In July 2019, the phrase “hot girl summer” went viral on social media, spawning tons of memes, tweets, and posts, all thanks to the song by the same name, written by Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion (born Megan Pete). Writing a hit track is hard enough — but writing a track that acts as a permanent pop culture reference point while also shouting out your respect for higher learning (i.e. And who gon’ tell him that my bitch is getting her degree?)? Well, that’s basically impossible. But not for Meg.
In 2021, two years after releasing her Billboard-topping hit, Meg crossed the stage at Texas Southern University, one of the nation’s largest historically Black colleges and universities, scooping up a bachelor of science degree in health administration. She’d also foreshadowed this moment in her hit track “Thot Shit,” confidently rattling off “2021, finna graduate college,” and even took fans along for the ride with her as they celebrated her with a new viral hashtag, #MeganTheeGraduate. It was the same year she won Best New Artist at the Grammys, making it even more remarkable that despite already achieving career success, she prioritized getting her degree. And it wasn’t easy.
Meg started her studies at another HBCU near Houston, Prairie View A&M University. However, her initial plan to nab a nursing degree while on campus was put on pause when she decided to pursue a rap career, uploading freestyle videos online. Still, even after she left Prarie View she continued to study at community colleges before deciding to return to Texas Southern University. Somehow, while performing and topping charts, she found a way to take five classes in one semester, according to Rolling Stone. “Every time I had an assignment or something due, one of my managers would just pull me to the side and be like, ‘Hey Megan, you know you got to do this presentation today.’ Or ‘Hey Megan, you know you got to turn this assignment in today,’” she told the magazine. Around that same time, she tweeted to her fans (aka Hotties) reminding them of the endless possibilities education could offer them: “My college experience has been a roller coaster! I started at PV went to some community colleges in between and I’m ending at TSU. Don’t get discouraged! You can chase your dreams and your education at the same time.” Reading the thread of responses, you can see Meg’s impact. One follower responded, “You’ve been one of my biggest influences in continuing with my education while also trying to pursue my music career. I hope to get there one day, thank you so much Meg!” Another shared, “Congratulations to #MeganTheeGraduate working and being in school is NOT easy by any means. To have someone at the height of their career showing people that education is STILL valuable is something that needs to be celebrated.”
And Meg’s push for access to higher education didn’t stop with herself. In 2019, she hosted a beauty pageant with a $2,500 scholarship prize because, “I know that tuition ain’t no joke,” she told the New York Times. “So if I could do something to help somebody else, then I thought that would be nice.” She also worked with the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment to give out two $10,000 scholarships to women of color. Her alma mater TSU even started Thee Megan Fund, a scholarship pool to assist more hot girls in graduating. She’s also shared that her ultimate goals is to use her degree to open assisted living facilities, hiring new graduates so they can get the job experience fresh grads rarely receive. In February 2022, she launched the Pete and Thomas Foundation, named in honor of her parents. The foundation provides scholarships, school supplies, and resources to help students in under-served communities.
In 2023, she collabed with Frito Lay to fund at $150,000 scholarship for HBCU students at Texas Southern University. That same year she surprised students at her alma matter with a home coming performance while recognizing the award recipients.
For Meg, keeping her late mother – who passed away in 2019 from brain cancer – and her late grandmother in the back of her head allowed her not to give up while working towards her degree. “Before they passed away, they saw me going to college and they were really hard on me about finishing college, so I was like, you know what? I’m not just doing it for myself, I’m doing it for them too. I want them to be so proud,” she told Rolling Stone. Chatting with Billboard, the Texas emcee explained why her family ties were also the reason she wanted to get her degree from an HBCU. “I feel like I’m making all of the women in my family proud,” she said. “All the women in my family went to HBCUs. I’m just going down the legacy of doing the same thing of fully college-educated women. I definitely just had to keep making them proud, and I had to make myself proud. I had to prove to myself that I can finish it, and I did even in the middle of my chaotic life. I just also wanted to show the Hotties that you can do whatever you put your mind to. So I’m super proud to have graduated from an HBCU.”
Meg’s been putting those smarts to great use. Earlier this year, she linked a historic deal with Warner Music Group, that will allow her full rights as an independent musician while also having access to the music company’s global services, ranging from radio promotion to marketing worldwide. Now, all Meg’s music is released through Hot Girl Productions – her independent music and entertainment entity. The deal also gave her full creative freedom over her music releases.
Going from Grammy winner to graduate may have not been an easy task for the Head Hottie, but she’s continuing to use her HBCU education to inspire her fans, beyond her music. As she told her millions of followers after her commencement ceremony: “I want y’all to remember that you can do whatever you wanna do and be whoever you wanna be, cause look at me!”
