Megan Thee Stallion on the Impact Her Mom Had on Her Career

Megan Thee Stallion is Marie Claire's May cover (opens in new tab) star. A woman who is unapologetically herself, Meg shares how she got her "hot girl" wings from the women who shaped her, including her mother, Holly Thomas, who passed away from a brain tumor (opens in new tab) in March 2019.

Thomas was a bill collector who had previously rapped under the moniker Holly-Wood. Growing up, Meg listened to hip-hop legends—from Slim Thug to Biggie Smalls—alongside Thomas as she watched her mother pursue a music career. "I would see her fit in writing after work and before work," Meg told Marie Claire. "I'm used to seeing that work ethic."

Meg continues to incorporate that same work ethic today. "When the drama happened around the loss of her mom and great-grandma, we asked her if she wanted to cancel some days, and she said, 'My mom wouldn’t want that,'" Selim Bouab, an A&R executive at 300 Entertainment, told MC. "The day after the funeral, she went and did a radio show, and she hasn’t stopped working ever since."

Meg's inspiring confidence can also be credited to her mother too. The rapper recalls a time her mother encouraged her daughter to stand up for herself against an elementary school bully. "I went to school the next day and cussed the bitch out," recalls Meg. "After that, she definitely left me the fuck alone."

That's our girl!

Read the full Megan Thee Stallion cover story here (opens in new tab).

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