The Absolute Necessity of Nicki Minaj
The world's biggest rap superstar, Nicki Minaj, is on the cover of the New York Times Magazine with an in-depth profile written by Vanessa Grigoriadis. In it, Grigoriadis attempts to unpack what makes Minaj tick by setting the story into the not-too-distant past. Instead of a getting an overarching sense of who Nicki is, we're given an episodic glimpse.
It's a stylistic choice, one that works well with certain celebrities, but not necessarily with Minaj. It's a structural disconnect that feeds into the final scene of the article, one where Nicki ends the interview before Grigoriadis can get a word in edgewise. When referencing Drake's very public beef with Minaj's boyfriend Meek Mill and label boss/friend Lil Wayne's lawsuit with Cash Money Records co-CEO Birdman, Grigoriadis asks Minaj, "Is there a part of you that thrives on drama, or is it no, just pain and unpleasantness—" and is immediately cut off.
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