Beyonce, Rihanna, & Nicki Minaj, known collectively as the Holy Trinity, have all played a major role in pushing the culture forward for many years. However, for whatever reason, in 2018 the current gatekeepers attempted to erase Nicki Minaj’s influence from the culture. Let's not play dumb. It's obvious that like Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj is being blacklisted. Also, like with Janet Jackson, many are playing Stevie Wonder to the bullshit. But, this here is not about the blacklisting. This is about how Nicki Minaj’s accomplishments are often belittled, while her fellow Holy Trinity sistahs are celebrated for any and all accomplishments.
If Beyonce sets the standard for the culture and Rihanna influences the culture, then Nicki Minaj definitely is the one who shakes up the culture. All three together have pushed the culture forward in ways that may never be rivaled again.
Recently, Rihanna posted that her partnership with LVMH was a big day for the culture. I totally agree with this comment. Many joined me in celebrating Rihanna's history-making moment. However, I did start to wonder if Nicki Minaj had posted that her becoming the first woman with 100 Billboard entries was a big day for the culture, would it had gotten the same response as Rihanna's accomplishment? I’m not going to front like I don't know the answer. When Nicki Minaj became the first woman (not Black woman) to hit 100 Billboard entries, it was barely acknowledged. As a Black woman, I was ashamed of my culture. You have to remember that Beyonce dropped her first album with Destiny's Child around 1999. Rihanna dropped her first album around 2005. Nicki Minaj dropped Pink Friday in 2010 (Riri was on the album). Bey & Riri both had head starts on Nicki. Yet it was Nicki, an immigrant rapper from Queens, NY, who was the first to reach this milestone.
Not celebrating Nicki Minaj, like you do Bey & RiRi, only hurts the culture. It tells Black girls who were more influenced by Nicki Minaj that girls like them don't matter as much. Nicki Minaj made Black girls from the hood feel comfortable with their love of pop music. She showed girls they can have pink hair, big ass and give’em whiplash😉. She inspired female rappers to believe that they could be just as good as the men on the mic, while pushing their own pen 🖊. They also don’t have to be a stereotypical girl from the hood. They can play around with different alter-egos (Hi Roman).
Due to Nicki’s ability to mix Hip Hop with pop, all while still dropping the best rap verse on features, she put herself in a unique position. Nicki Minaj musical peers/competition are Bey & RiRi, then you have the pop girls in Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift, next rap guys Drake, Kendrick Lamar, & J Cole, and lastly any female rapper that has any success or can throw a shoe😏. But, people swear she never had competition 😒
Let's not forget that Nicki Minaj is credited with being one of the first artists to help fight for streaming. She has never been one to bite her tongue, no matter the backlash. Rather it's proclaiming herself the King of NY or calling out Billboard /SPOTIFY for their questionable practices; hindsight usually proves Nicki was correct.
Also, let's not ignore Queen Radio. Yes, we’ve seen artist driven radio shows on streaming platforms before, but none were done like Queen Radio. She is a Black female who can world premiere her music on her own show. She can also counter any false narratives that the media decide they want to run with. That was a boss move and many women recognized the importance of this in chats online. However, due to jealousy from her new peers, people tried to downplay the importance of the show. Getting the first interview with a pregnant Kehlani really hurt the feelings of those with their own radio show LOL. Also, it didn't go unnoticed by me that after witnessing the success of Queen Radio, rap legend Roxanne Shante got her own radio show.
So, when Nicki Minaj becomes the first Black woman/female rapper to have a diamond song (quite possibly two), make sure you celebrate her just like you celebrate Beyonce & Rihanna.
Sincerely,
The Culture
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