The last few years of Megan Thee Stallion's career have launched the young artist into new heights. Along with her fame, Megan has faced tragedies, like losing her mother, to scandals, like her recent shooting altercation involving Tory Lanez. She has been entangled in legal battles with her label, 1501 Entertainment, and is often criticized for her style and explicit lyrics, but the Houston rapper continues to make a name for herself. Most recently, Megan Thee Stallion topped the charts by assisting Cardi B on "WAP," and now the 25-year-old star celebrates her inclusion on TIME's annual "100 Most Influential People" list.
Inside the magazine, actress Taraji P. Henson penned Megan Thee Stallion's entry. "I remember hearing Megan Thee Stallion on one of those famous DJ radio shows a few years ago. She rode the beat like I’d never heard anybody ride the beat in a long time,” wrote Henson. "There was something about this woman. Once you discover her, you become a fan. I don’t like to put the stigma of the word strong on Black women because I think it dehumanizes us, but she has strength—strength through vulnerability."
"She’s lost much of her family—her mother, her father, her grandmother—yet she is the epitome of tenacity, of pulling herself up by her bootstraps. She was shot this summer, and still people tried to tear her down. But she’s out here still loving and being sweet," said Henson. "She’s deep. She’s enrolled in college. She’s an entertainer. She’s a free spirit; I see that in her."
On Instagram, Megan shared her TIME cover. "STILL I RISE YOUNG BLACK WOMAN FROM HOUSTON TEXAS ON THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD," the rapper wrote in the caption. Check out the cover below.
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