I was never MUCH of a Minaj fan. Don't get me wrong, I'd give her her credit when it was due. The girl has some crazy verses, but I would never consider myself a fan. It was until recently that I understood the marketing and machine of the Minaj empire. While there are certain characteristics borrowed from other female rappers, you could hardly say Minaj is a biter. The truth is some much has been done, it'd be impossible for anyone to be fully orginal. Some traits will always resemble another's. But Nicki gives credit to the female rappers who've paved the way for her and ran down that blazed trail. The music industry hasnt seen a female rapper cross over into the pop-culture world as naturally as Minaj. Her appeal knows no colors, orientation,age, sex or class. After discovering this I had to give her props. But I wasn't yet accepting of HER, HER as an artist. Minaj's new video 'Moment 4 Life' debuted last week and to my suprise I was rather entranced by it. The plot was so sweet and delicate, and very unexpected. Minaj as both Cinderella and The Fairy Godmother make an entertaining yet natural match. Here, her fun image gets to play with the concept of Minaj's "multiple personalities". Nicki Minaj plays Cinderella and her british persona, Martha plays the "Fairy GodMartha"...oh and Drake as her Prince.
What stood out to me was the lack of skin, booty shots and sex in this video. Oh no, I'm not complaining. I was impressed. Black women in videos are commonly portrayed negatively (mostly as sexual objects) and for Nicki Minaj to take the high road by showcasing her talents and telling a story makes more noise than any publicity move. Not to mention...it's Cinderella! I have such a soft spot for this story. The video was very well done and the song is sharp and beautiful.
And then she did SNL...
Now I just don't know what to feel! LOL. First of her all, her skits were some of the funniest I've seen in awhile and again...I was extremely suprised. I think I fell instantly in love with her while watching the SNL digital short: The Lonely Island feat. Nicki Minaj "The Creep". Anything The Lonely Island touches is golden. You can bet your ass it'll be both hilarious and catchy. This is no exception. Kenya and I have been busting up laughing and repeating the lyrics repeatedly for the last two days. We even joked about dressing up as a "creep" for Halloween. What baffles me is Minaj's ability to be both "creepy" and adorable and fun-loving while playing this character. I also can't forget to mention the genius idea of giving John Waters (creator of Hairspray and Crybaby) a cameo in both the beginning and end of the video. His presence topped it all off. I enjoyed her appearance on SNL, she stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. Cheers to my newfound respect of Ms. Minaj.
Check out the SNL short "The Creep":
Ahhh I'm so addicted to this song!
xoxo,
Tia
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