Hip-hop turns 50 this year. Since its creation and growth to one of the leading genres of music with cultural and social influence, hip-hop has remained hyper-masculine and exclusionary. In this cauldron, women in hip-hop have nevertheless pushed the genre into a female-dominated space, often while being victims of the violence perpetrated on them by their male counterparts.
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion has helped spearhead this modern surge of female voices, transcending into a household name since her accession to superstardom in the last several years. Yet her success hasn't shielded her from the same inescapable pattern of violent misogynoir rampant in hip-hop. In 2020, Megan, whose real name is Megan Pete, was shot multiple times in both of her feet by rapper Tory Lanez as she left a pool party at the home of reality star Kylie Jenner. Megan eventually accused Lanez of being her shooter. Lanez, whose real name is Daystar Peterson, was arrested and charged with three felonies including assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He was found guilty in Dec. 2022 and was sentenced to 10 years in jail on Wednesday.
