How the Music Industry Changes Artists’ Authenticity

It seems over the course of time, it becomes difficult for our favorite artists to stay true to their original form. Who’s to say its the weight of the industry or the ever-so-popular cult group “The Illuminati,” but there are many considerable changes that stick out to fans like a sore thumb. Using Oneika ‘Nicki Minaj’ Miraj as a looking glass, it may be easy to gauge just how much fame can change you.

Nicki Minaj

At the start of her career, Nicki Minaj stood out to fans as the spunky yet gutter rapper straight out of Queens, NY. Much buzz developed after seeing multiple videos of her rap battles go viral; her rhymes took you on a rollercoaster of lyrical euphemisms and analogies accompanied by a sassy and flirtatious tone. During her rise to fame, fans anxiously contemplated what character she would unveil next, accompanied by crazy, themed costumes and hair designs you wouldn’t believe - her desire to stand apart from other artists gave this female emcee a chance at greatness. Surprisingly, at her hiatus she decided to drop the act, and vowed to a life of normalcy. But was this a personal choice or a power move motivated by a need to keep relevant?

Appearance

Whether we want to admit it or not, an artist's appearance is imperative to their success. This idea dates back as early as songstress Martha Wash, who was replaced in the 1991 music video “Gonna Make You Sweat” for being overweight; her slender replacement Zelma Davis enjoyed the spotlight as she went through a legal battle for proper credit. With Nicki, she has undergone so many body modifications, that the attention has been solely on her wardrobe and ass-ets instead of her talent. Then again, its hard to fully trust someone who says they’re the realest in the game but has had more work done than a Ken doll; maybe that’s why she proclaims herself to be a Barbie. It also appears that she’s done something to her skin, because she is a few shades lighter than when she first started her career. I remember a music artist stating “light skin is the right skin,” so the culmination of industry pressure and competition could have aided in her change in physical appearance.

Her cut-throat bars allowed her to compete with big names in the industry; her male counterparts labeled her as a threat to all current standing female MC’s and she prestigiously wore the crown. Now, fans have felt obligated to point out the fact that Nicki has been “biting” the true Queen of Hip-Hop, Lil Kim. From wardrobe down to coincidentally similar lyrics, it seems Minaj began to lose herself within the tug-of-war of needing to stay relevant and original. In the video above, we find evidence that Nicki may have borrowed some of Kim’s punchlines and looks seeing as Lil Kim started in the industry when no one knew who Oneika was. Take a listen.

Commercialization

Nevertheless, my biggest pet peeve is people trying to be something they are not. In the music industry, it is understood that in order for you to be successful you must explore multiple genres of music to reach a larger audience. Yet, it becomes confusing when you call yourself a queen of hip-hop, but are incapable of withholding the roles that come with the culture. Yes, I say culture because hip-hop isn’t a genre, its a lifestyle, speaking about experiences through style, attitude, and rhythm. When Minaj started her career, her rhymes spoke of a time of poverty, heartbreak, and determination. With lyrics such as “playtime is over when I spit bars on mixtapes,” and “I make it hard for these chicks to breathe,” fans could always count on this Barbie to give competitors a run for their money. Recently, it seems her music is more commercialized with long, drawn out lyrics without any meaning, like her feature on Big Sean’s Dance (A**) Remix. More recently, she delivered an unsatisfying comeback to rival Remy Ma’s diss record. This hip-hop beef left many fans upset that her reply was not more raw and required the accompaniment of Cash Money Record brothers Drake and Lil’ Wayne.

It’s hard to say why these changes take place, and when in the spotlight, you want to work hard to maintain popularity - but at what cost?