Opinion: Nicki Minaj’s cult following is undeserved
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Following the release of her new album “Pink Friday 2” and the recent “Hiss” scandal, Nicki Minaj is back on the public’s radar. Minaj fans, more commonly referred to as Barbs, eagerly awaited the return to “Gag City,” but in hindsight of her most recent public breakdown, does Minaj still deserve our support?
As much as it hurts to say this, the answer is no. Despite her vast cultural significance and impressive repertoire of pop and hip-hop hits, the self-titled “Queen of Rap” has proven incapable of wielding the influence behind her star status. This is suggested by multiple concerning patterns that have become steadily apparent over the years.
The most alarming is the fact that Minaj willingly surrounds herself with abusers. As subtly hinted at by Megan Thee Stallion in her “Hiss” track, Minaj’s husband and father of her child, Kenneth Petty, is a registered sex offender.
As reported by NBC News, “[Petty] was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of first-degree attempted rape in New York in 1995, when he was 16, according to court documents.”
In addition to her husband, Minaj voiced support for her brother, Jelani Maraj, just days before his sentencing for the rape of an 11-year-old. She posted a photo of them together on Instagram, captioned, “Jelani, I love u more than you’ll ever comprehend.”
Both incidents paint Minaj in a truly disgusting light. Individually forgiving abusers already requires a distorted sense of empathy, but directly voicing support for them is inexcusable. While you can’t choose your family, actively voicing support for their sex crimes sends a message to your audience: “This behavior is ok.”
Even beyond her personal life, Minaj professionally invests in male abusers, especially those who prey on underage girls. Three years after 6ix9ine’s 2015 arrest for using a 13-year-old in a sexual performance, he collaborated with Minaj on their hit track “FEFE.”
In regards to sexual abuse, Minaj has no empathy for survivors. As the “Queen of Rap,” she prioritizes personal comfort and fiscal gain over setting a positive example for her dominantly female audience.
Beyond her support system, Minaj has ultimately built her career on internalized misogyny. Instead of sticking up for her audience when it matters most, she consistently ignores female survivors. With such a young and impressionable audience, Minaj should know better than to perpetuate rape culture.
While my criticism may appear intense, I acknowledge that Minaj has had a massive impact on the rap genre as a whole. In fact, in the 2010s, I do believe that she was the ultimate female rapper, as lyrically powerful and confrontational as any male rapper.
But, in reality, there are so many other less controversial and equally talented, if not more talented, female rappers out there today. With unique sounds and punchy lyrics courtesy of newer artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli and Little Simz, Minaj is not the only option. Perhaps her insecurity is warranted: Modern talent could finally label her as irrelevant, a great of the past.
Barbs themselves are losing patience with their leader. UO first-year and Nicki Minaj stan Elijah Earheart shared his perspective.
“Her past behavior has affected the way I view her music. The notion of separating the art from the artist is difficult,” Earheart said. “Hearing about Nicki’s past and current controversies makes it harder for me to enjoy her music.”
Moving forward, I don’t expect anyone to take bops like “Starships” or “Va Va Voom” off their playlists. With Minaj’s current chokehold on pop culture, I recognize that this is an unrealistic request. Nonetheless, I hope you examine Minaj’s actions more critically and give other female rappers a chance. Don’t let her distract you from supporting the female artists who genuinely deserve the hype, both in terms of their music and character.