Unit 2 – Final Draft

Female Mogul 

   There are a couple of things I admire more than women standing up for themselves. One of them is having the ability to determine their own choices and encouraging self-worth in other women. Being able to show the world your many talents is a beautiful thing, but also supporting other women to do the same is an inspiring act. Women empowerment is very important and a strong force that the world needs, especially in the music industry.

   The rap game has never had a female mogul since 2009. Nicki Minaj is the queen of versatility and undeniably talented. As the reporter, Vanessa Grigoriadis, from the New York Times Magazine stated, “Minaj has become an expert at modeling the ways that women can wield power in the industry. But she has also drawn attention to how power can be embodied by a woman standing up for herself and speaking her mind.” In the statement, Grigoriadis expresses one of the many impacts Nicki Minaj has asserted in the world; aside from being lyrically gifted, she emphasizes the significance of power in womanhood. Grigoriadis is accurate and we’ve seen in many events where Nicki Minaj has spoken and showed the importance of gender roles in the public eye, especially in the music industry. Furthermore, she’s always persuaded women to be ambitious, never depend on a man, and always work for themselves. Nicki Minaj has taught young girls and young women to stay in school and never give up on their dreams. In addition, she carries this advice throughout the work that she provides to her fanbase and listeners. 

   An undeniable skill we’ve never seen before always intrigues us, especially in music, specifically Rap and Hip-Hop. Skills such as rapping the fastest, switching up flows in one verse, and even the important word choice. Rap/ Hip-Hop has developed throughout the 90s, early 2000s, and present days. When we listen to rap music, it’s usually a male artist. If we’re asked who’s our favorite rapper, we mainly think of a male rapper. Since 2009, there hasn’t been a female leader or mogul in the rap industry. Nicki Minaj has the longevity of the highest-selling female rapper. Because we’re so used to males “dominating” the music industry, I find it supreme that Minaj has changed that perspective and showed the world that women can also be dominant. She has proved her talent through the work she puts out to the world like being versatile and working with artists of different genres such as Latin, country, and pop. Not only has she featured on many male artists’ songs and impressively showed her lyrical strength, but Minaj also influences women and young girls to go after what they want and to never depend on anyone, especially a man. 

   In this interview with TIME, Nicki Minaj opens up about her life as a celebrity, the importance of being a boss as a woman, and being unapologetic in her career. Aside from the interviews, Nicki Minaj expresses her talent and addresses her accomplishments as a female rapper and woman in the Rap/Hip-Hop industry. In her most iconic verse in the song “Monster” with the three most legendary male rappers, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Rick Ross, Minaj raps “You can be the king, but watch the queen conquer.” She wants us to know queens are just as powerful and important as kings. In her case, she is just as capable as the males in the rap game. In another song from her Pink Print album, “Want Some More,” she raps “You seen that list? It was me, Baby, Jay-Z, and Diddy.” The list she refers to is the Hip Hop Cash Kings where she was placed as the #4 top earner, making her the first female rapper on the list.

References:

The-passion-of-nicki-minaj.html  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olWhr_bstNU 

Songs mentioned- ‘Monster’ by Kanye West and ‘Want Some More’ by Nicki Minaj