Women of colour still experience hip-hop's glass ceiling

As a wise, Black, feminist poet/musician, Janelle Monáe, once said, “The booty don’t lie,” and thousands of glorious, powerful Black and brown booties, proudly spilling from the scantest of booty shorts, clapped truth to power as the iconic, unapologetically sexual, Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer tour scorched the Moody Center on Thursday.

The H-Town Hottie’s first Austin appearance since the 2021 Austin City Limits Music Festival was a celebration of sexual freedom, self-love, and radical female empowerment. It was one of the realest, and hardest, rap shows of the year. Oh, and Paul Wall showed up too.

Megan’s Hotties, as she affectionately calls her fans, skewed young, beautiful, brown, proudly female, and gay male, and they were dressed to express themselves and celebrate their bodies. They let their freak flags fly as the reigning, unapologetic queen of rap polished her crown, and ours too.

Here are five things that happened at the show:

Like a phoenix, she rose from the flames

Megan is in her snake era, embracing her powerful femininity, and when she emerged through the floor of the Moody Center in a curve-hugging, serpentine bodysuit, she exuded “Eat the apple, Eve” energy. This woman is a symbol of resistance.

Take a break from the patriarchy with this ferocious performance: Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Her entrance was heralded by red lights dancing on three massive screens. They morphed from floating embers to molten lava, with plumes of fire shooting from both sides of the stage. Megan rose above it all, solo, spraying verbal bullets at her haters while flames shot skyward, a powerful phoenix rising from the ashes of her past.

A brief recap of her journey: Megan was shot by a man, rapper Tory Lanez, as they left a party in 2020. Instead of receiving support, she endured public mockery and rejection from a toxic, male-dominated rap community. Her brilliant 2022 album, “Traumazine,” channels her depression following her mother's death and the trauma of the shooting. She also spent years fighting an oppressive, “unconscionable” record deal with 1501 Certified Entertainment.

But at the Moody Center, Megan was jubilant, victorious. She took her abuser to court and won. Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence. Her new album, “Megan,” drops soon on her own independent label, Hot Girl Productions. A true boss.

When her Hot Girl dance crew joined her on stage, taking down the “fake-ass, snake-ass, backstabbin', hatin'-ass,” misogynists, the sense of victory was palpable.

She bodied the rap game

The divine booty is central to a Megan Thee Stallion concert, and gluteal gymnastics abounded. But don’t get it twisted: Megan is a lyrical assassin, a master wordsmith. She brings stories to life and makes you feel all the emotions. From anger to joy, she feels no need to censor herself.

She dragged her haters on tracks like “Megan’s Piano” and “What’s New,” and her raw, unfiltered emotions on “NDA” cut through the arena. She shouted “my body my choice” on “Gift and a Curse,” a reminder of the constant battles women face for autonomy.

Trapped in a coil of red lights, she bared her soul, sharing her struggles with depression on “Cobra.” She took a moment to remind the audience, “You are loved and somebody does give a damn.” A true queen looking out for her subjects.

She repped her Texas roots with a legend

“I’m happy to be home in Texas,” Megan declared, showing love to her OG Hotties and reminiscing about her first Austin performances at SXSW in 2018.

Then, she brought out the Houston legend himself, Paul Wall. The crowd went wild as the 43-year-old OG spit Dirty South classics “Still Tippin’” and “Grillz.” A true Texas takeover.

She reclaimed female sexuality

Like the iconic, unapologetic Lil' Kim before her, Megan Thee Stallion embraces her sexuality and raps about graphic, obscene sex. She bent over in a powerful stance on “WAP,” unashamed and unbothered by patriarchal norms, and the crowd squealed in solidarity.

Rocking a beaded fringe with blue butterfly wings, she rapped about taking control of her body and her choices on “Plan B.” She reminds us, “Ladies, love yourself 'cause this (expletive) could get ugly.” We've come a long way from the misogynistic hip-hop of the early ‘00s, and Megan is leading the charge.

The love and sisterhood was palpable

Megan is clearly loving this tour, and her bond with her dance team was on full display during bangers like “Girls in the Hood” and “Don’t Stop.”

Megan adores her Hotties, and they return the love. She took breaks to sign autographs for VIP fans, turned on the house lights to admire the twerking skills of her audience, and even brought dozens of fans on stage to shake what their mothers gave them. She has created a safe, inclusive space for women and gay men to revel in their sexuality, free from judgment.

One fan, a scholar with chunky glasses and waist-length braids, wore a T-shirt with a powerful message: “I support women’s rights AND women's wrongs.”

A true Hot Girl Summer.