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Billboard Women In Music 2019 Presented By YouTube Music

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Nicki Minaj turned 40 today, but while some fans celebrated the iconic rapper’s big milestone, a few internet detractors used the opportunity to poke fun at her age.

One Twitter user named @blueberrycvm sparked the controversy on Thursday, posting an image of an older heftier version of the Queens native with the caption that read, “Nicki Minaj makes history as the oldest woman alive. She is also the last person ever to see a dinosaur roam the Earth.” The petty Twitter user added:

“Happy Birthday to the wrinkly Old Queen #Shes40 #FATANDFORTY.”

As the hashtag “She’s 40” began to trend in honor of Minaj’s birthday on Thursday, a few more internet trolls shared unsavory comments about the revered femcee.

“The most bitter elderly woman in the world @NICKIMINAJ you really are the queen!” wrote one person, who eluded to the star’s recent Twitter spat with Latto over her alleged Grammy snub.

Another Twitter-goer chimed in: “40 omg she looks like she’s pushing 65.”

Ageism in Hip-Hop has been a longstanding issue in the rap community. As Dr. Hannah Swift of Kent University described in her interview with Highsnobiety, ageism is “the stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or a group of individuals because of their age.” In Hip-Hop, there’s a perception that a rapper’s star power and influence fade after they hit a certain age. 

Youth is often a marker used to determine a rapper’s success in an industry, but it seems as female rappers grow older, fans don’t give them the same acceptance as their male hip-hop counterparts. As Jay-Z once said, Hip-Hop has turned into a “young man’s sport” over the years. But make no mistake, Minaj has certainly held her Hip-Hop crown high throughout her late twenties and thirties.

 

Nicki Minaj’s decorated career in a nutshell

In 2010, Minaj soared to fame after she released her debut album Pink Friday, just shy of her 28th birthday. The album spawned classics like “Moment 4 Life” and “Super Bass,” which reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified diamond by the RIAA.

Minaj’s 2012 follow-up album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, struck success with the album’s lead single “Starships,” which peaked across the top five in 15 countries. The album’s second single, “Anaconda,” debuted at number two on the Hot 100 chart. Thanks to the song’s bootylicious music video, Minaj became the first solo female rapper to reach one billion views on YouTube.

The revered femcee hasn’t let her foot off the gas since. In 2018, the rapper released her fourth studio album Queen at the age of 36. The album spawned her hit single “Chun-Li,” which earned a spot on the U.S. Top 10 Single list.

Now, Minaj is gearing up to drop her fifth album very soon. “Super Freaky Girl,” the lead single off of the forthcoming album, has also made a historic feat. Minaj became the second female rapper to debut at number one in the U.S. following the song’s release. Fans can also expect a new press-on nail design company from the star in the coming year, too.

This isn’t the first time that the Trinidadian-bred MC’s age has come under criticism. In August, fans of Cardi B began age-shaming the rapper shortly after “Super Freaky Girl” hit the airwaves. But the Barbz, Nicki’s dedicated fanbase, rushed in to defend her.

 

“SHE’S 40 BUT HAD A #2 DEBUT ON THE BB HOT 100,” one fan clapped back at naysayers. “SHES 40 and has 200 million FOLLOWERS ON IG THE MOST FOLLOWED RAPPER ON THE PLATFORM.”

Another fan argued that Minaj was defying the odds, given that most female rappers, “don’t make it to 40 in their music careers. Let alone still sell records.”

“Nicki Minaj is the Queen for a reason! Ageism is ridiculous,” they added.

 

Here are a few more female rap star’s who are killing it over 40

Don’t let the internet jabs fool you, Nicki is 40 and thriving and she joins a long list of female rappers who are still shining bright in their 40s and 50s. Missy Elliott was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame last year for her contributions to music and production. The 51-year-old was also honored with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in November 2021.

Success is still ringing for Remy Ma. Back in September, the 42-year-old rapper announced that she would be dropping her long-awaited EP Reminisce. The New York native announced the big news with a short Instagram video, where she donned a sexy lingerie outfit. Remy showed off her fit physique through the sensual ensemble, taking a ton of fans by surprise.

The rapper continues to extend her talents outside of music, with her reality TV success. Remy is currently the host of VH1’s wildly popular show My True Crime Story. She also starred in Love & Hip-Hop for several seasons.

Lil’ Kim is also making big money moves. In August, the 48-year-old teamed up with Supreme to drop a unique capsule collection featuring iconic images from her debut studio album Hardcore. The collection sold out within seconds after it debuted. Kim is also gearing up to drop a biopic about her iconic Hip-Hop legacy.

 

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