Here’s How Megan Thee Stallion Got Connected With Her Mentor, Q-Tip
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion already had strong connections with legendary musicians before she catapulted into fame.
Although the 25-year-old became a household name after her song, “Big Ole Freak,” was released in 2019, Megan caught the attention of rapper Q-Tip early in her career. In a 2018 interview with OkayPlayer, Megan discussed her love of anime and her and Q-Tip’s professional and personal relationship. Q-Tip rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s with his group, A Tribe Called Quest. Megan credited the musician with teaching her a plethora of tips to navigate the music industry.
How Megan Thee Stallion got connected with Q-Tip
Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, was working hard to promote her music before getting discovered by Carl Crawford in 2019. She and her mother, Holly Thomas, scattered across the country so Megan could perform at festivals and other venues. Megan recorded her music while she attended Prairie A&M University full-time.
Megan said Thomas was the one who connected her with Q-Tip. She had been on Tip’s radar for a while, and his team decided to reach out to Megan directly. At first, she said she didn’t think it was indeed Tip on the other line but was happy her mom answered his request.
“So, we got like a real mysterious e-mail, and the e-mail is one of those things where they say it’s from someone famous who wants to get into communication with you. And I’m like, ‘Momma that sound funny, I don’t think we should reply.’ I don’t even know why my momma would reply but whatever made her reply I’m glad she did because it actually wound up being Q-Tip,” Megan said, also adding Thomas and Tip exchanged numbers that same day. He is just so supportive, and he loves the way I rap, and he really rocked with me. So every time I go to New York, I have to hang with him. He’s like a mentor. He’s just amazing.”
Q-Tip compared Megan Thee Stallion to Nas early in her career
After their initial email exchange, Megan and Q-Tip became incredibly close. Not only did Q-Tip mentor Megan, but he also sounded off on the music she would play him before she released it. Tip was one of Megan’s earlier supporters and even compared her lyrical style to rapper Nas. The fellow Houston native told Fader in 2019 that despite Megan getting flack for her explicit lyrics, the rapper was well on her way to achieving a massive audience.
“She’s just an amazing MC,” Tip said of Megan. “She’s barred out. Some people may think her stuff is just over-sexualized, but it is her approach to it. It’s her tact with it. It is very innovative to me — especially to see a young woman like herself being in a position of standing in her power, to stand in her royalty and never let that be shaken. It was just something in her that I really love.”
Megan Thee Stallion has already worked with some of her favorite artists
Following the success of songs like “Big Ole Freak” and her catchphrase, “Hot Girl Summer,” Megan caught the attention of several top-charting artists in the music industry. After signing a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in September 2019, Chinara Butler, widow of rapper Pimp C, said she has unreleased music from the late rapper that she’s reserving for a Megan feature via Instagram. Megan has credited Pimp C as being one of her favorite rappers.
In August 2019, Megan teamed up with Nicki Minaj for the song, “Hot Girl Summer.” Megan shared how Minaj was an integral part of her seriously pursuing rap as a female MC. Megan also reached another milestone in March 2020 when she and Beyoncé released “Savage Remix.”
