By Nikki Rodriguez
Saturday April 1, Nicki Minaj was named the most influential female rapper of all time by none other than The New York Times.
Sadly, many people know Minaj for her outlandish fashion and crazy theatrics more than her music. Although she gets plenty of media coverage for her unusual costumes and wigs, Nicki Minaj embodies more than a rags-to-riches dream or Lady Gaga-esque preference for dressing weird.
After being signed to Young Money Records by Lil Wayne, she collaborated with some of the most influential artists in the rap industry, such as Kanye West, Drake, Lil Wayne, Ludacris and Jay-Z. Her first album went double platinum, and her sophomore album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,” released April 3, is already No. 1 on the Billboard’s chart.
Her song “Super Bass” was named the best song of 2011 by Entertainment Weekly. It’s also the first song by a female rapper to reach the 4 million mark in sales. Simply put, Nicki Minaj is knocking down gender barriers in rap.
Some people don’t like the message rap sends and some people just don’t like rap. But i think, regardless of whether you like her music or not, it’s time for women to appreciate Nicki Minaj. As a businesswoman, she managed to climb to the top quickly and stay at the top of her game.
I cannot imagine the barriers Nicki Minaj faced as a woman in rap, even in the recent controversy over BET’s double standard by banning of her “Stupid H**” video. In fact, many young female artists are following in Minaj’s footsteps, such as Taylor Swift who rapped Minaj’s “Super Bass” while on tour and Katy Perry who rapped Kanye West and Jay-Z’s song at a recent performance.
As a woman who understands the continuation of the gender gap in men’s and women’s wages, I want to congratulate Nicki Minaj on gaining mainstream popularity other female rappers had only hoped for previously. As long as she is showing men that women can do anything they do and do it better, Nicki Minaj has got my support.
Final Say: Whether you like her music or not, show a little pride for another woman breaking into a male-dominated field.
