You may refer to her as the self-proclaimed “female weezy” but to most, Onika Tanya Maraj is best known as Nicki Minaj. From her zany, vibrant outfits to her multiple alter egos, it is safe to say Nicki Minaj is pretty unique. But what is it exactly about this hip hop princess that draws girl to her?
She is an actress. It is no secret that Nicki Minaj is an unconventional performer. With her background in theater, she takes on different roles for her audience. From Roman to Barbie to Martha to Rosa, it is almost hard to keep up with her ever-changing characters. But that is exactly what makes Minaj so interesting. She isn’t just an artist singing songs on stage, she is an actress who plays parts and acts out a storyline for us, her fans. What other rapper have we seen in the past that does anything close to that? But I am not saying that there weren’t other famous female rappers before Minaj. Yes, Lil Kim and Missy Elliot had their time to shine and did pave the way for artists like Minaj to come into the forefront. At the same time, however, these rappers haven’t come close to what Minaj has done not only musically, but also theatrically and aesthetically.
Her outfits are crazy and we love it. Nicki Minaj is definitely not one to hold back with her lyrics, so why would she hold back with her appearance? Her constantly changing wigs and wacky, brightly colored ensembles grab us into her world and makes us wonder, “how did we live without her for so long?”. Whether she dyes her wig a different neon color, sticks the heads of Care Bears onto her dress, or wears a pink spray painted chicken leg necklace, Nicki Minaj does not fall short of out of the box with her outfits. She is definitely a celebrity who people are eager to watch for on the red carpet just to see what she will come up with next. Although I’m sure not many of us would dare to go out in broad daylight dressed like Nicki Minaj, we as girls are nonetheless captivated and inspired by the imagination her outfits evoke. With her as a role model, girls are encouraged to break out of their shells, maybe even try something different with their wardrobes. Young women will be more inclined to take those chances and not be afraid to be individuals. Look what happened with Minaj- she dared to be different and I’d say it worked out pretty well!
We like what she stands for. By getting signed with Young Money Entertainment, Nicki Minaj proved she wasn’t just good, but that she was good enough to hang with the best of them (and by best of them I mean Lil Wayne and Drake). I think it could be agreed that males have, for the most part, dominated the rapping game in the past. This makes it not only rare for Minaj to have made it to the top, but for her to have stayed there. Because of this, she stands for perseverance and is walking proof of what one can achieve despite all odds.
Today, millions of girls look up to Nicki Minaj perhaps because they aren’t used to having someone like this in the entertainment biz before. With Minaj’s confidence and girl power philosophy, who wouldn’t strive to be like her? She embodies the woman that girls want to be like in this day and age – strong, independent, and unfazed by criticism. I think, somewhere inside, we all have that piece of us that longs to be even half as gutsy as her. For that reason, she sings for all girls who haven’t found their voice yet. I guess Nicki Minaj said it best with her Fly lyrics, “I am not fly, I am levitation, I represent an entire generation.”