In a heartwarming twist to the usual rap origin story, Grammy-winning “Body” performer Megan Thee Stallion, 29, revealed her secret weapon in becoming a rap sensation: her mom, Holly Thomas. Apparently, their home wasn’t just filled with love, but also impromptu rap battles, turning family time into a lyrical showdown.
“Me and my mama used to be going back and forth. She was really the one, and I just wanted to beat her, and I wanted to impress her and I thought she was just the coldest rapper ever,” began explained during her chat on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
Holly Thomas, who rocked the stage name Holly-Wood, sadly passed away from brain cancer in March 2019. Her legacy however lives on in Megan’s bars and beats.
“My mama was my best friend. It used to really just be me, her and my dad before he passed,” Megan reminisced.
The rapper’s father passed away when she was a 15-year-old freshman in high school.
“I ain’t care about having a bunch of friends and stuff because – and I was a very friendly kid – but I was the only child. So I just loved being around my mom,” Megan said reflecting on her close-knit family life.
Megan, born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, credits her mom as her ultimate rap mentor.
“I used to wanna be just like [her] because she was a rapper,” she responded with pride when asked about her female rap influences.
“[My mom] put me on Biggie before she put me on Lil’ Kim, and I used to love Biggie so much. I still love Biggie. But she was like, ‘If you like Biggie, I got something for you that’s gonna f*** you up.’ So then she started playing me Kim, and I was like, ‘What is this?’ So I definitely was on Kim early, but definitely my mama was my favorite,” she added.
Before Megan’s meteoric rise to fame, Holly-Wood was making music from 2001 to 2007, later becoming her daughter’s manager.
“Happy birthday mama. I miss you every day,” Megan wrote. “I know you’re watching over me rooting for me and keeping me going. I don’t have you physically here telling me what I should do so I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own remembering all the advice and lessons you’ve taught me before,” read the now-deleted post that featured a throwback photo of Holly.
It’s clear that Megan Thee Stallion’s rap dynasty is a family affair, with her mom, Holly-Wood, at the heart of it all.
