On her new album, Megan Thee Stallion both raps in Japanese and samples Jujustu Kaisen — and on two different songs, no less. While a couple of decades ago, this kind of unabashed nerdiness would probably relegate Meg to the dreaded outlands of “alternative” hip-hop, these days, it’s resulted in her amassing one of rap’s most fervent fanbases and becoming something of a marketing icon. In a genre where artists once had to adopt larger-than-life personas to achieve success, Meg’s become one of the most marketable musicians in the world just by being herself.
Take Meg’s recent ad for Amazon Prime Day, which opens with Meg search for a pair of false eyelashes on her phone during an apparent break in shooting a music video. Suddenly, she’s transported to a Japanese palace, decked out in a cosplay outfit featuring bright blue hair, pink ribbons, and ruffles on everything. This isn’t just a fantasy based on the growing popularity of anime in the US. It’s something Megan herself would do on her own — and she has, on a number of past occasions, such as when she dressed as the iconic anime superhero Sailor Moon for her first-ever performance in Japan.
And speaking of anime, how about Meg turning her love of anime into a presenting gig at Crunchyroll’s 2024 Anime Awards? Meg presented the Anime of the Year award (which was won by her beloved Jujustu Kaisen), making her the first-ever rapper to present at the awards. While in Japan, she gave an interview to the Crunchyroll TikTok team that found her hypothesizing which characters would make the best backup dancers — a question I’m not sure any hip-hop artist has ever been asked before. She was also the first rapper to cross over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing as herself to contract (and twerk with) superpowered attorney She-Hulk on the Disney+ series.
It’s not all sitting in front of the TV, though. Meg’s also a well-known fitness buff, posting workout videos and hosting booty boot camps both online and in person. That made her a natural for a partnership with athletic brand Nike, which released a Megan Thee Stallion-branded capsule collection of workout gear and shoes playing off fans’ demands for Meg to “drop the workouts” she uses to stay in performance shape. Her sporty ways even led to her being tapped to help promote the 2024 Paris Olympics; she appeared alongside a horse in the commercial, in which she pitches her promotional ideas to a room full of confused execs (dressage is mentioned, and you just know someone had visions of Snoop’s hilariously bemused reactions in their head when they put this thing together).
Meg’s consistency in being herself — a fun-loving, fitness-committed, unapologetically geeky girls’ girl — has led to countless opportunities so far, and it’s practically a given that more are on the way. If the WNBA hasn’t come calling yet, it should, because its players have made it a point to show off their love for Meg — and in true Hot Girl fashion, she’s shown that love right back. And that is, I think, the thing that’s set her apart and made her stand out as a spokesperson. She’s always true to herself, so everything she’s involved in feels authentic and relatable, reflecting her hobbies and her values. The Hot Girl lifestyle isn’t a brand you can own, but it can enhance any brand’s connection to Meg’s audience, which only grows with each new endeavor.
