Okay, so I have the BIGGEST love/hate relationship with Nicki Minaj. Don't get me wrong. In the looks department, sista-gurl's bad. At the risk of coining a phrase: "she can get it". On her worst day in the worst way. But when it comes down to her messages and her actual ability to rock the mic?
I'm honestly torn.
Especially the way she presents herself. I mean, I'm all for the feminist movement of being able to rock just like the men do. I've always been offended by the term femcee or categorizing female emcees differently than men (because honestly; Roxanne bodied UTFO and next to X, Eve was clearly the standout on Ruff Ryders). Word to Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Nicki's not really in her own lane. Unless you count being borderline weird as a lane *lol
I'm even conflicted with THAT statement. Part of me loves her. Her swag is undeniable. She spits bluntly with a level of confidence that defies her male counterparts. She's spit alongside hip hop titans both highly touted and underrated (see anything with Young Money on it or the BET Hip Hop Cypher).
And even though that's probably one of the rawest versus I heard her spit? She's a carbon-copy of Lil' Wayne's delivery. She's good for maybe 1 or 2 good metaphors per verse if not per song. So we've established that she's swagger jacking Kim & Foxy with her sexual persona. Her flow is the trademark of the would be "best rapper alive"....pause....
So what's she famous for? Being a barbie?
The Barbie, an iconic and unrealistic standard of euro-centric beauty. So in a world where young and old black women have to compete with size comparisons, hair issues and complexion complexes...now the standard of beauty and girl power is a plastic and synthetic plaything?
I'm sure it sounded good the first time she said it. I mean, now she get's to yell "It's Barbie Bitch"...but it still doesn't have the same biting wit as when Brittany Spears did it. I'm missing something. Even after she explains WHY she likes the term barbie, it just sounds like a marketing ploy. I mean, she does wear A LOT of pink. Even in her own synthetic weave extensions. If not her blonde or pink wigs. She's always flashing that 1000 watt smile similar to the one permanently etched on poor Barbie's constructed mug. Maybe the similarities were just too striking. But now she's got a Barbie Army. She's the ringleader for a new wave of feminism in rock star status; complete with sharpie signature tattoos on the mammaries of her devoted followers.
Nicki the Ninja, Nicki the Boss, Nicki Lewinski and last but not least Nicki the Harajuku Barbie.
Now legions of pink clad fans are joining in on Team Minaj. A woman who's chosen moniker to her means having everything you want, but minus the spelling indicates a sexual threesome (see ménage à trois). However you spin it, her other nickname is Lewinsky so does that mean you can have what you want while doing what they want?
I don't know. Maybe I want Nicki to be more socially conscious than she is. But I want the same for all rappers, so I don't think I'm being too unfair in that regard. I want Gucci, Wacka, Gotti and a host of others to come correct too. It's the whole Charles Barkley dichotomy. Regardless of how badly you want to exist separately from it, the moment you're popular SOMEONE is going to look up to and emulate you.
I'm just puzzled by why anyone would want to emulate her antics...I'll be interested see if she's got the staying power to make the Barbie Movement a force within hip hop or if she'll become a foot-note in the history of female emcees signed to male dominated labels & rap groups. Will she rise to prominence as a future hip hop honoree like Missy Elliot or MC Lyte...or will she watch from the crowd alongside Charli Baltimore, Amil and her "good friend" Remy Ma.
