Megan Thee Stallion’s HISS: Getting the Hate out of your System with Fire Bars

It is rare when the first track on a record starts with “I just wanna kick this shit off with sayin’ fuck y’all.” Now, that’s an entrance. I have to say that Megan Thee Stallion is the best when she is either rapping about how much she likes sex or how she is better than you. Her new record MEGAN is really going for it and fits into both camps. It is full of bars on how haters using her name for fame is not worth her time and how she is great at sex. I love the entire record and think this is some of Megan’s most cutting, sharp and sexy bars in a few years. The record’s entire tone is set off with the first track, HISS.

This entire record, barring the heavily R&B inspired track Spin with Victoria Monét, is quite stripped back musically. HISS reminds me a lot of some classic Gangsta Boo, which was dominated with deep bass and accented by keyboards and some dirty synth lines. HISS is similar in how there is some classic keyboard lines as the track builds into a very satisfying bass drop. This is in opposition to more complex wall of sound arrangements like those from Kanye West, Travis Scott, Run the Jewels and Danger Mouse. I think the straight forward no tricks approach matches Megan’s raw delivery style. Too much going on in the mix would muddy up the track and you might miss some of her fire bars. For Megan, the best is to give you something to bob to, but clear the lane for her to bring it.

Megan has been through a lot lately. She was shot in the leg, went to court, was blamed by misogynists for being a drama queen about being shot….I mean…she was shot…and put out some music. During the trial people were dragging her name without knowing what happened and used her popularity to raise their own position. This is front in centre in HISS where Megan references the trial directly and how people used her name and spread lies to forward their own careers. Essentially, the message is “Fuck off and I am so much better than you.” I love it. The trial and the haters have been en elephant in the room with Megan, so it is great that she put the stomp down on them so hard in the first track. Megan is sharp and powerful throughout the track and the record, which makes these tracks really hit.

Like she says “I don’t care what you make trend / I still win.” This entire record is Megan Thee Stallion winning. The truth is, you may have gotten a week of likes and views off of bashing her on a video, but she will always have the best hip hop records out there and is here to stay….and after that week is over…she is still Megan Thee Stallion and still winning.

Listen to HISS