When Megan Thee Stallion first stepped onto the scene, people quickly became enamored. Not just by her good looks, statuesque body and hypnotic twerking, but also her confidence in herself. That same confidence rings throughout her music and even on stage. But she wasn't always this fearless. The H-town hottie had to discover who she was in order to stop being what everyone else wanted her to be. Like many women, finding her voice was a journey, and in the 26-year-old's case, she used that voice to achieve an accomplished career.
Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Peete, already has three Grammy awards as well as several BET awards and she launched a line with Fashion Nova and has her own Hottie sauce with Popeyes. Now, she is gearing up to graduate college soon.
While it may appear that her career happened overnight, it actually has been a long road for the "Savage" rapper and she recently spoke with Glamour magazine about it after they named her one of the "Women of the Year," a deserving title I might add.
The raptress recalls wanting to satisfy everyone when she was growing up. Something that a lot of people can relate to.
"I used to be a people-pleaser because I did want everyone happy," said Megan. "If you come around me, I always try to make sure everybody good. Before I was grown, I'm doing whatever my parents say. I'm doing things that make my parents happy. At school, I'm trying to figure out what's going to make these kids stop bullying me. But when I started getting older, I started figuring out, everything that y'all asking me to do not make me happy."
She added, "It seems like I can never satisfy everybody. So then I started being like, 'What do I like?' I'm an only child, so I had a lot of time to spend by myself to think about it. I'm here by myself all day; what we gon' do, Megan? That's how I figured out I really do enjoy writing music. I love writing stories. I started living for me."
By the time Megan reached college, she was ready to show everyone the real her and that meant you had to respect it.
"How I come off, that's how everybody treated me. If I commanded my respect, I demanded my respect; if I'm showing you how confident I am, then you have no choice but to treat me that way."
Now a rap superstar, Megan has become an example for people, particularly Black women, that our voice matters and that our feelings matter.
In October 2020, the "Girls in the Hood" rapper wrote an op-ed essay for The New York Times where she addressed violence against women following the alleged shooting by Tory Lanez, women in hip-hop being pitted against each other, and more.
She wrote that she believes violence against women "happens because too many men treat all women as objects, which helps them to justify inflicting abuse against us when we choose to exercise our own free will."
Keep up the good work, sis!
Featured image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
'Sistas' Star Skyh Black On The Power Of Hypnotherapy & Emotional Vulnerability For Men
In this insightful episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Sistas star Skyh Black, as he opened up about his journey of emotional growth, resilience, and self-discovery. The episode touches on emotional availability, self-worth, masculinity, and the importance of therapy in overcoming personal struggles.
Skyh Black on Emotional Availability & Love
On Emotional Availability & Vulnerability
“My wife and I wouldn't be where we are today if both of us weren't emotionally available,” he shared about his wife and Sistas co-star KJ Smith, highlighting the value of vulnerability and emotional openness in a relationship. His approach to masculinity stands in contrast to the traditional, stoic ideals. Skyh is not afraid to embrace softness as part of his emotional expression.
On Overcoming Self-Doubt & Worthiness Issues
Skyh reflected on the self-doubt and worthiness issues that he struggled with, especially early in his career. He opens up about his time in Los Angeles, living what he calls the “LA struggle story”—in a one-bedroom with three roommates—and being homeless three times over the span of 16 years. “I always had this self-sabotaging thought process,” Skyh said. “For me, I feel therapy is essential, period. I have a regular therapist and I go to a hypnotherapist.”
How Therapy Helped Him Heal From Self-Doubt
On Hypnotherapy & Empowering Self-Acceptance
Skyh’s journey is a testament to the power of tapping into self-development despite life’s struggles and being open to growth. “I had to submit to the fact that God was doing good in my life, and that I'm worthy of it. I had a worthiness issue and I did not realize that. So, that’s what the hypnotherapy did. It brought me back to the core. What is wrong so that I can fix it?”
Watch the full podcast episode below:
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Quinta Brunson Gets Real About Divorce, Boundaries & Becoming
Quinta Brunson is the woman who chooses herself, even when the world is watching. And in her June 30 cover story for Bustle, she gives us a rare glimpse into the soft, centered place she's navigating her life from now. From leading one of television's most beloved series in the last decade to quietly moving through life shifts, the creator of Abbott Elementary is walking through a personal evolution and doing so with intention, grace, and a firm grip on her boundaries.
Back in March, the 35-year-old filed for divorce from Kevin Jay Anik after nearly three years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences." The news hit the headlines of news outlets fast, but Quinta hadn't planned to announce their dissolution to the public so quickly.
Quinta Brunson On Divorce, Public Scrutiny & Sacred Boundaries
"I remember seeing people be like, ‘She announced her divorce,’" she told Bustle. “I didn’t announce anything. I think people have this idea that people in the public eye want the public to know their every move. None of us do. I promise you. No one wants [everyone] to know when you buy a house, when you move, when a major change happens in your personal life. It’s just that that’s public record information."
In regards to her private moves becoming tabloid fodder, Quinta continued, "I hated that. I hate all of it."
"I Am An Artist First": Quinta On Cutting Her Hair & Reclaiming Herself
Still, the diminutive phenom holds her crown high in the face of change and is returning to the essence of who she is, especially as an artist. "Cutting my hair reminded me that I am an artist first. I want to feel things. I want to make choices. I want to be a person, and not just stuck in having to be a certain way for business." It's giving sacred rebirth. It's giving self-liberation. It's especially giving main character energy.
And while the headlines keep spinning their narratives, the one that Quinta is focused on is her own. For her, slowing down and nourishing herself in ways that feed her is what matters. "It’s a transitional time. I think it’s true for me and my personal life, and it’s how I feel about myself, my career, and the world," Quinta shared with Bustle. “I feel very serious about focusing on watering my own gardens, taking care of myself and the people around me who I actually interact with day-to-day."
That includes indulging in simple rituals that ground her like "making myself a meal" which has become "really, really important to me."
That spirit of agency doesn't stop at the personal. In her professional world, as the creator, executive producer, and lead actress of the critically-acclaimed Abbott Elementary, Quinta understands the weight her choices carry, both on- and off-screen. She revealed to Bustle, "People used to tell me at the beginning of this that the No. 1 on the call sheet sets the tone, and the producer sets the tone — and I’m both of those roles."
She continued, "I understand now, after doing this for four years, how important it was that I set the tone that I did when we first started."
Quinta doesn't just lead, she understands the importance of curating the energy of any space she enters. Even amid a season of shifts and shedding, her power speaks loudly. Sometimes that power looks like quiet resistance. Sometimes that power is soft leadership.
And sometimes that power looks like cutting your hair and taking back your name in rooms that have forgotten you were an artist long before you were a brand.
Read Quinta's cover story on Bustle here to witness the fullness of Quinta's becoming.
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