VMAs: Why Nicki was Right, and Miley was Wrong

The 2015 Video Music Awards was one filled with some of the most interesting, controversial moments and outfits. One of the more memorable moments—besides Kanye West’s oddly liberating acceptance speech for the Video Vanguard Award—had to have been the little tiff that occurred between Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj that Sunday night.

Nicki received the award for “Best Hip-Hop Video”.

During her acceptance speech, Nicki quickly acknowledged the audience and fans who were watching and thanked her pastor before moving on to address Miley Cyrus, the host of the 2015 VMAs. Check out the clip below.

“Back to… this b***h who had a lot to say about me in the press the other day. Miley, what’s good?” said Minaj.

The reason for the fall out? Just a few days before Miley was set to take the stage at the VMAs, she was asked about the beef between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. A feud that seemingly started over VMA nominations for “Video of the Year” but the issue goes deeper than that.

Nicki’s comments were directed more towards MTV than Taylor herself. As she stated not too long ago in her Twitter “rant,”, “When the ‘other’ girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture, they get that nomination.”

So, Minaj was upset that she was omitted from the Video of the Year nominations, but rightfully so. The first 11 “Video of the Year” awards were won by white people, according to an article from The Fader. Of the 31 Video of the Year awards given out, only eight have been given to black artists. 

Swift eventually apologized for thinking the tweets were about her, but she isn’t the only person who completely “missed the point”.

Miley Cyrus, who sat down with the New York Times for an interview at first stated that she wasn’t following the beef between Minaj and Swift; but then proceeded to give her two cents on the matter anyway. Cyrus says that if Minaj stated her opinions “with love” and an “open heart” that she could have respected her statements more, but she couldn’t “because of the anger that came with it.” She continues to suggest that Minaj should have been kinder when presenting her frustrations with MTV and that if she had, then maybe her concerns would have been received better.

Cyrus ends the conversation on the feud by saying “I know you can make it seem like, ‘Oh I don’t understand because I’m a white pop star.’ I know the statistics. I know what’s going on in the world. But to be honest, I don’t think MTV did that on purpose.”

But does Miley really understand? Miley paraded around the VMA stage with faux dreads and used the racially charged term “mammy” in her skit with Snoop Dogg? She’s trying to give someone advice on an appropriate way to voice their concerns on racial discrimination?

Cyrus’ advice to Minaj was laughable at best, considering she is one of the main artists who benefits from the system that Minaj was referring to on Twitter. While it’s debatable whether Minaj’s on-stage confrontation was the best place to address Miley, her anger towards Cyrus and her interview comments are not.

Cyrus was just one of many stars and critics who were “tone-policing” Minaj’s Twitter comments, trying to tell Minaj that if she wants people to respect her opinion on discrimination then she has to say things nicely. But minorities in this country have fought too hard, for Nicki and Miley alike, to have to check her tone before she speaks up about an issue of grave importance. She deserved the chance to speak without people jumping on her for being “angry”. Anyone who is conscious and has been aware of the social issues that are plaguing our society today can understand Minaj’s anger and realize that sometimes being nice won’t get people to listen.

Nicki Minaj’s courage and frustration should serve as a lesson to women and minorities around the world. She showed that it’s okay to be human and get upset. It’s okay to stand up for what you believe in. Even if you don’t have the most popular opinion, you make sure your voice is heard anyway. 

• Miley Cyrus
• nicki minaj
• race
• VMAs