Good day folks. I am the Man in the Moon (no relation). I will be a part-time contributor to Cleo’s cause of bringing sunshine to your everyday. She’s shining some of her light on me, so that I may shine some light on you. . . .cause isn’t that how the moon works anyway?
My first post will be about one of my favorite topics: Hip-hop. I love music, but hip-hop speaks to my soul. It’s in my heart. I love H.E.R. She lives in my lap. . .
That’s why I get upset when I see talent wasted. Not everyone can rap. It’s a combination being able to say the right thing, the right way, at the right time, to the right rhythm. . . .to the left, to the left. . . .
Case in point: Nikki Minaj
Raw talent like this comes along once in a blue, but in a female who gets exposure: priceless. She can flow with the best of ‘em and piques my interest . . . plus, she doesn’t look like Grace Jones.
The problem is she’s a gimmick. Everything about her persona (now) is an elaborate front. Research her on YouTube and see that she used to be a straight-forward rapper. Raw talent. Kashi. . .
It’s disappointing because people still haven’t learned that rappers worth their weight in the CO2 that they emit don’t do gimmicks. Costumes are not necessary. Weird inflections and goofy faces are not needed to be a legend. Just be yourself.
Just a few modern examples of rappers who have left their mark without being a cartoon character: Fabolous, T.I., Kanye West (although he’s an a$$, he is himself at all times), DMX (he’s just effin crazy).
For females, I understand it’s hard to make it in a male dominated realm, but there are women who held their own without the mask: MC Lyte, Missy, Eve, Trina, Foxy, Lil’ Kim. Each of them seemed so genuine. Trina is about her paper, Kim is . . . loose, Eve is a tom-boy, Missy is strange, Lyte was a girl from the hood just trying to get out, telling her story to whoever would listen, and Foxy was def even before the hearing problem.
WHAT? OK!!!!!
It just seems to me that 18 months from now, people will still be rockin out to her stuff, but only if it comes on the radio. She’ll get no burn, No smoking sign.
To her credit, in an interview with Fadar Magazine, she says:
“I think it’s … important that people get accustomed to seeing a female rapper again,” Minaj says. “Before I drop an album, people need to come out and see. People don’t even know what a female rapper does. We’re so not used to seeing it. It’s nonexistent in categories. I don’t know where I fit in the spectrum of rap yet; I think now I’m kind of proving myself, but before, people thought I was more of a sex symbol or wannabe sex symbol. That’s why I make the goofiest faces; I don’t want people to think I’m up here trying to be cute. I’m trying to entertain, and entertaining is more than exuding sex appeal. I don’t think that’s fun. I don’t find it fun watching someone trying to be sexy. It’s wack. I’m trying to just show my true personality, and I think that means more than anything else. I think when personality is at the forefront, it’s not about male or female, it’s just about, ‘Who is this weird character?'”
Ok, so she’s a goof ball, admittedly. . . But a Barbie though? You don’t want to exude sex, but you walk around naked and accentuate your, umm, assets. . . and boobs. So you’re entire style is a contradiction? In your old stuff, you were a borderline lesbian with an ill flow, nothing remotely goof troop about you. So which one is the real you? If this is you now, please lie to me and take off the wig. . .
If you keep this up Nikki, you will fall the way of Stagga Lee and D4L; it’s not that no one knows where they are now, it’s just that no one cares. . . .
If Nicki was still like that, I’d probably be a fan.
You are 100% right, she’s a clown and I think she’s wack for that. If you want to have a long lasting career in this game you have to be more than just a gimmick…you have to have substance. And personally, I think you need to be as genuine as you possibly can. Unfortunately, I do not think rappers are genuine enough. But hey, I guess that’s just the way the game is.
This bitch is trash. She sets female rappers back…… forever. I don’t even know how many years back. Remy need to get out and they go back for laying that bitch down. What the fuck the video post at the top is shit. If she goes to bk she should be merked. She is ass Young money is ass. They all do some shit to they voice one way or another and there all fucking retarded. She is a legend. If you ask me she put the final nail in the fucking Hip Hop coffin. I think if you really love hip hop you should boycott the whole Young Money. Jay Mills sold he’s soul for a buck and some air time. Wayne says obvious shit and people go crazy. He’s trash like a garbage bag. See that sounds dumb but if he said it the sheep would go ape shit. And how gives a shit about the rest of them. Drake is nice but he’s slowly adding that young Money spin his voice and it’s starting to get annoying. This bitch or rather all these bitches are TRASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
I agree with Pissed Off, I think Nicki would have been so much better had she not been signed to Young Money. They are the worst!!!! I say worst because they have blind followers, all their flows are similar, and their rhymes are so basic. For every hot line that Wayne spits, he drops 100 simple basic lines that people swoon for.
Evie, I think the genuine rappers are the ones NOT getting the air time. I firmly believe that good music isn’t heard on the radio. You always have to search for the good stuff.
@pissed off
Damn. . . Tell me how you really feel. . .
The fact is that she was tight before she became a gimmick. To Cleo’s point, as soon as she signed to YM, she became Barbie and gave up any substance she had for the green. . .
@Cleo
Weezy drops some of the simplest lines in the world because the basic hip-hop fan doesn’t like to think. . . Dumb it down, sell the record, period.
At this point, it will never change, cause people aren’t looking for longevity, just a few mill to put under the mattress. It’s sad, but that’s where it is right now.
We can change it, but this is where it starts. . . .
I am not a fan of Nikki Minaj at all!!! I think her lyrics and this bullshit barbie slut persona that she’s developed are pathetic. I’m not defending her at all but she’s here and others like her will come up because this is the direction that hip hop has taken. Say what u want to say about the bitch but she is playing the game. the days of hip hop meaning something and having substance are long gone. any chic with a fat ass who is willing to spread her legs and lick a lollipop and say words that rhyme can get on now. that’s the game. everytime i hear her i think to myself do people like mc lyte, queen latifah, shit even foxy and kim hear this crap and what do they think? i feel like she shits on the progress women have made in rap. as long as the sheep continue to buy, listen and follow we will be subjected to more of this shit.
I swear I’d never even heard of a Nicki Minaj before twitter and this debate of butt pads…that may have contributed to my “side eye” view of her. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a huge fan of rap. I like what I like (Ye, Cudi, Kast, Mob, old and v.new T.I.) but blanket fan? No. This chick with the “barbie” selling point angers me because its like if you’re not like that why is that the way to sell yourself? I don’t wanna delve into my “black people and in particular black women in media” ocean but I’ll just quietly continue giving her side-eye and judging those who praise her.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Submit =-.
See here is my whole ordeal about this Nikki Minaj wave. I can respect the fact that she is in the game to make money and do business, but i honestly feel like she isnt any different from female rappers post the foxy brown and lil kim wave. Every female rapper from that moment on felt the need to become sex symbols in order to sell records. There are artist who have real talent and can do some real damage on the mic but get no burn in the industry because they are not playing “nice”. I’ve heard that she has gone as far as getting breast implants and butt injections to enhance her body even more to sell records. But the crazy part about it is that she may have gotten a deal with young money but I can only imagine the things she had to do to get there. Now the reason why I’m saying so is because there is a video on youtube (cant recall the name at this moment) of lil wayne introducing the young money team. Now the way in which he introduces Nikki Minaj is a toooootttalllly different context of which he introduced another female artist/businesswoman. He kept interupting her with sexual moans while she was trying to say her peace on what she was about as a prospective rap artist. But then again if she’s content with this lifestyle then we all have to remember that its her life. But selling out to me would not be the best choice UNLESSS you plan on making a quick transition back to the norm once your in there. We have to realize that at the end of the day BUSINESS IS NOTFRIENLY!!! Nikki Minaj does not give a middle finger up about us. At the same time the message that she is delivering is not a good look on our youths. Some may argue that she has to be a role module, others may say that it starts in the home and its not these artists responsibility to “raise” millions of viewers into the write path. Point well taken. I just think that she’s just trying to do her and make money at her own expense. I would never do it, but thats just how I was brought up. Nothing personal just a bussiness move.