The Barbie Doll Stir

This morning many of us woke up to news of Mattel beginning production on the Nicki Minaj Barbie doll*. We knew this was only a matter of time with the American rapper portraying a Barbie image in many of her videos/performances and referring to her fans, faithfully, as "Barbz". But, what has been more interesting to see was how the release of this news created a stir on Twitter. 

Taj Rani, editorial assistant at Music Choice, freelance entertainment/lifestyle journalist and Syracuse University Alum, tweeted “So Nicki Minaj got her own Barbie. Say what you want, BUT she’s changed the game in a way Kim didn’t. #theend”. A bold statement by the admirable journalist, but I couldn’t agree more. Since Nicki Minaj entered the rap scene she has received praise, but along with that praise came slander and controversy. Some individuals have said, time and time again, that Nicki Minaj has copied the gimmick of Lil Kim. But what some might not understand is that Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj are quite different. 

Lil Kim was an amazing lyricist that highly contributed to a male dominated sphere of Hip Hop and as an avid fan of the original ‘Bad Boy’ crew I pay much respect to Lil Kim. However, Nicki Minaj is doing what Lil Kim didn’t. Nicki Minaj has successfully disrupted the male domain, acclaiming power and has crossed over to various genres of music. We’ve witnessed Nicki Minaj perform a full tour with pop icon, Britney Spears; appear on the cover of Elle – a French originated magazine; and assert multiple identities that some may say undo the trending legacy of the “Jezebel” image. 

In Fly, Nicki Minaj says “Everybody wanna try to box me in, suffocating every time it locks me in. Painting they own pictures then they crop me in but I will remain where the top begins… I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive”. Whether you believe she is here to stay or not, Beyond the Lyrics sends major kudos to Nicki Minaj and what she has created within the game.



* The Barbie doll will be put up for auction and all proceeds will be given to Project Angel Food – a charity that provides meals for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.