solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and made her the first solo female rapper to debut at number one on the Billboard Global 200.
Megan is the recipient of various accolades, including six BET Awards, five BET Hip Hop Awards, four American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, and three Grammy Awards. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, she became the second female rapper to win Best New Artist, after Lauryn Hill in 1999. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. She has also pursued acting, including starring in the 2026 Broadway production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and the documentary Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (2024).
Early life and education Megan Jovon Ruth Pete was born on February 15, 1995, in San Antonio, Texas. She and her mother, Holly Thomas, moved to Houston shortly after her birth. Holly, a rapper known as "Holly-Wood", often took Megan to recording sessions instead of daycare. Megan's father was in jail for the first eight years of her life. An only child, Megan grew up in Houston's South Park neighborhood. She moved to Pearland with her mother when she was 14, and lived there until she was 18. Megan has described herself as a quiet and observant child, having been bullied for these traits when she was in elementary school. After being particularly upset by a remark made to her, she was inspired by her mother to stand up for herself. In middle school, she defended a classmate who was bullied for his homosexuality. Megan attended Pearland High School, graduating in 2013. Her father died during her freshman year of high school. Megan began writing raps at age 14. She would steal instrumentals from her mother and write songs over them.
When she eventually showed her mother her rapping skills at age 18, Holly required that Megan wait until she was 21 to pursue rap as a career, commenting that her lyrics were too sexually suggestive for her young age. While studying at Prairie View A&M University, Megan's freestyling videos on social media gained popularity, notably one where she was battling against male opponents in a cypher. The exposure helped her gain fans, whom she refers to as "hotties" and credits for her early success. After taking time off from school to pursue music, she returned home and resumed her studies at Texas Southern University. She graduated on December 11, 2021, with a Bachelor of Science in health administration. Megan adopted the stage name "Megan Thee Stallion" after she was called a "stallion" during her adolescence due to her height of 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and "thick" body frame; voluptuous, statuesque women in the southern United States are sometimes colloquially called "stallions".
How Megan Thee Stallion makes money
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actress. Her next studio albums, Traumazine (2022) and Megan (2024), were influenced by a lawsuit with her former label.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth, in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
