Rapper Nicki Minaj’s first solo single, “Your Love,” was released in June 2010. Since then, the “Queen of Rap” has earned numerous accolades, including 12 Grammy nominations and having 23 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. On Dec. 8, her 41st birthday, Minaj released her fifth studio album, “Pink Friday 2,” which broke the record for “biggest debut for a female hip hop album in Spotify history,” according to X user Chart Data.
Despite her successful career, Minaj and other female rappers like her have always had to deal with the issue of ageism differently than their male counterparts, rapper Dr. Suga-T Stevens, best known as SUGA-T, told EIN Presswire on Nov. 9.
There is a different level of respect that is shown to female rappers when compared to their male peers.
“Aging (male) rappers are usually respected. Aging pop/rap female artists are taken out to pasture to die,” X user MissZindzi said in a post from Dec. 2014. Nevertheless, Minaj and older female rappers such as Lauryn Hill and Eve are showing that there can be longevity in this career, according to experts.
Minaj and other “GOATS” in female rap
When it comes to how and why Minaj has been able to maintain relevance for decades, San Francisco State University sociology professor and hip-hop author Andreana Clay cites a combination of factors, from her lyricism to her branching out to the fashion industry.
Regardless of their cultural impact, female rappers have to work harder while receiving less money than their male counterparts.
Specifically referencing the West Coast, “the older men in Hip Hop reap far more benefits than the older women in Hip Hop,” Stevens told EIN Presswire. “Us who raise generations, take on real women’s responsibilities, keep balance and messages of content that bring other views, are needed as Big Mommas and Aunties in the Hip Hop Rap Game.”
Other female rappers that Clay also feels have remained public figures in rap include MC Lyte, Queen…
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