Megan Thee Stallion covers the new issue of Paper Magazine which is only right, as she’s the inventor and muse for Hot Girl Summer. Anyone tapped into current hip-hop knows that the internet is truly undefeated, making and breaking careers, propelling underground artists, mixtapes, and singles to stardom that used to be the work of the label system. Megan’s talent, beauty, and charm have gotten her to where she is now - and her authenticity and likability will likely keep her rising even more. Along with some gorgeous pictures that are consistent with her fiercely sexy southern aesthetic, some gems from the interview (by Kiana Fitzgerald, photography by Arturo Evaristo, styling by Sarah Toshiko Wes) include her expanding on the Hot Girl Summer philosophy she shared on Twitter:

Here’s Megan on how Hot Boy Summer came about:

"I don't know what made it a competition," Megan says, laughing. "It was the stupid boys. It just turned into a whole big ol' thing. Now if it was a competition, I would definitely say that the Hot Girls have been in the lead. The Hot Boys is acting up... they showing some very ratchet behavior that has not been that cute. They talking about they wins and they doing grimy stuff. I'm like, 'No baby, that's not how you get points.'"

This speaks to me, as I’ve been totally annoyed at this suspicious rivalry because I’m old, I’m a feminist, and I dislike when men insert themselves. 

To me, the most interesting fact about Megan’s musical career is the passing down of hip-hop tradition from her mother, a rapper herself. Rapping by the stage name Holly-Wood, (real name Holly Thomas) she would bring Megan to the studio with her as early as daycare age. Megan believes her mother’s influence is the reason she was destined to be Megan Thee Stallion:

“We used to be in the car, going back and forth all the time," Megan says of her time spent battle rapping her mother. "I feel like off the strength that my mom was a rapper, and the music that her and my dad put in my ear as a child, it was bound to happen. Me watching her write and me watching her go in the studio and lay her verses down. Just to see how dedicated she was, that was normal to me. That just became the thing that I saw around my house. We bumping Pimp C, we listening to Three 6 all the time, we listening to Biggie. You know what I'm saying? I've always been a big fan of music. Just me growing up and turning into Meg Thee Stallion, this is a product of my environment."

Making us gag even more, she released her single, “Hot Girl Summer”, featuring Nicki Minaj, last night. Megan announced that it went #1 on iTunes in an hour and Nicki praised Megan’s energy two days ago, teasing the collaboration. For those of us who watch Nicki Minaj (and admit it), we knew this collaboration organically came from the two talking on Instagram live.

 

On Wednesday, Megan explained to E’s Daily Pop that the song was ready to go, but became much bigger when Nicki agreed to do a verse on it, and they recorded it the same night as the Insta live:

“We just went live together and she literally recorded her verse that night…and sent the song to me and I was like this is not real life, y’all are playing with me…I love it! It’s amazing, I can’t believe she did it so fast.”

This reminds me of a scene on Keeping Up with the Kardashians where Kim connected Nicki and Kanye on Facetime, leading to Nicki recording her verse for Kanye’s long awaited project Yandhi. Of course, Nicki and Kanye are long-time collaborators, one of her biggest verses ever was on “Monster”, his single from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

While I’d like to focus on how Nicki writes hot, polished verses in one night, people are determined to insert Cardi B into this collaboration, but Megan is much more than a peacemaker. Because these women do not have to exist in opposition and by virtue of their careers, they are making room for more. So Megan wasn’t having it, both with her Daily Pop interview and her sitdown with E’s Nina Parker, saying:

“It’s really a lot of the fans…I really like both of them, they are two different people, two different rappers, it’s not even the same. I feel like we need to stop trying to compare them. I love both of them and I would definitely like to collab with Cardi too.

“I just feel like it’s enough room for all of us to win…to shine in our own ways. I think they’re both shining. If we could come together for a hot girl tour, that would be epic.”

Through her E! interviews, Megan has also informed us that Hot Girl Summer has been extended until October (I personally need this, Mercury Retrograde messed my life up just like everyone else), and there will be a “Hot Girl Summer” video. 

Most importantly (to me), when asked if her man ever tries to calm her down:

“Can’t nobody tell me what to do. Who gon’ tell me now?”

That’s some hot girl sh-t.