It's not just hate. It seems that all of this hate comes exclusively from women. This blog entry was partially inspired by this Clutch Mag article as well as random tweets and blog posting that I come across in my web travels.
I ask this and I'm not even a Nicki Minaj fan, although I do see the talent. I tried listening to one of her mixtapes once and it was deleted from my hard drive after one listen. The funny part was that it wasn't deleted as a result of her performance, but moreso because she had way too many male guests that stunk.
I have read a few different criticisms. Some say her body is fake. What does that have to do with her music? At least it's not bad plastic surgery like Lil Kim, Janet Jackson or her brothers.
Some say they hate the silly faces she makes. It's funny, but I find them refreshing and comedic. The majority of women in music videos are trying way too hard to look sexy. At least Nicki switches it up a bit.
Others have said that she lacks talent. Which makes absolutely no sense to me. She's stolen the show on any track that I have heard her on (editor's note: she's typically on tracks with cats that suck). The whole lacking lyricism argument just isn't true. I love a lot of her punchlines and she seems to have a nice flow and presence as well. Hell, as far as we know she writes all of her own material. We can't say the same thing for Foxy Brown or Lil Kim's biggest hits.
The vacancy of female rap artists have made such an astounding impact on the hip-hop generation that the emergence of someone like Minaj presents a peculiar mix of unpreparedness and prediction. Minaj isn’t merely a Lil’ Kim clone, she is the 21st century inheritance of post-modern branding, technological advancement and hip-hop male desire. In a music genre where authenticity is everything, Minaj’s (and camp) diligent attempts at packaging a distinct female hip-hop presentation with borrowed Barbie nuances and a rehearsed dialect in tow raises questions around the Minaj underneath it all.Women complain about lack of female emcees, but do they support the women that are out there?
Hip-Hop might be dominated by men, but it seems that women control the purse strings. Over the years the music has become so cotton soft that it's ridiculous at times. It's to the point now that even r&b artists are being considered Hip-Hop and skinny jean wearers are running the game.
* RaTheMC image courtesy of Sneakshot aka Gravity508.
**No, Nicki has not been digitally lynched, but the title caught your attention, right?
6 comments:
Let me preface any of my comments by saying, I cannot stand Nicki Minaj.
Do I hate her tacky weaves and lace fronts? Yes. Do I hate her even tackier wardrobe? Yes. Do I give a fuck if her body is fake? Nope. Do I hate the faces she makes? Yep. Do I also hate that yabba dabba doo screech she calls flow? Yep.
But above and beyond all of that, I cannot stand the lack of talent. I see that you seem to think she has some and I don't know what you're hearing... Clearly we aren't hearing the same things. She's a worse version of this current (and the worst one yet) version of Lil Wayne with a push up bra. Her punchlines that you enjoy are weak and she pretty much ruins any chance of me enjoying any song she's featured on. I truly didn't know people above the age of 19.5 took Nicki Minaj seriously, but I guess I'm wrong.
Anyway, I can't speak for other women but my main issue with her is not the tacky, fake hoodrat persona and allegedly fake body - it's the lack of skill at her chosen profession. I choose not to celebrate mediocrity or things less than mediocre for that matter.
I am at a loss too. Not a Nicki fan. At all actually. Pretty much the same boat you are in as far as owning music she makes. That said, SHE IS FAR FROM THE WORSE RAPPER IN THE WORLD. I also can come to grips that she is 'not for me'. Which doesn't = she sucks. I am not a fan of the 'persona' and the wave of people who follow it but like I have pointed out to those in my age group before, we have had MORE THAN OUR SHARE of 'gimmicky' gals (dudes too) that we embraced/tolerated. She is not talentless. Anybody who listened to her on that BET cypher could ascertain that.
I can't speak for those that hate her but I do have a question for them? If she sucks so bad, why do I have to see you in my timeline (Twitter), in the blogs and everywhere else on the Net CONSTANTLY WATCHING her to tell us she sucks? Okay, we get it, she sucks. Yet your dumb ass keeps watching..Whose the fool then if this is the case?
I don't hate her, I am just indifferent. My b/f raves about her but can't quote shit she says. *side eye* I actually have not heard anything by her (by choice) since the BET cipher. Like Carolinaware said, she is not for me.
@Jasmine: To say she lacks talent means that you either aren't paying attention or aren't a fan of rap. Like I said, I don't even own anything by her, but the flow and wordplay is there. She's not great, but she far from sucks. lol
What rappers do you listen to?
@Carolinaware: I'm sincerely baffled by this. A woman can't completely suck and have even 1/4 of the heat that she has. Wack guys get shine all of the time, but women? There aren't any mainstream female rappers that I like, but if they write their own stuff they can't possibly suck and still get any shine. Trina for instance isn't for me, but I don't deny that she has SOME talent.
@ABlackGirlWhoDidDate: You're way too laid back to hate. lol She seems to be the new 50 Cent in regards to the reaction that I see and hear when her name is mentioned by women. The indifference or just not liking her, I can understand.
I'm indifferent to Nicki Minaj but the hate she gets is ridiculous! I agree with so many of the points you've made like, what does her butt being fake have to do with her rhymes. Plus, the funny voices she makes is something that no female has done before and it's taken some of the attention off of her assets. She's clever for doing that. And her lyrics are clever sometimes as well. She's not everyone's cup of tea because realistically, her fans are mostly in HS but hating her is extra. Plus, there are other femcees out there who are talented and who offer something different yet people have their blinders on and don't give them any play at all. So it's kinda like wtf do you want then?
not a nicki minaj fan...as far as female rappers i enjoy bahamadia and jean grae and mystic...but i see your points. women complain about there not being enough female emcees...but don't support any.
As far as nicki minaj's punchlines "pussy on your sideburns" i'm still trying to understand that...and when she said something about a "vine, mango" i thought to myself "i swear mangos grow on trees" but you know she do what she does... can't get mad at her for making her money.
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