Megan Thee Stallion has seen her star prowess rise exponentially over the last two years. Not only has she earned two No. 1 Hot 100 Billboard singles — 2020’s “WAP” with Cardi B and the 2020 “Savage (Remix)” featuring Beyoncé — the Houston native has also landed numerous endorsement deals, including Revlon, Popeye’s Chicken and CashApp.
Additionally, her debut album, Good News, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) eight months after its release. Despite all of her success, Joe Budden doesn’t consider the college graduate a “superstar.” During a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the show’s always outspoken host explained why he doesn’t think she deserves the title.
“You’re not a superstar if you can’t sell an album, what the fuck are we talking about right now?” he said. “What stops her from being a superstar if we’re taking out sales? She ain’t sold shit. Got every brand deal in the world, but also has all the backing from different people. She’s got a lot going on. That’s the game today.”
Joe Budden continued his argument by recognizing rappers get more endorsement deals than ever before, but he said that doesn’t mean they should be considered superstars.
“Griselda has a lot going on,” he added. “There’s mad artists that have a lot going on, your management team as got to be a whole fucking team of people. You got to have a team of know-it-all people.” He also noted Megan Thee Stallion doesn’t get the same kind of attention as someone like Adele when she drops an album.
Cardi B Dubs Joe Budden Her 'Mean Uncle' Following 'Superstar' Comment
“Y’all are just making rules up. You still got to know how to sell a fucking album,” he said. “When Adele come out, you gotta move. When n-ggs come out, you gotta move. When a superstar comes out, you mortal, mere minion n-ggas have to move. Nobody does that for Lil Nas X, nobody does that for the seven Meg Thee Stallion releases that dropped over the past two years. What are we saying?”
Despite Budden’s feelings toward Megan Thee Stallion, he feels the opposite about Cardi B. Speaking during the same episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the former Slaughterhouse rapper called the Bronx spitter a “superstar” and was adamant “you can’t argue that she is not.”
Meg went platinum, sold more than joe did in his entire career. Her songs have peaked higher than Joe’s as well. She has all the endorsements. Maybe she isn’t a superstar, but you cant say it’s because ‘she ain’t sold shit’ because she’s sold more than a lot of the other rappers out now. This dude’s takes have been so much worse since he got rid of the people who would keep him in check. Smh
Nelly, 50, Jay, Em sold major units in the CD ERA. Luda and Busta were going 3X plat and they weren’t considered superstars. How TF is Meg barely selling a mil in the STREAMING era and considered a MUSIC superstar?? Her 2 #1 hits are with females bigger than her. It’s a valid point you just didn’t get it.
Easier to sell units in the cd era as that was the only way to get the music. That’s why nobody is doing numbers like before. Tyler JUST went gold with the “album of the year”. I also mention maybe she isnt a superstar, but it isnt because of the numbers
Tyler isnt a star dude. CLB did 600K first week. During the CD era you had to pay per CD so if you didn’t like an artist you didn’t buy it. Since streaming is unlimited you can try an album for free. Secondly 150 streams = 1 sale. I know several people who listened to their favorite album everyday. In streaming that would count for 2-3 sales instead of one.
dump out the bags on video, people will view it. the views could towards sales. next video she’ll have less clothes on, so on and so forth. if cardi is nicki lite than megan is cardi lite.
Her debit album did 100k units, her second album last year did 36k units first week… she’s not a superstar. She fizzled out quick.
Uh who cares about Joe’s career thats not the topic. He never said he was lol
I thought it said Joe Biden.
I’m like damn when did Biden turn hard? lol
I think she’s on her way to being a superstar, but Joe is right–she’s not there yet. We shouldn’t prematurely give people that label.
She sure sold a hell of a lot more than YOU ever did, Irrelevant Joe…
Facts. It kinda sucks that somebody so mid has so many opinions. And oh yeah, you had a whole team behind you with Slaughterhouse, remember. Damn, after Wu rocked his shit he still yapping off like this. TF
Hoe Budden always in women bizz… Did u Eva finish your bizz with consequence lmao ?
I’m glad this idiot is not gonna be on the new Slaughterhouse album!
You’re acting like you were actually gonna listen to slaughterhouse, go back to listening to your cheap twerk music
she’s not. she’s just the face of feminism in hip hop, but shes also a tool being used to open the gates for thot rap to mainstream media for other equally “talented” but significantly less popular artist to make a quick dollar.
He ain’t wrong. Shes a star not a superstar. She ain’t in that bracket.
Let’s keep a 100, just selling records ain’t getting it done anymore. Artists are getting paid less and less. So I’m not mad that an artist sells one album and gets the bag elsewhere. I feel like Joe has something against Meg because Cardi is in the same lame. You think he would have that same energy like Snoop Dogg whose is more known now, but not mainly from his music? I like to know what Joe’s metric is for being a Superstar
pop music cult of personality.
Naah, I disagree. If this was 2002, yes. You could still judge people by album sales. Now half the time I listen to albums on Youtube. You gotta include Views, streams, watches…All type of shit to really gauge an artists worth IMO…Sales just aren’t relevant anymore..
I feel like superstardom looks different in rap these days. Sales should be a factor yes, but in terms of cultural cache she’s outdoing a lot of people with higher sales. For Cardi, sales don’t mean as much because she doesn’t even write her own songs. In the streaming era a lot of people have gotten better at gaming the system for higher numbers. Idk if she’s a superstar, but I’ll give Meg her props, every collab she does sells out, and while that may not be a direct reflection of her music quality at the very least it shows she’s got massive reach, which is important for superstardom.