Freaks of the Industry
Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj are two of the biggest names in Pop music right now. Both women have made outrageous, risqué imagery their calling card. However, as media goddess and public intellectual Esther Armah recently pointed out to me, Gaga’s nudity and provocateur antics are hailed as performance art, where as Miss Minaj is discussed as yet another bawdy female rapper embarrassing the women of her race. Let’s ask ourselves homegirls (and homeboys): Why is that?
I see a few reasons. For one, where Gaga’s antics may spawn a few industry copycats and some imitators running the streets of New York (and as a resident, I can tell you that you could call “chicken” or “egg” when it comes to a lot of the Gaga-esque characters here), she’s not really having a profound influence on her listening audience. On the other hand, there are a whole lot of young sisters running around calling themselves “Barbies” behind Nicki. And an influencer is naturally going to be subject to a different vein of criticism, particularly when the group looking to her is relatively young.
While Gaga’s imagery is highly provocative, her music is pretty benign. On the flip, Minaj gives you a lot to look at (surgically enhanced out of this world curves, over the top outfits) and an earful at the same time. Both women are bisexual, but Nicki is the one talking to women the same way male rappers have spoken to us for years . . . like we’re bitches and hoes.
So while I can come up with a number of reasons why Nicki would be getting a bit more criticism than Gaga, there is still an uncomfortable reminder that hits me when I look at the two women’s aesthetics and how they are critiqued. In society, as it stands today, a Black woman’s near-nudity is not going to be called “artistic” (to be honest, I’ve seen a lot more of Gaga’s actual nude frame than I have Nicki’s). She’s gonna be called a freak. And while the rub here may be that the rapper is claiming the “freak” title . . . she was gonna be called that no matter what.
Could there be a Black Lady Gaga? Could a sister be free in the public space to be sexual and unclothed in that way? Can we get away with doing “artsy shit” like that? I don’t think so. I don’t think it would be possible, even in 2010, for a Black woman to escape the trappings of being a representative for the women of her race. And if there was one willing to take that step, I don’t think our folks would receive her so well. I can’t see a Grace Jones (do your homework—Madonna is not the only one Gaga is borrowing heavily from) doing well with Black audiences today. Erykah toes the line, but so much of her fan base had already “bought in” when she looked fresh from a poetry set . . . it’s hard to say how she’d be received if “Window Seat” were her debut video.
I’m not without my personal criticisms of Nicki Minaj; you can find some of them in the first half of this essay, and we don’t have time to get in to the rest of em (most of them have to do with adult imagery being peddled to child audiences). I’m also not Lady Gaga’s biggest fan either; I don’t love “art for art’s sake” and a lot of her shock value antics are kinda lame to me. However, I long for the day when a sister can be as absurd and naked and bold as she pleases without so much worry over the dignity of the race.
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Great Article and you pose a valid question. For me the difference isn’t race. Nicki is an artist the same as Gaga except Nicki is an actress and Gaga is a portrait.
Black Women these days aren’t like Nicki but the little girls that follow her now have someone to look up to and will have more room to change the face of the future especially as it pertains to pop music and culture.
I’m not a fan of pop because “shock value” has never fit into my musical preference. It doesn’t make me like the music of an artist more or less, it only makes me look at them for the attention craving, media whores that they are not for the voices they possess …Voices that at one point had potential to make a difference. For Gaga it would be gay rights, for Nicki it was women’s equality in a male dominated industry (pertaining to equal pay). Neither voice will be heard, valued or honored in the broader spectrum because when faced with the fork in the road they made the choice to be pop stars.
Geneva Thomas’ piece gave a more in depth take on the Nicki phenomenon.
http://clutchmagonline.com/lifeculture/feature/the-deformation-of-nicki-minaj-why-black-women-are-no-longer-enough-for-hip-hop/comment-page-1/#comments
Often times, in these types of discussions about Nicki, people are quick to criticize without examining her behavior within a context. Look, Nicki is a symptom of the industry, not the problem. Which do you think is more difficult, being a white woman in the pop world or a black woman in the rap game? Cause, in case anyone hasn’t noticed, female emcees are like unicorns on urban radio these days, let alone top forty radio. Nicki is trying to carve out a niche for herself in a genre where most of the consumers are male. So to appeal to them, she invented a cartoonish, hyper-sexualized caricature. If she could carve out that niche by taking a page out of the Lauryn Hill playbook, then she would probably be doing that, but those types of rappers aren’t the ones getting airplay on the radio. And when you sit back and think about it, Nicki’s pretty clever because she knows that the industry isn’t about music these days as much as it is about branding. Hence the “Hirajuku Barbie.” So, who’s playbook is Nicki taking a page out of . . . Kim’s. And say what you want about Lil’ Kim, but she is arguably the most successful female rapper of all time. Kim has been in the game for like 15 years, and she’s still getting endorsements, recording, doing features, touring, socializing, etc., and the fact that Kim has a high profile disciple in Nicki only validates her status as Queen B.
Lady Gaga isn’t battling sexism or racism in pop because female, pop stars are the norm.
I totally agree with your statement.
So true! Great perspective
you mentioned badu and that she doesnt quite fit the bill but what about kelis?
Great points Isolde. In an industry trying to get rid of Black females as fast as it can, a sistah’s gotta do what a sistah’s gotta do.
Go on a White blog and see Gaga getting ripped to pieces while Nicki is praised and Defended.
Yeah right, that’ll happen.
This is about race as clear as the sun will come up tomorrow.
Well yeah, it has a lot to with race and white female privilege.
http://www.racialicious.com/2010/05/05/a-contrarian-view-of-lady-gaga/
Lady Gaga is a shining example of what you can achieve when racism and sexism aren’t obstacles interfering with your chosen vocation. White artists like Britney and Gaga have way more latitude as performers and media personalities, and they are rewarded more handsomely for their trouble. Ask yourself whether a black woman that was as “unconventionally beautiful” as Lady Gaga could attain the same level of fame and success in the industry? Would Beyonce be as famous if she went through a psychotic Britney episode where she wielded an umbrella against the paparazzi with a shaved head and a crazed look in her eyes or performed terribly on stage with an exposed paunch at the VMA’s? Can you imagine the fall-out if Beyonce admitted to being a coke addict in a Vanity Fair interview like Lady Gaga? Beyonce’s overtly sexual performances are tolerated ON STAGE, and to hear Bey tell it, that’s not even her up there, it’s “Sasha Fierce.” Because she is black, when she is off stage, Beyonce is held to a standard of appropriateness that she has to maintain if wants to continue to appeal to the mainstream white masses.
However, in hip-hop, it’s not just about race, but also gender. The majority of the most commercially successful female rap artists didn’t begin their careers as soloists. The best way for any aspiring rapper to break into the game is to be co-signed by an already established artist, especially if you are a woman. Lauryn Hill didn’t just fall out of the sky with a solo album, neither did Lil’ Kim, or Eve, etc. Nicki is the latest in a long line of token, female emcees in rap cliques (usually helmed by men), and just like the male underlings, assimilation is also expected of the women or else they wouldn’t be allowed in the group. Rough Riders was DMX’s clique, and what other woman could run with him besides the ill-est pit bull in a skirt? Lil’ Kim was originally Biggie’s artist, and Bad Boy/Junior Mafia couldn’t have asked for a better first lady to promote Bad Boy’s brand of glamour, raunch, and commercial excess. That’s why I can’t help but scratch my head when Nicky is singled out for her antics. I mean, what do you expect? She reps Young Money. Young Money camp is not the Fugees. They rhyme about sex and money, and they do campy videos ripping off Frank Miller comics and The Real World and such. Nicki is the perfect fit.
@Speaking the Truth
“In an industry trying to get rid of Black females as fast as it can, a sistah’s gotta do what a sistah’s gotta do.”
Really? So what are we supposed to do next…sell our souls for a dollar? No form of oppression or prejudice has ever been overcome by succumbing to what was expected of the underdog. Maybe if it really is all about black versus white then individuals of the black culture need to do a better job of supporting those artists/icons that they believe are being squashed by the industry. Its obvious that Lady Gaga has no problem with record sales or even merchandising….can’t say that for most artists/icons of color. When we back those things that we so adamantly talk about so much then maybe those we admire wouldn’t have to go so far out of their way to ‘sell themselves’ and ‘do what they gotta do’ instead of just being the gifted talents they want to be recognized as.
Nicki Minaj has stated in an interview with Vibe magazine that she doesn’t date or sleep with women. Whether she is attracted to them, she hasn’t spoken on. But just because she has lyrics suggestive of bisexuality doesn’t mean she’s “claimed” the label, the way Gaga has explicity done in interviews. So to state “Both are bisexual” is an assumption. (Of course, this touches on nebulous arena of labeling sexuality–what exactly does it take for someone to be bisexual [or any other orientation, for that matter]? self-identification? or can the label be given without the person’s consent, so to speak?)
For once, I have to say that I don’t think race is the major factor… but body image is. Nicki has always rubbed me the wrong way for the exact reasons you’ve listed (especially the way she refers to other women in her songs), but Nicki has, to be blunt, tits and ass. Lots of it. People don’t treat Coco, Ice-T’s wife who is a model, the same way they treat Kate Moss OR Naomi Campbell when she’s nude, because she’s so curvaceous. Something about hips, thighs, tits and ass implies vulgarity and blunt sexuality in our culture. It’s also presentation- Nicki tries to be sexy, Nicki wants men to want to f@#$ her. Gaga has never tried to appeal to heterosexual men the way Nicki does, and it’s sad to think that a woman so many young black women look up to has essentially built her entire career on a desire to be lusted after.
I agree, it’s a body image thing. Madonna is now seen as an innovator and what have you, but during the height of her career she deemed as very vulgar and offensive.
Nicki is ghetto and lame…sorry. She’s not artistic. When Lil Kim did what she did before she did it, people accepted it as raunchy art because she was actually GOOD. Nicki can’t rap and is overrated. She doesn’t wear anything particularly artistic…she just wears spandex and bright colors. I don’t see how we can compare these two on any level.
Lady Gaga is also very skinny. I didn’t realize it because the media makes thinness seem like it should be the norm, but looking at her next to Beyonce in Video Phone it is very apparent. Having a curvier body already makes you appear more obscene than those with more boyish figures.
And other posters have commented that while GaGa presents sexual images she is not seen as a sex symbol (i don’t even know if you could call her sexy), and Nicky Minaj is overtly trying to be a sex symbol. In this case, race is one of the last factors in how the two artists are perceived.
Amina, I’m sorry but that sounds to me like blame the victim double-standard crap typical of any discourse in describing bias/discrimination against Black women. Just calling it like I see it. And please spare me that “Artists of color” garbage. I spoke of BLACK WOMEN because THAT is who is being pushed out. That “Women of color” bs is just that, bs. Another way to glorify White female flesh under some banner of pan-minority unity that don’t exist, because non-White females are just as prejudiced against Black women as those White ones are.
So like I said, Gaga is being given a pass because of her White skin/White femaleness on a so-called “Black woman’s” blog, what a disgusting joke. And the excuses in these comment defending that no-talent bag of bones continue and keep getting more and more lame. So now Gaga is “Innocent” because she is bony, and Nicki is “Vulgar” because she is curvy.
Clutch=A great example of how Black women hate themselves, period.
i’m really sorry but i couldn’t get past the first sentence:
“Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj are two of the biggest names in Pop music right now.”
excuse me?
lady gaga has sold more than 10 million albums.
nick minaj has sold … oh yeah, she doesn’t have any of her own (album) music out, really.
lmao.
talk about hype and pr and spin.
clutch is so funny sometimes.
It’s all just entertainment. But the problem is when people can not separate entertainment from reality or when it is played so much it affects young impressionable minds that have not had a chance to develop there own identities yet. But in general I am still happy to see women doing there thing regardless of how or what they are always doing.
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Black women have to desexualize ourselves to be seen as ‘artsy’. As the author said regardless black women are immediately painted as freaks and sexual objects. I think the reason Janelle Monae is taken seriously for her craft is because she wears a uniform of jackets and pants. She also doesn’t really sing about common relationship items so that also enhances her ‘artsiness’
[...] 2. The Lady and The Freak [...]
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing… I’ll let you figure out the rest!
oh and yeah Whites consider Gaga a slut… dont let it fool you. Black art? Lets talk about the poets and painters. The writers (not bloggers…no offense, but there is a HUGE difference), the sculptures, the designers. Hell lets talk about the Harlem Renaissance!
There is no “art” in anything Gaga does. It’s all marketing. She’s a pop star lol. There is nothing deep or metaphorical about anything she delivers. She’s here to make lots of money and be famous. Gaga gets criticized more than any artist working right now because she is the brightest star, she really has no competition. Not even from Beyonce really. From album sales to tour revenue she’s in a league of her own.
I think women in music in general are seen as sexual objects. This works to their advantage and it hinders their growth. Black and white women fight the same battles as far as sexual inequality goes, we just have the added strain of race.
I’m always happy about the women who aren’t afraid to be sexual. From Salt n’ Pepa to Janet to Madonna to Courtney Love to Grace Jones. I don’t understand Janelle Monae. I find her to be weird for the sake of being weird. She’s created this entire fantasy world where she’s an alien and all this other nonsense lol. I think it detracts from her talent. But I digress.
“Gaga gets criticized more than any artist working right now because she is the brightest star, she really has no competition. Not even from Beyonce really. From album sales to tour revenue she’s in a league of her own.”
Um no. Beyonce, X-tina, Britney, etc., have all sold more albums than Lady Gaga. Beyonce grossed more money last year as well. Lady Gaga’s annual tour grosses are no more impressive than Britney’s or Bey’s either. How is it that Beyonce has won more awards, sold more albums, received more accolades, etc. than Lady Gaga, but Lady Gaga is a bigger star? Hmm . . .
“I don’t understand Janelle Monae. I find her to be weird for the sake of being weird. She’s created this entire fantasy world where she’s an alien and all this other nonsense lol.”
Laughing right back at you and your racist BS. If Janelle Monae is weird just for the sake of being weird, then what, pray tell, is Lady Gaga? Oh, that’s right, it’s “art.” You acknowledge the role of sexism in the music industry and the standard that women are held to in terms of often being expected to be sexualized, yet you chide Janelle Monae for not going that route and using different themes?
And this tripe right here is exactly why it’s extremely unlikely that there will ever be a black Lady Gaga.
“she’s not really having a profound influence on her listening audience. On the other hand, there are a whole lot of young sisters running around calling themselves “Barbies” behind Nicki. ”
Gaga’s followers call themselves ‘monsters’. She does influence the gay community and is an advocate for gay rights. I think that her reasoning behind doing the things she does is to raise awareness that it is alright to be different…even a freak. She isnt really what people will call beautiful, so what she wears (and does) is called art.
As far as a black Gaga? No there will never be one. Maybe Grace Jones? Of course she isnt a singer. But she comes close.
Both women are imitating legends who came before them with a new milennium spin on what they’re doing. Originality is apparently sooo 1999.
The Black Lady Gaga was Grace Jones. She has spoken out about how Gaga has swagger jacked her. http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/style_icon_grace_jones_brands_lady_vvwZpC8eAqrazKZvAF38HL
Gaga also essentially copied the styles of NYC’s club kids as made famous anew in the movie Party Monster. She calls her followers little monsters and they obey.
The two artists, Nicki and Gaga are actually two sides of the same coin. Minaj has the raunchy lyrics, Gaga has the raunchy imagery. If it weren’t for the Black community’s obsession and revulsion with hypersexualized images and faux puratanicalism, I’m sure Minaj’s videos would push the envelope further than they have.
Have you ever heard of the Icon Grace Jones?!
Grace Jones, anyone??!
esther armah is neither a media goddess nor a public intellectual. please correct accordingly.