There is no such thing as culture or greatness in modern society. It’s all based on wealth and power.
The New York Times Style magazine, T, released it’s list of “The Greats” on October 22. While it makes sense to list lyricist Stephen Sondheim and other artists and novelists, at least in some way, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason for honoring rapper Nicki Minaj in the same list. Listing her as a “female rapper reinventing the rules of being a pop star,” it’s baffling why the publication chose her as one of “the people who changed our culture.”
Lest anyone feel that Minaj actually represents class and culture, a good example of just what she represents can be found in the time she putted a golf ball into a rear-end shaped golf hole as “a tribute to Scotland’s love of golf.”
This is also the pop star that criticized Melania Trump, asking a concert audience, “You niggas want brainless bitches to stroke your motherfucking ego?” She’s also anti-Catholic, performing on stage as someone who is possessed by demons, snarling at a priest, and ‘levitating’ while a choir sings a sexualized version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” Nothing says culture like mocking religion.
Roxane Gay writes a tribute to Minaj in the style magazine, raving, “She is the center of gravity for a great many professionals, and she wears that responsibility well.” Among some of the more bizarre things said in Minaj’s praise, Gay also wrote, “Minaj has demonstrated a discipline and intelligence that is rare among other pop stars of her generation.” People magazine would beg to differ, with it’s list of all the stars Minaj has relentlessly feuded and alienated herself from.
Her lyrics are bursting with intelligence, from the song “Stupid Hoe” to “Anaconda,” which seems to be all about rear ends (it’s a play on Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “I Like Big Butts and I Cannot Lie”). The music videos are even more cultural, with “Stupid Hoe” almost blinding people with the obnoxious pink and flashing lights. In David Guetta’s “Hey Mama,” Minaj sings “Yes, I’ll be your woman, yes I’ll be your baby, yes I’ll be whatever you tell me when you’re ready.” All throughout, her message is clearly supporting sexist lyrics: women are “stupid hoes” and men “love fat asses.”
That’s not all: Minaj has worked with the most sexist rappers out there, from Ludacris to Lil Wayne, who rap about rape regularly. Lil Wayne’s lyrics are almost pornagraphic in content. How this changed the culture, except marginally for the worse, is a mystery.
Minaj isn’t even the first female rapper to the scene: there were at least 8 others before her, who were at least somewhat successful in their field. (Ironically Minaj is feuding with two of them). Why aren’t they “changing the culture?” If NYT wanted to pick an ethnic female artist, there are so many others that have conducted their careers with dignity and grace, while tearing down limits.
