Megan Thee Stallion Has a Warning for Her Haters on 'HISS'

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Megan Thee Stallion is rightfully pissed off on her new single, “HISS,” released on Friday. On it, the 28-year-old rapper sends a warning to anyone who might be trying to use her for clout and shows she’s not afraid of dissing anyone who’s wronged her on her rise to fame.

“HISS” opens with a passionate preamble: “I just wanna kick this shit off by sayin' f-ck y'all. I ain't gotta clear my name on a motherf-ckin' thing. Every time I get mentioned, one of y'all b-tch-ass-n---as get twenty-four hours of attention.”

A menacing piano track creeps in as she takes her initial shots right before a booming bass-filled trap beat barges through. In the first verse, Megan raps about how everyone seems to want a piece of her because of her fame—but she declares she has no interest in helping people get press, views, or clicks on her account.

In an interview with The Breakfast Club, Megan explained the meaning behind “HISS.” “When a snake feels like you been playin’ and doing a whole bunch of swayin’, it’s basically telling you to back off,” she said.

On “HISS,” she is letting it be known: After everything she’s been through, from the backlash she received from the rap community for being shot in 2020 by Tory Lanez to years-long disputes with her record label, Megan is telling everyone to back off and let her do her own thing. In October, she said on an Instagram Live that she was going to release music independently. “I have no label right now; we’re doing everything funded straight out of Megan Thee Stallion’s pocket.”

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The first song she released as an independent artist was back in November, when she put out the brutally honest “Cobra.” On the song, she rapped about missing her late parents and called out a man for cheating on her in her own bed.

On “HISS,” she asks why she would stay with a man who doesn’t please her. This could be interpreted as another call-out of her ex-boyfriend, Pardison Fontaine. He confirmed the couple’s split in an interview with The Breakfast Club in December after he released “Thee Person,” his response to the cheating rumors Megan laid out in “Cobra.”

“HISS” also may contain a diss at Nicki Minaj, who collaborated with Megan on “Hot Girl Summer” with Ty Dolla $ign in 2019, according to internet sleuths. The two have been rumored to have had a falling out for some time now—the speculation mainly lies around Megan collaborating with Cardi B, with whom Minaj publicly does not have a good relationship.

In “HISS,” she raps, “These hoes don't be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan's Law. I don't really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y'all don't want me to start.” Megan’s Law refers to the federal law that requires information about sex offenders be made public by law enforcement. Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, was arrested after he failed to register as a sex offender when he moved from New York to California in 2019. In September 2023, he was ordered to serve house arrest for violating the terms of his three-year probation.

Minaj addressed the supposed dig on Instagram Live at 1 a.m. ET with a snippet of an unreleased track that seemed to make fun of the injury Megan sustained after being shot in the foot by Tory Lanez. “Bad b-tch, she like six foot. I call her big foot. The b-tch fell off. I said, get up on your good foot," she can be heard rapping. Shortly after Minaj was on live, Megan posted a photo of herself laughing.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion Accuses Tory Lanez of Shooting Her in July

Throughout the song, Megan asserts her dominance in the rap game, showing off her dexterity and wit. She has yet to announce an album or release date just yet, but after these two fiery tracks, the world is ready for a new project.

Write to Moises Mendez II at moises.mendez@time.com.