Everyone seems to know everything about Megan Thee Stallion.
From her meteoric rise into the upper echelons of the music industry to the Tory Lanez 2020 shooting and subsequent trial that sparked misinformation and a bitter divide in the hip-hop community — people online and in the industry thought they were clued into every minute detail of the Houston-born rapper's life. That's why the rapper, born Megan Pete, had to make a documentary to reclaim her story — "In Her Words."
That's the message underscored at the Manhattan premiere of the Prime Video documentary directed by Nneka Onuorah. In a live telecast from the Los Angeles premiere, Megan and Onuorah gushed about the filmmaking process. Onuorah explained her first meeting with the rapper became a three-hour cry session. The Emmy-winning director knew "it was my life's purpose to support and uplift a young woman through her journey of grief, trauma — using my art as the tool."
But mostly, Onuorah emphasized that of all her films, "This film means the world to me. it's a portrait of resilience and a timeless artifact to remind women of their true inner power." Then the director introduced Megan, regally dressed in a royal blue silk gown and sporting an updo. The artist was immediately overwhelmed with emotion as the crowd roared in LA, not entirely aware of the roars in my New York City theater too.
Related
The rapper, who suffered a great deal at the hands of internet hate campaigns and misogynoir before and during Lanez's trial, stated, "I started to watch a lot of people start to dehumanize me and a lot of people were trying to take control of my narrative and tell my story."
But four years after the shooting, the 29-year-old shared that she was ready to open up about her life. "Let me just go ahead and tell my truth and lay it out on the table because y'all don't respect s**t else but raw and honesty. I was tryna be a cookie-cutter celebrity for y'all. I'm sorry that didn't work out," she said.
Salon's interview with director Nneka Onuorah highlights the experience of making a documentary where we see Onuorah and Megan's "closeness and intimacy" and how Megan Thee Stallion exists as a symbol of empowerment for women.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What was it about Megan that........© Salon