Hip Hop artist Megan Thee Stallion was born to a rapper mother and a hustler father. Let’s meet her parents and get to know what happened to them.
Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion is known for her sexy confidence and her over-the-top lyrics — and it is very clear that the “WAP” star has come a long way from her first single, which she released in 2017.
Ever since Megan Thee Stallion stepped on the scene, the hip-hop world has become the 28-year-old’s oyster. The femcee has not only released countless No. 1 singles featuring the likes of Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, but she also has a plethora of features with more of the hottest musicians in hip-hop, R&B, and pop music. Not to mention, Megan’s first studio album, “Good News,” reached RIAA-certified platinum status.
In 2020, Megan had a Billboard No. 1 hit with Cardi B, created the “Hot Girl Summer” phenomenon, and became a global brand ambassador for Revlon.
But what you probably didn’t know was that Megan’s talent and drive for performing actually came from her parents. The rapper credits her late mother and grandmother for showing her the way. Unfortunately, Megan’s mom and dad passed away before her record-breaking career really took off.
In 2021, she received the 18th Congressional District Humanitarian Award in Houston, Texas, and credited her grandmother who is not alive.
So, what exactly happened to Megan Thee Stallion’s father, mother and grandmother? Here’s everything we know.
Who are Megan Thee Stallion’s parents?
Megan Thee Stallion (real name: Megan Jovon Ruth Pete) was born on February 15, 1995, in San Antonio, Texas, United States to parents Joseph Pete Jr. (father) and Holly Aleece Thomas (mother).
While her dad was a hustler and a go-getter, her mother was a rapper who was famously known as Holly-Wood. Following her birth, her mother moved to Houston.
Pete was raised in the South Park neighborhood of Houston before moving with her mother to Pearland at age 14, where she lived until she turned 18.
The “WAP” and “Savage” rapper’s music career was inspired by her mother and had the support of her parents.
Pete attended Pearland High School and graduated in 2013.
In 2013, while Pete was a student at Prairie View A&M University, she began uploading videos of herself freestyling on social media. A clip of Pete battling against male opponents in a “cypher” went viral.
The exposure helped Pete gain a larger digital presence and following on social media. She garnered fans by posting her freestyles on her Instagram while in college. She refers to her fans as “hotties” and credits her hyperactive fan base for her early success. After taking time off from school, Pete resumed her studies at Texas Southern University. She graduated on December 11, 2021, with a Bachelor of Science in health administration.
She adopted the stage name “Megan Thee Stallion” because she was called a “stallion” in adolescence due to her height (5 ft 10 in (178 cm)) and “thick” body frame; voluptuous and statuesque women in the Southern United States are colloquially called “stallions”.
Who is Joseph Pete Jr., Megan Thee Stallion’s father?
Joseph Pete Jr. was the father of rapper Megan Thee Stallion. He was a go-getter and had an immense support of his daughter’s career choice.
On Father’s Day in 2020, Megan posted a picture with her father on Instagram, and captioned the post, “the best Dad in the world, my first best friend, my partner in crime when my Mom would fuss at us.”
Her father, Joseph Pete Jr., was “a full-time hustler” and according to Megan, he missed the first eight years of her life while serving time behind bars on weapons charges.
In 2020, Megan revealed in an interview with Marie Claire that her father died in 2011 when she was 15 — a freshman in high school. However, she credits her father for her great confidence and a great understanding of what to accept from people.
“I saw how he treated my mom, and I saw how my Dad treated me,” she said. “I have so many strong positive influences. I’m not going to lower my standards.”
Who was Holly Aleece Thomas, Megan Thee Stallion’s mother?
Holly Aleece Thomas was the biological mom of rapper Megan Thee Stallion. In fact, Aleece who first worked as a bill collector was the first rapper in the family even before her daughter, Megan, began to follow her footsteps. Megan’s mother was her manager and inspiration.
Megan’s mom went by the stage name Holly-Wood.
Holly would bring her daughter with her to recording sessions instead of putting her in daycare.
“Holly-Wood is the first female rapper I’ve ever known, and I’ve ever seen,” Megan told Vulture in 2019. After tagging along with her mom to studio sessions, Megan began writing and rapping on her own at 16. Her freestyling videos were an instant hit on social media.
But Holly wasn’t exactly thrilled at her daughter’s hobby and wasn’t quite ready for her to follow in her footsteps. She begged her to wait until she was 21 before jumping into a rapping career of her own.
Her mother commented that her lyrics were too sexually suggestive for her young age.
How did Megan Thee Stallion’s mom die?
When Holly saw how serious her daughter’s passion for rap was, and she began to manage her. The two worked closely together, and Holly was seen in interviews alongside her daughter for moral support.
Unfortunately, in March 2019, Megan’s mother died after a long struggle with a cancerous brain tumor.
Sadly, Megan’s grandmother also passed away in the same month. Between music and going to college, Holly had influenced Megan in so many ways. She even supported her plans to start up an assisted-living facility in Houston.
What happened to Megan Thee Stallion’s grandmother?
Megan was awarded the 18th Congressional District Humanitarian Award in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 12, 2021, per The Sun. The rapper was recognized by the city for her many contributions to the Houston community, including raising money to rebuild damaged and destroyed homes following Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.
Megan also partnered with fast-food chain Popeye’s to make a six-figure donation to Houston Random Acts of Kindness, which aided children and veterans with special needs.
During Megan’s acceptance speech, the rapper thanked her grandmother for teaching her to be a “kind” and valuable woman.
“My grandma always taught me to be kind and giving,” Megan said. “I learned that from her. I was raised by very giving women. So I want to dedicate this award to my grandma because she taught me to be the woman I am today.”
Megan The Stallion’s grandmother passed away two weeks after her mother, Holly Aleece Thomas.
According to Vibe, Megan lost her mother, Holly Aleece Thomas, in March 2019 due to a brain tumor. Megan’s grandmother passed away a mere two weeks later.
Since the passing of Megan’s mother and grandmother, the rapper has been very vocal about how these two women have influenced her life. In a now-deleted March 23, 2019, Instagram post, via GossipOnThis, Megan shared how much Holly championed her success.
“We were together EVERY DAY, Holly was my biggest cheerleader and toughest critic,” the rapper wrote. “She taught me enough for two lifetimes and if you were blessed to meet her she taught you something too. My mama is still my rock, my world, and my inspiration. I’m going to go 100 times harder because I know that’s what she would want me to do.”