The Barbz have been beating down my door since we named Madonna Artist of the Month for March.
It's crazy because back in 2009 when Beam Me Up Scotty hit the streets and all of my friends where rapping the lyrics to "Itty Bitty Piggy," I was the one nay-sayer who had no faith in the idea of a female rapper. Now, I'm one of Nicki Minaj's biggest fans.
It's not even just the music. Nicki Minaj has built a brand that has propelled her to a success that even her mentor Lil Wayne has to envy (as of late). It's one thing to go from shelling out mixtapes to being one of the top MCs in the game, because it seems like every year we get a handful of new rappers that come and go. But to do that, stay relevant and to crossover to pop and compete with pop princesses... it's astonishing
That's why I always give Nicki the benefit of the doubt. The pop and hip-hop audience are completely different. They want different things. The both desire quality, but from different standpoints. With hip-hop it's all about lyrics, beats and voluble flow. Who has the most mind-bending lines that can really blow your hair back and may even need some research to full understand. In pop music it's all about how quickly you can fill up the dancefloor and get every chanting your chorus... at least, that's how it is if you want a Top 40 hit and you're not Adele or some kitschy London rocker. Nicki has found a nice spot right in the middle of the two.
I've been seeing a lot of critics serving negativity to Roman Reloaded, but I still stand by the glowing review I gave her. First, I've always said that critical acclaim doesn't mean anything. People who are more critically acclaimed don't stick around any longer. They don't sell more. They really aren't even any more likely to take home a Grammy. At the end of the day, what matters is how able you are to please your fans. When those first week album sales numbers come out and you're at the top, then you've done something right. When you album goes double platinum and you have singles constantly hitting the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100, then you've proven those critics wrong. At the end of the day, it's just another opinion that is more than likely biased. You can't help but be biased in writing a review. It's human nature.
Second, a lot of people still don't understand Nicki Minaj, the brand. It kills me to see people call Nicki a sellout because she does pop records. If I recall, Nicki said she wanted to do pop before the original Pink Friday came out. Lil Wayne does pop records. "Lollipop" was about as rap as "Oops!...I Did It Again." Kanye does pop records. Jay-Z does pop records. Look at Missy Elliot. Her records were all about getting people to hit the dancefloor. Any hip-hop artist that wants to make money is going to either add pop elements to their music to make it have crossover appeal on radio or they'll have an R&B artist singing in the background for the same effect. It's not selling out, it's being smart. What's critical acclaim if no one buys your records and the label drops you?
Nicki is changing the game. Mark my words.
She's doing things that other females rappers wish they had done. No matter how much they claim they want to stay loyal to hip-hop, they'd kill for her success.
I'm definitely looking forward to this era.
Preach!!!!
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