Nicki Minaj Speaks Out on Iggy Azalea, Women in Hip-Hop
Nicki Minaj is setting the record straight following comments she made at the BET Awards. Young Money’s First Lady took to Twitter to respond to the controversy, while providing encouragement to female rappers.
“When you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it. No shade,” she said while accepting the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at Sunday’s show.
Some interpreted it as a jab at her peers in the category including Iggy Azalea. But Nicki defended herself.
“The media puts words in my mouth all the time and this is no different. I will always take a stance on women writing b/c I believe in us!” she tweeted. “I believe we’re smart enough to write down our own thoughts and perspective, just like the men do. I’ve been saying this for 5 YEARS.”
She paid homage to the rappers-songwriters before her including Lauryn Hill.
“I fell in love with Lauryn Hill b/c I knew she was the author behind those amazingly profound and articulated songs on the MisEducation,” she said. “I wondered how Lauryn tapped into my brain and wrote an album on love, betrayal, passion, pain, triumph, brokenness…. Did she read minds?”
She also acknowledged Missy Elliott. “It’s the same reason I have a different level of respect for Missy. I know she’s a writer and a producer. Women MUST aspire for more.”
As for Iggy, Nicki once again shared her support for the “Fancy” rapper. “I’ve congratulated Iggy on the success of Fancy, publicly. She should be very proud of that. All the women nominated should b proud,” she said. “That will never change my desire to motivate women to write. Our voices have to be heard. I hope I inspire up & coming females to do that.”
She hopes her upcoming album The Pink Print will serve as a blueprint for other female MCs. “I want female rappers to be able to pattern themselves with what I’ve done one day,” she said. “I think the album is so classic. It’s gonna feel so good and I think it will probably be something that female rappers look to as a Pink Print for years to come.”
In addition to her own album, Nicki has collaborated on a remix to Rae Sremmurd’s “No Flex Zone” and a song for Wiz Khalifa’s upcoming album Blacc Hollywood.
UPDATE: Iggy Azalea has addressed the “explosion of pettiness” in an open letter on Instagram.
“Generally speaking I’m unbothered by anything that ‘happened’ at the BET Awards and just feel worn out by everyone trying to make me have wars with people all the time,” she said, adding, “Just let it go.”
