The lyrical genius of Nicki Minaj
By Jessica Berget, Staff Writer
Nicki Minaj, Onika Tanya Maraj, Queen Nicki—this iconic female artist has many names. But when it comes to her gritty, exciting lyrics and intricate word play, there is only one thing you can call her: a lyrical genius.
“I got ’em scared, shook, panickin’.” Nicki came into the rap/hip-hop scene as a force to be reckoned with. Following the commercial success of her first album Pink Friday in 2010, Minaj has been working non-stop, producing memorable verses, incredible singles, and even two more highly successful albums Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and The Pinkprint. Her albums and songs have been acclaimed by fans, critics, and even fellow musicians.
“I’m the best bitch doing it,” she boasts in the album opener to Pink Friday, and she’s not wrong. Other music legends like Beyoncé and Kanye West have commended Minaj on her talent as an artist and her impressive lyricism. “Even Queen Bey had to tell them I’m the queen.” Kanye West went so far as to call her verse in his song “Monster” “the best hip-hop verse of all time.” He even considered cutting it out of his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy because he thought it would overshadow the entire album. He was right.
Nicki’s verse in “Monster” is still fondly remembered as the best part of the album, and for good reason. Her lyrics are intense, they command the attention of the listener, and the passion with which she sings them makes it almost ceremonial.
“And I’m all up in the bank with the funny face/and if I’m fake I ain’t notice cause my money ain’t/let me get this straight wait I’m the rookie/but my features and my shows 10 times your pay?/50k for a verse no album out!/yeah my money’s so tall that my Barbie’s gotta climb it.” If you are not screaming the rest of the lyrics in your head right now, you probably just don’t know the words, though you should. Her lyrics are clever, edgy, incredibly catchy, and coupled with her classic AABB rhyming style it’s almost impossible not to get them stuck in your head. No other rapper has been able to scratch the surface of the greatness that is this verse. This is what we live for; she’s a motherfuckin’ monster.
Minaj’s lyrics are empowering. It is rare that a woman sings with such confidence in herself and her talents. “I got bars, sentencing/I’m a bad bitch, I’m a cunt/and I’ll kick that hoe, punt/forced trauma, blunt/you play the back, bitch, I’m in the front.” The determination with which she recites her lyrics inspires confidence in any person who listens to them, and dismantles the self-esteem issues of every woman by teaching them that being a bitch can be a positive attribute and by telling them not to worry about what other people think of them. It’s a message the women of this generation need to hear.
“I employ these n–/they be grown men but I little-boy these n–/want the cookie, so I gotta Chips Ahoy these n–/but I never iPhone, Android these n–/use rubbers with ’em, I don’t never raw these n–.” In an industry that is so male-dominated as the rap industry, it is refreshing to hear a woman unapologetically sing about her sexual agency and bodily autonomy. She praises the “cookie” in her songs with such liberation it sounds less like a euphemism for a woman’s body part than it does a metaphor for female empowerment. In her songs she repeatedly voices her support for all the “boss-ass bitches” and even encourages safe sex, a lesson well worth teaching.
“Should’ve sent a thank-you note you little hoe/now I’m a wrap your coffin with a bow.” Whether it be a whole album, a song, or even a verse, Nicki dominates every time, which is why she will go down in rap music history. It’s been only two years since her last album came out, and anyone who is a fan of rap or Nicki Minaj eagerly awaits the announcement of her new album, and any of the songs she will release in the future. Love her or hate her, she is a female rap legend, and she is not one to be underestimated.