From #HotGirlSummer to #HotNerdFall: Megan Thee Stallion, ratchet-respectability, and the Socioeducational identities of Black girls/women

Megan Thee Stallion is revolutionizing the representation of Black women in Hip-Hop by occupying polarizing positions in Hip-Hop culture. Megan represents the multiplicity of the Black girl/women’s identities by navigating the confines of ratchet respectability, sexuality, and education. Her movements #HotGirlSummer and #HotNerdFall demonstrate the margins the everyday Black girl/woman must navigate: the expectation to be sexy, outgoing, and ratchet while simultaneously being educated/intellectual. Using Hip Hop feminist discourses of ratchet respectability and Black ratchet imagination, we argue that Megan’s representation of a sexually liberated, ratchet-demic informs the construction of Black girl/womanhood. Utilizing Megan the Stallion’s music, social media posts, and interviews, we will explore how Megan’s representation of a sexually liberated, ratchet-demic informs the socio-educational identities of Black girl/womanhood.