Blogged by: @_cierra.jones⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After falling out 12 years ago, Grammy-nominated rapper Nicki Minaj sat down and spoke with former manager, Big Fendi, on the premiering episode of his podcast, Big Fendi Podcast.
During their conversation, the topic of colorism came about after Fendi referenced the effect Nicki’s career success had on “brown-skinned rap chicks.”
“You set a bar for brown-skinned chicks […] cause a lotta chicks at that time was like, ‘Oh wow, well, Nicki poppin’ right now,” Big Fendi mentioned. “I gotta be at least trying to catch up to look like her somewhat.”
Somewhat surprised by his remarks, Nicki agreed that colorism was an issue within the rap industry but eluded to the fact that colorism is an issue in every industry.
“Dark-skinned and brown-skinned women have to work harder in any field,” the rapper stated.
She continued:
“Just like how I feel being a Black woman, you know, if a white woman and me was going into the same job at Wall Street, I feel like I wouldn’t get the job off the rip just because of me being Black, unless I was double and triple times smarter than her, and double and triple times better than her.”
Though the 37-year-old rapper acknowledged what is happening in the world regarding colorism, she believes her talent is the reason for her success, as opposed to her skin color.
“It’s me, so I don’t feel like my complexion is the reason why I made it, but I also try not to be blind or play dumb to what’s really happening in the world,” Nicki states.
She continued:
“I feel like, now, it’s changing. I feel like a lot of people are making it their business to be like ‘melanin’- that trend is very much happening right now, which I love.”
Nicki Minaj is currently working on her own label, looking for talent.
“Female rap, male rap, female singer, male singer, everybody,” Nicki listed.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Listen to the rest of their conversation, below.
