Nicki Minaj is certainly getting her share of the limelight. She has crossed over from being a topic on gossip blogs to being talked about in the mainstream media. That is a major accomplishment for a femcee these days. And unlike Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown she hasn't resorted to using sexually extreme lyrics or getting arrested to get noticed.
I have stated before that I think she is very talented. I just hope that she doesn't let Lil' Wayne and his craziness get in the way of her success. I mean Lil' Wayne doesn't seem like the sort that really likes women beyond having sex with them. So Nicki being associated with him and his label may become problematic over time.
It's already going to be hard enough for Nicki as a femcee to maintain a career in an era where commercially successful femcees are almost extinct. So being surrounded by people who are totally unprofessional and criminals, as Lil' Wayne and a few of her label mates are, will not be good for her in the long run.
My hope is that at some point Nicki will break free from Lil' Wayne and his label and sign with a more reputable entertainment company. If she does Nicki just may turn out to be not just one of the top femcees of this decade but one of the top rappers of the decade period.
Anyway, I'm pulling for Nicki. I hope her album, Pink Friday, is a success.
9 comments:
On the contrary Val, I think Nicki's alignment with Young Money has been good for her career.
Lil Wayne signed her when no one else was checking for her. Before that, she was another female emcee trying to get some shine. Not to mention, it appears that Wayne's mentorship has shaped her into the outrageous emcee that we see today. She was a straight up rapper and very unimaginative before joining Young Money (check her old joints on YouTube.)
I give him props for having the foresight to see that Nicki was a star and she needed some sponsorship and props to her for recognizing that she needed that sponsorship in a male dominated genre of music.
Currently, it seems she is on a rocket ship to super stardom, despite Wayne's illegal interests. Also, it seems that his time away has helped her.
It is strange & somewhat sexist that females in the game seem to have a relatively short shelf-life. I wonder why that is. Even if we can name four or five who've maintained a career of 20 years or more.... most no longer have a record deal.
It'll be interesting to see how well Nicki fares, since much of her appeal seems to ride shotgun w/ her outward glamour. (ponders)
One.
Rapper in general have a short shelf life.
20 years?
Name three male rappers who have lasted that long?
I'm still a bigger fan of Jean Grae.
Even back in the day, women like Q. Latifa, MC Lyte, or Salt & Pepper had it bad.
Rap is (at it's best) a street genre - and the women who sell the best are those who are more street oriented.
@Jason
I think you are right in that Young Money has gotten her a lot of exposure.
But now what? Will Young Money be able to take her career to where it should go?
That's what has me wondering.
And I def agree that Lil' Wayne being in jail has been good for Nicki.
@Lin
Rap is filled with misogyny and in a world filled with misogyny women are not valued. So once femcees of the past had served their purpose they were discarded by the industry.
@UBJ
LL Cool J, Nas, Q Tip, Busta Rhymes, there are more but I'm not a hip hop head so I'd have to rack my mind to think of a few more.
There is a certain amount of loyalty, it would seem, surrounding the relationship between Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. I believe it began as a business relation and eventually evolved into a more personal coupling. And that's not to say that she and Wayne are intimate with one another - I seriously doubt it.
That said, I too believe that a successful solo effort will result in a separation. Why? Cause it happens to the best of 'em.
@Don
I hope that separation comes sooner than later.
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