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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Inspiring: Nicki Minaj succeeded above a father on drugs, and a struggling single mother


The international icon Onika Tanya Maraj better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj is someone I consider fabulous; this is because of her variety of fashion styles incorporated to her music career. This does not only show the music part of her career, but being fashionable and wild too. She well understands that as an artist she’s running a business.

I really didn't see the need to like this woman, but after watching her video “Hold Yuh” (Remix) ft. Gyptian for the first time (Besides all her music videos, I just went with this one), my mind has changed (Though I'm not her fan/groupie). I saw a different side of her; I mean I was impressed by the dance moves especially how the choreographer worked on the moves. Indeed she makes move. The question is: Who makes you move in Mzantsi?

 She's so Animated
The combination of the colour “PINK” to her skin is amazing taking it further to the Barbie hair, thus I regard her as a woman of great fashion taste and outrageous styles. She knows how to be unique, combine fashion and music; though her latest outfits were rather shocking and surprising to many. Whoever dresses or advice her fashion wise must be the best of all time (At least at home we have the likes of Camagwini and Thandiswa Mazwai with their rather rare and outrageous outfits). Honestly I love her style and the fact that she's so animated.

     (((((((((((Hold Yuh Remix))))))))))) 

 Like any successful artist she has won a numerous awards, according to www.metrolyrics.com this year she won best female hip hop artist (BET Awards). In 2010 she won the Made You Look Award, People’s Champ Award(BET Hip Hop Awards), Best Female Hip Hop Artists, Best New Artist (BET) and Rookie of the year award (BET Hip Hop Awards). Honestly the awards prove a great success and dedication to ones career. Do you know any local (South African) artist(s) who won a series of awards in one (1) year?


Brace Yourself for her Biography

Onika Maraj (Born December 8, 1984) known as Nicki Minaj is a female rapper from Southside Jamaica, Queens, New York. She grew up in a troubled home, with a father on drugs and a struggling single mother. Despite her hectic environment, Minaj went on to graduate from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan where she studied singing and acting.Working as an administrative assistant, she dedicated all of her free time to pursuing a potential music career. 


Nicki Minaj started off singing, from background vocals, to hooks for local rappers. Minaj wanted to “stand out” more, from the average dime-a-dozen young aspiring singer and began writing raps. Starting out as the lone female in a group, (which she left in 2006)

Nicki soon branched out and was noticed on MySpace by Dirty Money CEO Fendi. Who signed her and put her on the front of his Dirty Money Label, and his The Come up DVD.


Appearing on The Carter Edition of the DVD series, Minaj was noticed by rapper Lil’ Wayne who immediately called Fendi to negotiate meeting Nicki. He was convinced by not only her different style of rapping, but her ability to full on write her own material that she was perfect to be the face of his Young Money label. The two collaborated on Mixtape styled remakes of tracks such as “Sunshine”, “Big Spender” and more recently a song entitled “Higher than a Kite” which uses T.I.’s “My Swag” beat. In April of 2007, she released her first Mixtape entitled Playtime is over. Where she posed as a Barbie doll on the cover. Lil’ Wayne appeared on the track “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop”.


Nearly a year later, Minaj released her second mixed cd titled Sucka Free. Controversy surrounded this as Nicki paid tribute to rapper Lil’ Kim by posing with her legs spread for promotional posters. She describes it as something to “pull people in”, so that they would listen to what she had to say. Nicki Minaj graced the pages of the July issue of the XXL magazine giving a brief overview of her life up to that point in time.Originally using her real last name Maraj, Nicki boasts she started calling herself Minaj because she started “eating chicks”, with her vicious rap skills. It’s pronounced as Menage, only spelled to compliment her real last name with a J instead of the traditional spelling.


Aside from her original moniker, Minaj also uses an array of Aka aliases to describe herself, such as; “Nicki Lewenski”, and “AKA Sit on your favorite rapper’s face”


As mentioned in her biographical information, growing up in a troubled home can sometimes hinder your success; but besides that Nicki has managed to beat the odds of taking after her fathers’ habit. Generally artist(s) fail to deal with their bad upbringing, thus engaging in substance abuse. Minaj can be treated as a good successful example by many potential artists who are in a similar situation.

Rap music is generally a very raw type of music; could her rap talent be inspired by her upbringing? It is a highly possible way to mediate between her troubled background and the success of her dance and musical career so that a winning balance is visible more on her prosperity. In a nutshell she’s a very brave and strong woman, so please learn the soul behind the outfits…

Don’t let your bad upbringing/background close opportunities for you, all you need is to be strong and rise above that. Sometimes a bad habit can inspire one to do the opposite (good) of it; all you need is the eye to realism. Drugs are not on your gene, so don’t say so and so did it. LOL! You wanna do it the Mzantsi way, “Oh don’t mind that child, and s/he took after his /her father…” hahahaha that’s a stereotype and we all know it. So please don’t let it hinder your success.

Her Albums Include The Following:




 




 

 



By Buchule Raba/ buchule@goxtranews.com/ leave your reader comments below the comment box... 




© All the views expressed above do not in anyway represent GoXtra News, but those of the concerned writer. 2011. Follow us on twitter here Find us on Facebook here



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