MAGA Madness: Nicki Minaj’s Self-Destruction Is Hard to Watch
Nicki, What’s Good? From Trump To Kenneth Petty, The Rapper’s Relationship With Problematic Men Is Weird AF [Op-Ed]
Before the Barbz accuse me of being a hater, let me be clear. I say this as a former fan. Not a hater. Not a troll. A Black woman who once rapped bar for bar with Nicki Minaj. I celebrated her brilliance, the way she kicked doors open and made room for women—well, some women—who did not fit the industry’s narrow box.
But sis… what’s good? Because this Nicki and how she has been showing up lately is hard to watch. Honestly, I am pissed because girl, WTF! Beef with Lil Kim. Beef with Remy Ma. Beef with Cardi B., Beef with Jay-Z. Beef with The Breakfast Club. Beef with 50 Cent. Beef with Don Lemon. I mean, the girl has had more industry beef than a steakhouse.
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At some point, we must acknowledge the fact that patterns and personality flaws are not coincidental; they are choices. You can choose to be problematic, or you can choose to be peaceful. And that is exactly where I have landed when it comes to Nicki Minaj. Nicki chooses to be problematic. Her repeated alignment with deeply problematic men—personally, publicly, and now politically is proof of that. Because again, GIRL, WTF!
Let me start exactly where she is. Rubbing elbows with who should be considered the enemy. Nicki has been flirting with MAGA culture and publicly engaging with Donald Trump lately. Hell, they were holding hands so tight a few days ago they looked like a couple. She even stated during the Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit on Jan. 28 that she is “the president’s number one fan.”
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This adjacent rhetoric is not just tone-deaf; it is reckless, it is weird, and I am sure it will be damning to Onika’s career. This relationship with MAGA is not a cute act of rebellion, an “edgy” stance, or another installment of “Roman’s Revenge.” It is ignorance at its worst. It is career suicide. It is a conscious decision to align herself with a political movement rooted in hate, policies and ideologies that actively harm and murder immigrants, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and Black communities. That includes the very fans who made Nicki a global pop icon.
Another cup of tea I want you to sip is that Nicki is a Trinidadian woman, an immigrant. The very community of individuals that Trump’s goons, ICE, are targeting and terrorizing. Nicki has benefited from the same opportunity, migration, and community as other immigrants. Although Trump granted her the United States GOLD card, which is supposed to solidify her U.S. citizenship, residency, and status in this country. Now the card is supposed to require a $1 million payment, but Nicki claims her card was free. Now I hope this is not what Nicki has been shucking and jiving. Because the White House is saying it was a memento not the actual visa. Yep, sounds about white.
Either way, even being loosely aligned with a movement that criminalizes immigrants, strips them of their rights, separates them from their families and dances with the devil that is white supremacy is a slap in the face and biting the hands that fed you.
And if that is not enough, Nicki’s personal connections to problematic men are even worse. Nicki’s husband, Kenneth Petty, is a registered sex offender. Petty was convicted of attempted rape in 1995. He also served seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in 2006. He is also currently on home detention and supervised probation for not registering as a sex offender in California. Listen, it’s a lot! Thanks to him, Nicki was even named in a lawsuit brought on by the young lady he was found guilty of assaulting. The lawsuit claims that the Pettys were living up to their name, causing his victim emotional distress by harassment and intimidation to pressure the defendant into dropping the case. None of this is internet gossip, these are facts that are public record.
Then there is Nicki’s creep of a brother. Jelani Maraj is currently serving 25-to-life for predatory sexual assault against a child (under 13) and endangering the welfare of a child.
Again, a documented fact, not shade. This sorry excuse for a man repeatedly raped his 11-year-old stepdaughter. While I understand you cannot help who you love, Nicki is accusing the child of lying, and her mother is looking for a paycheck when the evidence was all there. Now that is crazy work.
It’s time to ask the uncomfortable question: Why does Nicki consistently center, defend, and emotionally attach herself to men accused or convicted of harm against women and children? This is not about loving someone despite their flaws. This is about who gets her loyalty, protection, and public megaphone—and who does not. This isn’t even about strategy. This is something much bigger, more painful, and problematic than we know. Because what we are also witnessing is Nicki turning that same intensity outward. She is spiraling online, engaging in endless beefs, attacking fellow artists, influencers, and even former supporters. The internet rants. The erratic clapbacks. The burn list gets larger by the day, and aside from Trump and the MAGA crew, no one seems to be safe.
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This does not read as bossy behavior or her teasing us with her alter ego, Roman, anymore. It reads as someone deeply unsettled. Mental and emotional distress.
His violent and reckless behavior that oftentimes included domestic violence. We have also heard her address being abused in a relationship. We have all heard the rumors of her own alleged drug use, too. Since this isn’t something that has not been confirmed, I refuse to regurgitate information from a rap beef that has not been verified, especially about a Black woman. I would never exploit Nicki by pulling a her on her, that is not fair.
It is fair to say, Nicki’s recent behavior suggests emotional dysregulation, unhealed trauma, and a Black woman who may be overwhelmed, isolated, and surrounded by people who benefit from her chaos and feel threatened by her peace.
And that is where my heart aches for her. Because at one point, Nicki Minaj mattered. I mean she still does. To Black women. To immigrant girls. To queer fans who saw themselves in her theatricality, her defiance, her refusal to play small. Her core audience has always included LGBTQIA+ folks, the community MAGA policies actively target and dehumanize. Her actions have left many of them devastated and feeling betrayed. And let’s keep it real, aligning herself with racist extremists and anti-queer political figures, is a slap in the face paired with confusion and grief. She was their queen, and her peasant acts are heartbreaking.
This isn’t about canceling Nicki. This is not about snatching her crown. It is about calling her out with the hopes of pulling her back in because this ain’t it, sis.
Back to clarity.
Back to accountability.
Back to self-respect.
Back to the old Nicki who may have talked a lot of ish but operated with logic and love for people—specifically her Barbz.
Because again, this ain’t it. Not even genius excuses this Kanye-like foolishness. And loyalty to the wrong people will always cost you the right ones.
And again, this isn’t hate. This is disappointment and concern. The kind of concern only a Black woman can offer another Black woman. Concern from someone who once loved the music and the moments she created.
Sis, you do not have to burn everything down because there is an internal fire burning in you. This doesn’t prove you are powerful. There is great power in peace and healing. And we want you healed, sis.
Baby, you’re a Muva and a mother the kids need you, especially Papa Bear. Let’s rap this goofy mess up and get back to the music.
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