Although Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have been pinned against each other in the media, their success should be seen as a positive step forward for women in the rap/hip-hop industry.
The 25-year-old Bronx rapper Cardi B has taken the rap game by storm and has been deemed the new and upcoming “Queen of Rap” on social media and music platforms.
This has sparked tension between the self-proclaimed “Queen of Rap,” Nicki Minaj and Cardi B due to them occupying the same niche of the music industry. While they both claim there is no beef, recent interviews and songs are making fans speculate.
Women in Hollywood are constantly being compared and Cardi B and Nicki Minaj are no exception. They have similar looks, styles of music and sassy attitudes that attract the same audiences and fans.
Both artists were recently nominated for the Top Female Rap Artist award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, along with Bhad Bhabie.
The huge success of Cardi B’s album “Invasion of Privacy,” along with her multiple singles and features on hit songs, has dominated the Billboard’s Hot 100 for weeks.
According to Billboard, Cardi B just broke Beyonce’s previous record of having the most songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 list at one time. Cardi B currently has all 13 songs on her album on the list, along with her feature on Bruno Mars’ song “Finesse.”
Both female rappers were featured on “Motorsport” by Migos, which sparked more controversy due to Cardi B claiming she never heard Nicki’s verse.
In her first interview of 2018, Nicki Minaj spoke candidly with Zane Lowe on his Apple Music Beats 1 radio show about her feelings and her upcoming album.
She was reduced to tears and admitted she felt ambushed by Cardi B and Migos after the release of “Motorsport” when she was accused of changing her verse.
“It hurt my feelings to know that people would watch me be slaughtered, and not one person will step in to say the truth,” Minaj said. “They’ll allow people to run with the lie because it is entertaining to make Nicki seem like a bad guy.”
This controversy has only fueled excitement and buzz for the upcoming release of Nicki Minaj’s album and how it will compare to Cardi’s.
Nicki teased her fans by releasing two singles on April 12, “Chun-Li” and “Barbie Tingz,” which is the first new music she has put out since her 2014 album “The Pinkprint.”
Fans believe that some lines in “Chun-Li” are a direct lyrical shot at Cardi B and are a response to the beef about “Motorsport.”
“Oh, I get it, they paintin’ me out to be the bad guy,” Minaj rapped. “Well when’s the last time you see a bad guy do the rap game like me?”
“Chun-Li” has taken the #10 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and is rising. Her second song “Barbie Tingz is not far behind at #25.
Minaj has been keeping her fans in the dark on the release date of her album, but it is expected to be released before the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on May 20.
During the same interview with Lowe, Nicki spoke passionately about her new album and how her perfectionism causes her to constantly rewrite songs.
“The quality of this album is at such an all-time high that if I have do it again, just to make the little final touches on the album, then I’ll do that,” she said. “Because what’s most important is that people get quality music.”
Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are individual artists that strive to give their fans the best music possible. They should be seen as elevating women’s presence in the rap industry.
In the same way there can be multiple male rappers in the game, it should be the same for the female rappers.
By SOFIA CARRASCO
Staff writer
Featured photo: Billboard Music image.