YES! It is that time once again, where I – illseed – offer up my
person of the year.
By this time, you have already read the headline and know that that person is none other than Nicki Minaj! (CHEERS!)
Yes, Nick Minaj. Ms. Minaj joins the ranks of Rick Ross, MC Hammer, Will Smith, and others as the elite few that I personally bestow as the person of the year.
I am sure there are a number of you that want to know why, because a
lot of you hate Ms. Minaj. Well, I don’t. That chick bad. Badder than
yers.
Nicki is the person of the year, because she managed to overcome every
obstacle imaginable to rise to the tippy top of the rap game. Now, a
decade or more ago this notion would not have been so far-fetched.
Hip-Hop has always had an affinity for the underdog, but should Nicki
have to get shot nine times for her achievements to be recognized? I
think not. A nation of haters can be worse than nine bullets in this
climate.
Haters couldn’t stop Nicki and she flipped it on the ocean of
detractors. There has been a groundswell of rumors surrounding her
ascension, but by the time her CD came it, everything had changed. She
didn’t rely on sex to sell, despite her highly suggestive name. Sure
she oozed sensuality, but her debut Pink Friday didn’t follow Lil Kim
no matter how her arch nemesis claims her style was stolen.
Nicki was kooky, crazy and creative…just how like like people.
Pink Friday was an album that was decidedly geared towards women (and
gays), make no mistake about that. And they loved them some Nicki so much they turned the word “stan” into a term of endearment (barbz). So, I and other men were
all-but-excluded in the making, marketing and promotion of the album. I get
it. We don’t buy albums and Nicki knows her base. Her feature
appearances were crazy and her profile went through the stratosphere,
into the stars. I still give Nickster this honor, based on her story.
That story is of a woman that came into her own, against every odd
imaginable to do the unthinkable in an era of Hip-Hop that seem
allergic to women. That’s right. Some of you act allergic to the female species! And, while we men were not the targets for the album called Pink Friday,
every feature appearance, like “Monster” seemed to out for the guy’s
respect…but the album was for the ladies. Fair enough.
Hey, as far as I’m concerned she got respect and she got this…Illseed’s
Person of the Year.
