Why Are You Ranking: Most Telling Signs that Nicki Minaj’s Career Is Done, Listed from Stop the Beef to Live That Pop Life

Over the course of more than a decade, Onika Tanya “Nicki Minaj” Maraj has dominated charts, garnered awards, and drew ire from hip hop legends. But in that time, her star has been dimming slowly. Yes, the “Chun-Li” rapper has fallen incrementally. While album sales are still strong, they are not as formidable as her Rap world collaborators and competition alike. As she arrived into the game with a style reminiscent of R&B legend Mildred Virginia “Millie” Jackson, she has painted a self-portrait of an artist in flux. She seems to change herself more than a chameleon. Her saving grace has always been her predilection for being one of the most flamboyant, over-the-top, show women in the game. With four albums and dozens of songs to her credit, Minaj can say that she has had a successful career both critically and commercially. Her outlandish costumes, hair, and cosmetics have been toned down as of this writing. But the hunger and drive seems to have been diminished as well. As one of the best-selling artists of all time, it is clear that Minaj is no slouch. She works and works and continues to perform and endear to her audience. But all of that labor is for naught. Most rappers are fortunate to get one or two albums in and a few songs on the charts and be happy with the financial windfall based on their endeavors. They usually have a window of about two to five years to churn out music like a maiden converting cream into butter. For Minaj, she has had her time in the sunshine. Now, new women of Hip Hop ought to take center stage. So, get your Roman Zolanski RIP memes for Why Are You Ranking: Most Telling Signs that Nicki Minaj’s Career is Done Listed from Stop the Beef to Live that Pop Life.

Minaj in Full Pixie-cut Mode

6. She responded to Safaree on social media about alleged violent altercations.

Instead of just ignoring her former lover, Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to vent some pent up frustrations. Allegations concerning a knife attack surfaced when Safaree Lloyd Samuels claimed that the Queens rapper attacked him. She’s too big for his petty nonsense. She made him look like a master of words on the Twittersphere. Nicki’s money is much longer than his. She could have just dispatched a publicist or a blogger to troll Safaree until his eyes showed red. No, she went on the defensive and counter-attacked him as if he were on her level financially, mentally, or spiritually. Minaj exhibited irrationality in her posts. She was like a powerful businesswoman reducing herself to the province of a waif. Instead of employing restraint and discipline and allowing Safaree to stumble on his own words, she let unreason rule the day. This Twitter confrontation at least remained digital. If Nicki Minaj had confronted Safaree or the opposite happened, then there would be no recourse for whomever would’ve caused the first strike. Finally, Minaj ought to reserve her good name to enhancing and perfecting her rhyming skills. Twitter nonsense is beneath her. It shows a weakness on her behalf to have ever entered into the feud. Someone of her stature should leave the Twitter disputes to adversaries like Reminisce “Remy Ma” and continue to count her tens of millions of dollars.

Rank: Stop the beef.

The Soft Threat

5. Cardi B exists.

Though they share no animosity towards each other (in front of cameras and microphones, anyway) Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar better known as Cardi B has taken the spotlight away from Minaj with aplomb. Cardi B accelerated up the charts and even saw a feature with Minaj on the Migos “Motorsport” (2017). While the two have never displayed public feuding or beef within the Hip Hop sphere, the numbers show it. Cardi B did something that Nicki Minaj has never done: achieve number one status on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This feat allowed for Cardi to knock down the door for 21st century female rappers. As each rhyme spitter clamors for that top position, Cardi B just strolled onto the scene with a similar flair as Minaj. Complete with thousand-dollar-wigs, manicured and polished nails, haute couture designer outfits, and an aggressive delivery on the mic, people started to call Cardi B a Minaj rip-off. Soon, though, with her artistry and raw talent and skill, the distinction between the two MC’s became ever clearer. Minaj has adjusted herself by dispensing with the British accents and the Roman Zolanski business. Now, she’s more focused on her core rapping technique and the continuance of her East Asian inspired lyrics behind “Chun-Li.” While it is not too late for Minaj to have a number one single on the Billboard charts, it cannot be denied that Cardi filled the space left by Lauryn Hill and captured the pole position faster and with more intensity than Minaj. Cardi B just outperformed Nicki Minaj at her own game. The Bronx-born rapper defeated the one time Queens inhabitant by using syncopated rhyming styles, puns, and imagery. Cardi’s never fired a shot at Nicki (so far) and all she has to do to win against her is rap the best.

Rank: Remain cordial.

Nicki Minaj with the 'Gumby'-styled Do

4. The name of the album, 'Queen', is beyond passé.

Throughout the ages, men have fought battles for prized women known as queens. These same queens, along with kings, waged other wars and looted and plundered their wealth to sustain fiefdoms. The claim that blacks and whites particularly share with kingdoms and queendoms is that they are something to be looked up to or emulated. At the same time, bloody battles and dusty slavery typified the meaning of ruling over peons. There is a reverence for royalty as if they earned something through the fact that they allegedly won the womb lottery. In today’s world, the queen is more symbolic than anything else. Minaj is the not the first to declare herself the queen, as rappers like Queen Latifah (Dana Elaine Owens) and Lil’ Kim (Kimberly Denise Jones) the “Queen B” have made manifest. But the irony is that Minaj didn’t choose to name the album The King. (King is already taken by rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris. But that probably wouldn't have stopped her as Eve Jihan Jeffers-Cooper already had an album called Scorpion and Drake used the same name for his compilation.) In her lyrics to her greatest single to date, “Moment for Life” she states that “in this very moment I’m king.” In another track, “Roman’s Revenge,” Miss Minaj compares herself not to Princess Jasmine, but Aladdin. This dichotomy of sexes inherent in Minaj’s work exemplifies her befuddling persona. At one time, she’s a relaxed, reserved vixen. The next moment, she transforms into this garish figure who could pass for a guy. Is she illustrating the duality of the gender roles but subverting the preconceived notions of what masculinity and femininity entail? Or is she just hamming it up for the cameras to try to retain what little shelf life she retains? Whatever her reasons for calling the album Queen they don’t match up with her decision to make it nineteen (!) tracks. If she is Queen, is T.I. still King?

Rank: Consider better titles.

Nicki Minaj salutes her supporters.

3. 'Queen' is too long.

In an era where you have artists like Kanye West influencing other artists with whom he works to limit their albums to just seven songs, Minaj chose the opposite route and vied for a bloated piece of work. Influenced by trap, pop, and R&B beats and melodies, Queen falters on trying to be too many things at one time. Only about the number of projects that Mr. West helmed actually carry this album. “Barbie Dreams” where Minaj channels the late Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace addresses the sexcapades with established artists within the Hip Hop world. “Chun-Li” is a strong single that made its way to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. But again, she paints herself as what bloggers may see her as “the bad guy” in homage to the film Scarface (1983). It demonstrates that Minaj still has fire and hunger even though these attributes are quickly waning. With a guest appearance by Inga DeCarlo Fung “Foxy Brown” Marchand on “Coco Chanel” the song sounds like a funeral dirge. To dredge up old, tired rappers like Foxy Brown shows that Minaj is still capable of a few missteps. The entire album could’ve been packaged with a sense of brevity. Far from her masterpiece, Queen fails to deliver the goods on how talented the raptress actually is.

Rank: Get off of the throne.

Minaj in a Glenda the Good Witch Ensemble

2. She should be in a relationship.

In reports, Minaj has said that she was able to focus on and complete her album because she was single. If Queen is any indication of whether Minaj should be romantically involved, it is the prime example. Maybe if she were getting that good loving from a steady partner, she would’ve produced a better addition to her catalogue. While Safaree couldn’t hold her down, Robert Rihmeek “Meek Mill” Williams wasn’t mentally prepared to handle her, and Nasir “Nas” Jones just couldn’t put in the work to maintain her, maybe Nicki Minaj should find another love interest who can fulfill all of these needs. While at first blush, it would appear as if Minaj doesn’t need a man to finish a project, upon further review, she would require a real man to deliver to her what she needs to listen to, not what she wants to hear. The men in her life that aided her in successful runs brought some levels of stability and control to her seemingly unstable persona. Some of them instituted laws and guidelines, allegedly, that kept her in perpetual check. This balance led her to create excellent art. Despite the fanfare and media rounds that she has been going on to promote Queen, she has noticeably been without a significant other. This absence of a lover has proven to be a detriment to her career. In each of the previous relationships, she has been the breadwinner. Is she patterning herself after Oprah Winfrey? As she strings along lover after lover, she should pursue a strong minded man of leisure who will guide not only her career but her life. She needs a man with a strong back and a strong will to keep her within the realm of stability.

Rank: Boo up.

There's still hope for the Queens rapper.

1. She should continue her pop career.

While some may complain that tracks like “Starships” (2012) are not Hip Hop (which is true), the reality is that this is one of the strongest offerings by a rapper, Minaj. She got into a pocket and blew away any questions pertaining to her crossover appeal. Singles like this exploded onto the scene for her as an individual. Once pigeonholed into oversexualized shock rap, Minaj made a smooth transition into the pop arena. The dividends rolled in as well as her pop record efforts garnered her more platinum certifications and recognition. With guest appearances including Ariana Grande, Jessica Ellen “Jessie J.” Cornish, and Holly Brook “Skylar Grey” Hafermann, Minaj has been able to expand her sonic and visual aspects. With the ability to appear on pop radio stations, Minaj permitted other acts to follow her path and continue to make quality music. No matter what the player hating critics like Hot 97 on-air personality Paul Rosenberg say, Minaj bests herself and the competition by including pop idols. Since she is not a pop artist and a bonafide MC, she can take solace in the fact that her talent should reach as many ears as possible, nevermind the salacious videos she makes. But the pop world has embraced Minaj just as the Hip Hop realm has accepted her. She should eye that number one spot by creating a pop dynasty that will propel her to greater riches and celebrity. The artists with whom she has already collaborated should line up to complete tracks with her that have hip hop, Carribean, and other influences comprised in it. This pop route ought to be as identifiable as “Starships” is.

Rank: Live that pop life.