Grammy-winning rap and hip-hop superstar, Megan Thee Stallion, returns on her third full-length album, MEGAN, complete with references to Jujutsu Kaisen and some of the most famous manga and anime ever. Megan focuses on the theme of rebirth on her new album, shedding the toxicity surrounding her 2020 shooting and the resulting prosecution of the assailant, Canadian singer, Torey Lanez. It’s only fitting that Megan draws upon her “cursed energy” to vanquish her detractors on songs like “Otaku Hot Girl”, a braggadocious track that compares Meg’s talents to Satoru Gojo’s “Limitless” technique.
Born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, the artist known as Megan Thee Stallion is a Texas native and legacy rap artist following in the footsteps of her mother, Holly “Holly-wood” Thomas. Megan’s breakout 2019 single, “Hot Girl Summer”, is a perennial hit and her popularity has only increased over time. After a protracted legal battle with her former record label, Megan now releases music through Hot Girl Productions, her independent music and entertainment entity. In addition to music and production endeavors, Megan is an actress, as seen in Dicks: The Musical, and Netflix’s Big Mouth.
With certified hits such as “WAP”, and “Savage”, as well as TikTok staples like “Body”, and “Her”, Megan is becoming known not only for her trademark witty rhymes and complete ownership of her sexuality, but also her pitch-perfect anime references.
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The twinkling beat samples JJK‘s commercial bumper jingle, as light and airy as Meg’s bars are fiery and precise. Reminiscent of Jujutsu Kaisen‘s seminal battle when Gojo first fought Sukuna in episode #5, “Curse Womb Must Die 2,” the lyrics elicit images of the white-haired jujutsu sorcerer lithely dodging each attack, like Meg ducking shade and subliminal disses from artists considering themselves her competition. “Chou ii onna / When I walk by, they stop / He don’t run from me / ‘Cause he wanna get caught in my domain expansion / H**s want my technique, couldn’t be like me / With a Sasuke sharingan,” Megan raps, name-dropping one of Sasuke Uchiha’s strongest fighting techniques.
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MEGAN‘s Eastern influences extend beyond “Otaku Hot Girl,” featuring Japanese rap artist, Yuki Chiba, on “Mamushi,” and a cosplay extravaganza in the music video for “BOA.” The video sees Megan test three teenagers drawn into a life-or-death video game, evoking classic video game-set isekai like, .hack//sign and Sword Art Online. However, Megan’s visual references are mainly inspired by One Piece’s “Snake Princess”, Boa Hancock, as is the track’s title. The statuesque star dons a revealing pink outfit, a wig styled in Boa’s signature face-framing haircut, and a battle staff reminiscent of Hancock’s reptilian weapon, Salome.
Between Tekken and Mortal Kombat-themed fight scenes, Megan dances in colorful outfits that pay homage to the popular Japanese arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution, and the SEGA music game, Space Channel 5. With nearly 10 million views on YouTube, “BOA”proves that anime and manga characters can be translated to film in an elevated, sophisticated way without becoming costumey. Most recently, Meg and her impeccable cosplay are featured in an Amazon Prime Day advertisement featuring Hot Girl Meg decked out in a super kawaii outfit purchased from the online retailer.
