Bodak Yellow vocalist has overtaken Nicki Minaj as the best female rapper
Don’t come at me Nicki Minaj fan club for the bold statement I’m about to make: Cardi B has dethroned Nicki Minaj from the rap game. It should go without saying that both artists are highly successful in an industry that is predominantly male, and that in itself should be celebrated. However, speaking in terms of their own brands, Cardi B wins.
You can’t ignore the fact that Minaj has been on top for almost a decade, making her presence known on the Billboard charts and at award shows. She came up in a time when social media was not as widespread as it is now, and therefore had to work even harder to promote her music. Cardi B was able to take advantage of social media and continue to grow a loyal fan base through Vine, which carried over to her iconic Instagram rants, then over to her music. The entrance of a newer, more outspoken woman rapper gave people a completely different sound and personality to rage over.
Cardi B’s entrance into the rap industry was like a blizzard that just hit western New York; she came in hot and will be sticking around for the long run. After releasing Bodak Yellow in 2017, Cardi B’s rise to fame was only beginning. The song eventually became the longest number one for a solo single by a female rapper.
As for the image each of the rappers try to convey, Cardi B’s is more inspiring and real. She posts regularly on social media in a humbling way that makes fans feel as if they know her personally. Her lyrics highlight the struggles she’s been through in the past and the glory in overcoming them, usually supplemented with a sick beat.
Minaj, on the other hand, comes off as arrogant and insecure. In the heat of the ongoing hype between the Cardi B-Nicki drama, Minaj has been slandering Cardi B’s name in podcasts, subtweets and songs. She can’t seem to accept there is someone else in the spotlight. I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy bopping to Beez in the Trap from time to time, but my heart will always be set on “making money moves.”
The one credible thing Team Nicki folks will argue is in Cardi B’s apparent ghostwriting tendencies. Cardi B addressed the claims back in April, right before her album “Invasion of Privacy” was released and credited some people as “co-writers” rather than “ghostwriters.” Her fans are always in her best interest as she’s mentioned all along, and asking for lyrical guidance along the way in order to create the maximum amount of value for them is not something to condemn a person about. Being arrogant would have never got her to where she is now.
In a perfect world, everyone would be more accepting of each other’s differences. Unfortunately that’s not the case in 2018. People are constantly looking for ways to discredit one another. I applaud both Minaj and Cardi B for their tremendous successes, but at the end of the day, despite all of our differences, someone has to come out on top, and that someone is Cardi B.
By Jenna Cherry, Contributing Writer
cherryj16@bonaventure.edu
