I have been very outspoken about my feelings when it comes to rapper Nicki Minaj.I don’t care for her, plain and simple. It’s not that I think she’s completely talentless (although I do admit to probably saying so in the past), she’s obviously a beautiful woman, and I am happy to see a woman gaining success and notoriety in the Hip-Hop world…. But….. what good is it to gain all the success in the world if it comes at the expense of your self respect, your morality, or even worse your soul?
I guess I’ll start with her name—her REAL name—Nicki Maraj. Nicki Maraj would have been a perfectly acceptable name for a female MC. I actually think its very dope. Why change it to Minaj? Because you’re catering to what you think men want to hear? Because some record exec told you that’s what would sell? Because your confused about your own sexuality? I don’t have the answers to those questions, but whatever the answers may be, the point is this: You didn’t have to change your name to some sexual cliché in order to sell records… if you really are talented that is.
I think women dumb themselves down and over sexualize themselves so much. It sickens me. We are more than just T&A ladies, but how would anyone ever know that if that’s all we show to the world? Which brings me to my next point, Nicki at the BET Awards. When she accepted the award for best female Hip-Hop artists, she asked that women come together and support each other, which was understandable. I agree that women should support each other. Then she said she was doing music to open doors for other women in Hip-Hop and that she was standing up there representing us all. God forbid! I get what she is trying to say and do, but come on! Calling yourself Nicki Minaj alone has set women back 20 years!
It’s bad enough I have to listen to men objectify women all day long, but now I have to listen, accept, and support women who objectify themselves? I think not. I am sick and tired of hearing all this crap about money, cars, clothes, houses, and the female anatomy from men, but now I have to hear it from women too? I mean, it was a lot on it when Lil' Kim did it in the 90's, but she was such a good rapper we accepted it, because she brought a certain empowerment to it. And, because it was original! Kim was calling herself Barbie LONG before Nicki Minaj. I didn't necessarily like it, but I understood it to be her unique way of expression. When Nicki does it, it's like a knock-off gucci bag--it may fool everybody, but the trained eye knows it aint the real thing.
I think Nicki needs to be a little more objective and ask herself what kind of message is she really sending to young women everywhere? That being sexy is all about being like Barbie (the most unattainable standard of beauty ever created)? That being bisexual makes you sexier? That rapping about how good you are in bed is the way to get ahead? And this is what she wants us to support?
No.
Period.
Sorry Nicki.
Perhaps one day you’ll understand why some women have the reaction to you that they do. And then maybe we can start to see the real you instead of this bullshit bisexual Barbie image that you’ve constructed. At least the thought of that intrigues me.
