By Hardcore Critic
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
As she prepares for the release of her sophomore album, Nicki Minaj has greatly evolved from the flamespitter on the Queens hip hop scene. Nicki Minaj dominated the mixtape scene in her years before joining Young Money. During her mixtape run, she even collaborated with Lil Wayne. This collaboration, along with Nicki Minaj’s rising buzz, led to her signing with Young Money.
Since joining the camp, Nicki Minaj has gotten off to an impressive start to her still-growing career. On the outside looking in, many compared Nicki Minaj to Lil’ Kim, the source of their feud. However, those who truly took a deeper look at Nicki Minaj saw her music knows no genre and her style is one, all of its own. While she is primarily known as a rapper, Nicki Minaj is also a skilled singer and is one of the brightest personalities in the media.
In a little over a year, Nicki Minaj has accomplished more than what most artists do in their entire career. After breaking several longstanding records in rap, with one album, Nicki Minaj is trying different things on her sophomore effort. During the time between albums, Nicki Minaj has recorded with the likes of Britney Spears and Madonna. Now, longtime Nicki Minaj fans and overall critics are upset with her, labeling her a sellout. While Nicki Minaj’s style has drastically changed over the years, growth is a part of every career, if an artist is fortunate enough to last long enough.
Nicki Minaj has a chance to become a pop icon and she will do so with or without the support of the urban market. Already, Nicki has won over the mainstream audience. When growing up the way Nicki Minaj did, the goal is to grow up and become successful and she has done this. Everyone who grows up less fortunate has dreams of becoming extremely wealthy and famous. Some choose to pursue sports, while others pursue entertainment. To go from being a street rapper to becoming a pop culture icon is incredible and Nicki Minaj needs support and praise, as opposed to criticism.
