Nicki Minaj Apologizes for Nazi-Themed 'Only' Lyric Video
Nicki Minaj is apologizing after coming under fire for her “Only” lyric video.
Upon its release on Friday, the animated clip featuring Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown sparked controversy for its Nazi-like imagery. The visuals are reminiscent of Nazi propaganda films and portray Nicki as a military dictator surrounded by red swastika-like banners much like those used by the Nazi Party during World War II. There is heavy military imagery and soldiers are shown wearing red armbands like those worn by the Nazis.
On Monday, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released a statement denouncing the video and its “deeply disturbing” imagery.
“Nicki Minaj’s new video disturbingly evokes Third Reich propaganda and constitutes a new low for pop culture’s exploitation of Nazi symbolism,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor. “This video is insensitive to Holocaust survivors and a trivialization of the history of that era. The abuse of Nazi imagery is deeply disturbing and offensive to Jews and all those who can recall the sacrifices Americans and many others had to make as a result of Hitler’s Nazi juggernaut.”
But Nicki claims it was not her intention to offend and issued an apology on Twitter. She says the director of the video, Jeff Osborne, was influenced by the Adult Swim show “Metalocalypse” and Frank Miller’s neo-noir comic “Sin City.” She also adds that the producer of the lyric video and the person overseeing it, her videographer Grizz Lee, are both Jewish.
The artist who made the lyric video for “Only” was influenced by a cartoon on Cartoon Network called "Metalocalypse" & Sin City.
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) November 11, 2014
Both the producer, & person in charge of over seeing the lyric video (one of my best friends & videographer: A. Loucas), happen to be Jewish
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) November 11, 2014
I didn't come up w/the concept, but I'm very sorry & take full responsibility if it has offended anyone. I'd never condone Nazism in my art.
— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) November 11, 2014
This is not the first time Nicki has stirred controversy with her art. She was criticized for using an image of Malcolm X on the cover of her single “Lookin Ass Ni**a.” Following the backlash, Nicki apologized to the Malcolm X estate, claiming the artwork was never official and that she did not intend to undermine Malcolm X’s legacy.