Nicki Minaj: Best Feminist of All Time?

I recently came across an article about Nicki Minaj by Julianne Escobedo Shepherd which discussed the feminist qualities of Nicki Minaj. I must say, I was surprised. 

In her article, Nicki Minaj’s Retroactive Feminism, Shephard’s main claim: that Nicki Minaj stops short of being just about the best feminist right now. I must say I was intrigued as I read, but there are definitely some niches to catch here.

“That the song was cast as purely the provenance of women (by a white man, no less) helped make Minaj’s legions of rabid fans worldwide (she calls them Barbz, feminizing both genders by nicknaming them after Barbie) even more loyal to her movement. 

Okay I must stop right here. Barbz? Barbz refers to the term “Barbie” & Barbies are not exactly well known for being feminist. On the contrary, Barbies are all about plastic looks and hooking up with as many boys as you can in your pink convertible (okay maybe that is a bit rash, but I just don’t see where the feminism comes in play there). 

She is vehement about being a positive role model in kind. She respects and encourages her fans as much as she can, and early on in her career, she toned down the sexuality of her image after realizing how many young women look up to her”. 

This sentence definitely got me. Nicki Minaj is absolutely no where close to being a “perfect” role model. As I have probably blabbed about in almost every post in this blog, Nicki Minaj promotes a fake artificiality, the idea that looks and boobs are the only things that can get you anywhere. Her music promotes, well, nothing. Her actions instill this idea in our generation that boundaries and ethics are no longer valued. And that is not a healthy outlook for society as a whole. 

She also absolutely has not toned down her sexuality.  In fact, she is all about her sexuality, last time I checked her outfit in her latest music video, Va Va Voom. The amount of young women who look up to her should look up to a more inspirational figure, one who can promote dignity, wisdom, education, intelligence, & good looks all in one go: Michelle Obama. 

In terms of this article, I admit that Nicki Minaj has incorporated some ideas of feminism in her personality, but some of those “ideas” are definitely not positive, or healthy to instill to fans. 

 

Rap Artists Today representing Hip Hop…Unfortunately.

As an ardent listener of hip hop music, I often tend to rant to all my friends about how the hip hop genre has completely transformed within a matter of years. After reading this article, I must wholly & completely agree with this author: his argument & criticism is but a reality check of how brainwashed and lost our music, and values have become. Leigh Owens mentions:

“The culture itself no longer needs to strive for a seat at the table, but like many success stories, the successful often forget where they come from. Jay-Z’s descent into the one percent abyss is the final chapter in a tragic drama that has been many years in the making, yet he has paved the way for many talented, aspiring artists to promote the same poisonous messages, while indoctrinating an entire generation of youth with uninformed, flawed ideologies” (Owens 12). 

There has been a lot of buzz over our new group of popular celebrities, including Nicki Minaj (who magically makes headline almost every morning), Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and more. The good old hip hop which actually made sense and relayed messages is seemingly gone. Gone, dead, and buried underneath this plethora of artificiality and enhancements to not only music, but appearance, lyrics & everything else. It all seems FAKE. These new rap artists are representing the incoming generation of youth, and the sneak peak I’m seeing just doesn’t look pretty. We are all mainstream, and there seems to be no sense of difference anymore….like we all are just running to be a perfect illuminating Barbie (or as Nicki Minaj calls her fans: Barbz).

Leigh Owens is right: once upon a time, rap was controversial simply because of the revolutionary values it endorsed. But now, rap artists like Nicki Minaj & Jay-Z prove that hip hop is no longer revolutionary, but capitalistic.  “What was once a revolution has become a mistress of the one percent mantra”- (Owens 12).

Nicki Minaj: The Supreme Disrespect of our Community

So, recently the web has been heated with these miniature Facebook posts which make it to Nicki’s official Facebook fan page: and nevertheless to say, while posts are supposed to automatically delete, some make it to fame. Posts have erupted all over her feed, and it seems the entire Facebook community have received their golden opportunity window for 10 minutes of fame. Suddenly, everyone has something to say.

And there is one over Nicki Minaj’s lyrics over endorsing Romney:

A hate post over Nicki Minaj’s “Beam me up Scotty” lyrics, which insulted Muslims:

And the list goes on and on.

It really is a pity to see our daily headline news revolving around a celebrity like Nicki Minaj. Our American society is now too focused on the aspects which the media wants us to see. I recently interpreted a text over how our emerging digital media is impacting all sorts of pop culture, and of course, Nicki Minaj was one of the core puppeteers of media consolidation in America. Our lives and very core beings are controlled by this Marxist society, with the ruling class keeping head of the working class.

Our American society today is no different in terms of our capitalistic views: trekking the ladder and control of resources with a Bourgeoisie vs. Proletariat environment prevalent on the streets. The ideals of Marxist analysis are extensive in almost any standing in present day society; and Nicki Minaj is an outstanding example. Her show and her own personal representation is a strong exemplification of the hegemonic, materialistic, & alienist outlook of our consumerist and domineering American ‘so called’ democracy which exists today.

Minaj’s appearances and shows are outright insults to many religions & values.After Minaj’s notorious 2012 Grammy’s performance, involving a live Roman exorcism and an extensive mockery of Catholicism; Churches and other religious affiliations were outraged that she had pulled off such acts without any form of consequence for her action by, well, anyone. She is a panorama for our new consumer generation which is rapidly approaching. The new norm is emerging through our mainstream media artists today who are similar to Nicki Minaj: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Pink and more. These artists are slowly shaping the inner core and minds of the incoming youth. This plays with the idea of hegemony because the society has already been held at the hands of the ruling class to a certain point, and that point has been continually falling. Our old generation might have been somewhat concerned or had a boundary, but this new ‘Nicki Minaj’ age is one with absolutely no reproach or stopping line. The minds are immunized from anything other than their own issues, and no consequence for any action. Everything is justified, and this is a dangerous and unhealthy foresight for the capitalistic society as a whole.

At this point, we can only pray and keep our children away from these devastating so called “normal” mainstream pop artists who are plaguing the skirts globally, and ensure that the new generation of youth can hold a certain degree of respect and build their own strong line of values and ethics from home & proper resources.

About this Blog

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent”. Victor Hugo, 1885.

This blog focuses on the new emerging rappers of our generation and how these artists are affecting the norm and values of our society as a whole with their controversial music. With the aid of rapidly emerging digital media, music in itself has vastly changed, and so have the impacts of listening to that music in our post modern 21st century.

In November 2010, a new rap artist had plagued the Bill Board top 200 charts with a hit debut album called ‘Pink Friday’. She had the general public under a spell: appearing in mind blowing attire and releasing music which caused almost everyone to double take or begin questioning their morals. This new sensation was none other than Nicki Minaj. The uprising of Nicki Minaj’s career, and her different albums and appearances have affected the public strongly in both a positive and negative manner.This blog will focus on Nicki Minaj and how her extraordinary behaviors affect our American society today.