Apple Music has revitalized Up Next and queued up its latest artist.
Houston native rapper Megan Thee Stallion – real name Megan Pete – has been selected as Apple Music’s featured artist. Her mother, Holly Thomas, had rapped under the name Holly-Wood.
The selection comes following the release of Stallion’s debut album, Fever, via 300 Entertainment. Megan Thee Stallion is currently a third-year health administration student at Texas Southern University.
Her first mixtape, Rich Ratchet, first came out in 2016. According to Apple Music, Fever showcases the Houston rapper’s “undeniable musical versatility highlighted by her signature rapid-fire delivery and sharp-witted wordplay,” inciting a “finely tuned mix of sweet, sensual, and savage imagery.”
Megan Thee Stallion’s relationship with Apple Music first started in August 2018. Ebro Darden, the music streaming platform’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, spotlighted her track, ‘Big Ole Freak,’ on his daily Beats 1 radio broadcast. Apple subsequently added Megan to popular hip-hop playlists The New South, The Plug, and The A-List: Hip-Hop. She also went on to appear as a guest on Darden’s show last December.
Fever peaked No. 3 on the Apple Music chart’s in its debut week and still sits in the top 15. She has received over 150 million streams on the platform.
Speaking about the selection, Megan Thee Stallion said,
“I’m so excited to be part of Apple Music’s Up Next program. Apple has been helping me spread my music to hotties all across the world, and now it’s about to get even hotter.”
Nadeska Alexis, Apple Music host, added,
“The fact that Megan Thee Stallion initially captivated us with her freestyles is a testament to the skill and creativity that’s made her music hit so hard. Factor in her slick-talking, rowdy alter-egos with her confident charisma and it’s easy to see that she is a born entertainer.”
Speaking about regularly meeting up with her fans, dubbed ‘Hotties,’ Megan added,
“I love going to each city and getting to hug them and talk to them and twerk with them. Drive the boat with them.”