Megan Thee Stallion's mother was the source of her rap talents

She told Shannon Sharpe's 'Club Shay Shay' podcast: "Me and my mama used to be going back and forth. She was really the one, and I just wanted to beat her, and I wanted to impress her and I thought she was just the coldest rapper ever."

Megan's mum used to go by the stage name Holly-Wood before her death from brain cancer in March 2019.

She added: "My mama was my best friend. It used to really just be me, her and my dad before he passed."

The rapper's father died when she was 15 years old and a freshman in high school, and she added about the impact of his passing: "I ain't care about having a bunch of friends and stuff because - and I was a very friendly kid - but I was the only child. So I just loved being around my mom."

When asked what female rap artists she listened to growing up, Megan - born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete - again stressed her mum's strong influence, saying: "I used to wanna be just like (her) because she was a rapper."

The performer also said the late Biggie Smalls and Lil' Kim, 49, was her mother's "favourite female rapper" and recalled being introduced to her when she was young.

She added: "(My mum) put me on Biggie before she put me on Lil' Kim, and I used to love Biggie so much. I still love Biggie.

"But she was like, 'If you like Biggie, I got something for you that's gonna f*** you up'.

"So then she started playing me Kim, and I was like, 'What is this?'

"So I definitely was on Kim early, but definitely my mama was my favourite."

Before Megan became famous, her mum made music from 2001 to 2007 and later became her daughter's manager.

A year after her mother's passing, in May 2020, Megan posted a tribute to her on Instagram that said: "Happy birthday mama (three yellow heart emojis.) I miss you everyday!"

Megan's now-deleted post included a throwback photo of her mother, with the rapper adding: "I know you're watching over me rooting for me and keeping me going. I don't have you physically here telling me what I should do so I've been trying to figure it out on my own remembering all the advice and lessons you've taught me before."