Nicki Minaj: Tribalism in The Music Industry

    Nicki Minaj, born Onika Tanya Maraj is a Trinidadian-American rapper, singer, and songwriter who has made a notorious name for herself in the music industry. Starting off, Nicki gained widespread recognition with her mixtapes in the late 2000s, displaying her versatile and distinctive style. Nicki's breakthrough came with her debut album "Pink Friday" in 2010, which spawned hit singles like "Super Bass" and "Starships." Known for her animated delivery, unique personas, and colorful fashion sense, Nicki has become one of the most influential and successful female artists in hip-hop. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous awards, including multiple MTV Music Awards and BET Awards, solidifying her status as a global icon in the music industry. More recently, Nicki has released her newest album Pink Friday 2, combining some new Nicki hits with exciting collaborations. Nicki has continued to expand her name and brand through the film industry, serving as a judge on "American Idol," and through various philanthropy involvements.

    The creative process of Nicki Minaj is anything but ordinary, relying on a mix of versatility and bold innovation. Known for her iconic personas and styles, Nicki often draws inspiration from her own life experiences, bringing fans into her own reality. This is extremely evident when one observes the intimate relationship Minaj has with her followers. Often referred to as “Barbz”, referencing one of Nicki’s personas (Harajuku Barbie), fans of Nicki are undeniably loyal, at times even going to extents that can be extreme to show their support. Her lyricism is marked by clever wordplay, unfiltered verses, and a fearless approach to addressing both personal and social issues. Nicki has a hands-on approach to her music, actively participating in the production and direction of her projects. A recent interview with Vogue gives fans a deeper look into Nicki’s creative process, showing off her at home studio where she does much of her work.

    Recently, Nicki Minaj has been under fire for events related to a conflict between herself and fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Megan, like Nicki, has a solid fan base and has risen to fame through hard work, determination, and grit. Megan’s brand took off with the release of "Hot Girl Summer" in 2019 and the release of her EP "Fever". Megan's authenticity and stage presence have since earned her widespread acclaim and numerous accolades, placing her amongst rappers like Minaj in the music industry.

    In early 2024, Megan released a song titled “Hiss”, calling out anyone who uses her name as a shortcut to gain fame or recognition. Megan compares herself to an irritated snake, simply hissing at those who attempt to pester her. This “warning shot” so to say was not necessarily directed at anyone in particular, however, a number of “Hiss” lyrics appear to reference Minaj. Specifically, fans claim that a certain line seems to be pointed at Minaj’s immediate family: “These h--s don’t be mad at Megan, these h--s mad at Megan’s Law.”

“Megan’s Law” references a federal law that requires the police to disclose public records of  convicted and registered sex offenders. Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, is a registered sex offender as of 1995, and more recently was put on probation in 2022 for failing to register as an offender in California. Although at first glance these speculations may seem nothing more than just that, the situation escalated quickly.

    Within 3 days, Minaj released her response track titled “Big Foot”, referencing an unfortunate event in 2020 in which Megan was assaulted and shot in the foot. Nicki’s track makes several digs at anyone who tries to come for her, but specifically addresses secrets regarding Megan's (deceased as of 2019) mother, Holly Thomas. The last minute of the song is adlib from Nicki threatening anyone who dares cross her, promising to specifically leak information on Megan in the event that this goes on any further. This back and forth continued to escalate within the two fandom’s, each defending their respective idols violently. It reached its peak when supposedly a group of Barbz leaked the location of Megan’s mother’s grave, threatening to vandalize the memorial site. Active security still stands guarding the grave.

    All of this goes to say that the two fandoms take this back and forth very seriously. Both sides appear to be willing to go above and beyond, resorting to tribalist behaviors and closing ranks. Rather than disassociating with these issues which have nothing to do with the fandom, they double down to protect their idol. In The Creative Spark by Agustín Fuentes, tribalist behavior and hierarchical systems are broken down into patterns of respect and recognition that require immense amounts of creativity and conceptual processing. Even in the digital age where socialization has changed drastically, many of these behaviors are still very prevalent, and in some cases appear to be amplified. In the case of this Megan/Nicki drama, fans appear to be using whatever means necessary to hurt the opposing side. Although there is no actual tangible relationship between fan and idol, followers of the stars continue to go above and beyond to show their support. Fuentes explains how creativity is used to determine one’s place in a hierarchy. Different techniques must be used to help one determine their rank in the pecking order. At the same time, an individual needs to prioritize their own safety. The solution to this is utilizing creative measures to do both. Fuentes in the early chapters focuses on modern chimps and follows how they determine who is in charge. He focuses on how leadership can change, and hierarchies are not stagnant or unyielding, and creative techniques can lead to this upward/downward mobility. In the case of the celebrity drama, fans use brutal but creative methods in order to level the playing field and show their support. It is deep in our own nature to defend our own. Even in the modern age, we are really no different than our primal ancestors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrN3Dx3EBVI

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/01/29/nicki-minaj-megan-thee-stallion-hiss/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicki-Minaj

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/megan-thee-stallion-s-mom-s-houston-gravesite-18639565.php