Today, the music industry isn’t what we know it to be just a few years ago, Nicki Minaj is the common factor to look up to in this growing industry. Propagating candid music from winning hearts after hearts. For the very few who “arrive” in big and bigger ways in this industry, the story of Nicki Minaj needs no validation. Minaj has mastered what many wish for with her dance music, her singles and the bond between herself and her fans.
Nicki Minaj’s story of success could easily be something out of a fairy tale. From her starting point in Trinidad and Tobago to becoming the queen of rap, her career has gone to a place where not many have ventured. Coming off as a more present day rags to riches story, it is no wonder why she is held as an example for many around the world.
But the music is what really separates Nicki from the pack. It’s not just the earworm hooks and clever wordplay — it’s the entire sonic universe she’s crafted, one that colors far outside hip-hop’s lines. Her tracks are dizzying, Windex-clear combinations of genre that sprinkle rap and hip-hop with dashes of pop and straight-up attitude, not mere music but anthems intended to resonate deep within her listeners.
Nicki’s the boss when it comes to her verses. But they’re far from work – they’re a wild recreational pursuit. Super bass is just a hit that rolls into another hit. Everywhere you turn, there’s another reason to hold on tight. “There’s no denying it, my rap is like a poem,” Nicki proclaims. Labels just won’t be able to resist her flow of words. “Make Them Like You” tells the story of a young woman who finds pardon for her sexual past and is helped towards a future of joy, love and clarity.
Nicki’s the boss when it comes to her verses. But they’re far from work — they’re a wild recreational pursuit. Super bass is just a hit that rolls into another hit. Everywhere you turn, there’s another reason to hold on tight. “There’s no denying it, my rap is like a poem,” Nicki proclaims. Labels just won’t be able to resist her flow of words. “Make Them Like You” tells the story of a young woman who finds pardon for her sexual past and is helped towards a future of joy, love and clarity.
Beneath Nicki’s music, however, lies something even more impressive. Something even a little unbelievable. Something undying. The magic of Nicki Minaj is that it’s in her music. The magic of her relationship with her fans is that it goes far beyond her music.
The Barbz — the intense Nicki Minaj stans who fill stadium after stadium, sharing the same water bottles as their peers while holding up their light-up wands — certainly exist. But they also exist singularly. In a world where Ariana Grande is just begging you to buy her album on iTunes, being a Nicki Minaj fan is enrolling in a cult.
“How to be a Nicki Minaj fan in 2018 is to be a part of a family in a real way,” said Maurice, a 32-year-old barber and life partner of one of the Barbz interviewed for this story. “It’s not just rah rah fans, buying tickets and merchandise. We’re talking about being a fan of this Boss, meaning you embrace her lifestyle. You want to help her with work; you want to be there for her weddings; you want to be there, you thought, were Nicki dying in the hospital in ‘Freedom.’ Then you get married to these fans and post on your Instagram page with #Barbz4Life. Because that’s the deal.”
But what really makes Nicki a legend is fearlessness. From tackling social issues to emboldening women to simply telling it like it is, she’s as real as it gets, never shy to let the world know who she is. She stands tall as a symbol of strength for the Barbs around the world, reminding them that they, too, can overcome whatever stands in their way when they choose to be unapologetically who they are.
In an industry that cannibalizes and upcycles its female stars with alarming regularity, Nicki Minaj is a pillar of creativity and strength. She is articulate and succinct in conversation and funny as hell in her banter. She is a beloved judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and her own career is a testament to the drag makeover, a genius of costume and character. But it’s her music that sets her apart from her pop peeps.
Minaj’s catalog is rich and sprawling and packed with wordplay that require decoding. Her fifth album, “Queen,” is an expectoration of talent and, in its best parts, a challenge to her peers to step up their games. Minaj’s persona is one of lighthearted braggadocio laced with cartoonish sound effects.
