The musician has paved the way to fame for other female rappers but she has struggled to accept a changing industry
Nicki Minaj announced she is retiring from the music industry on Thursday afternoon. Ive decided to retire & have my family, the Super Bass singer wrote on Twitter. I know you guys are happy now.
The early retirement seemingly comes out of nowhere. The rapper has been as prolific as ever appearing on popular tracks like Hot Girl Summer and BAPS this year and regularly hosting her Queen Radio show. There is the sneaking suspicion Minaj might be pulling the biggest troll of 2019. But theres an even worse fear: shes telling the truth.
Minaj put a time limit on her musical career from the very start. As long as seven years from now Im taking my daughter to preschool, she rapped on her 2014 track All Things Go. And she frequently rhapsodized on what her influence and power would look like at the finish line. I will retire with the crown, yes, she exclaimed on her 2010 anthem Moment 4 Life. There was a consistent through-line in these self-aggrandizing lyrics: a strong desire to open up doors for other female rappers to be proper stars, and not sidekicks or novelty acts. With a crop of new female wordsmiths in the game (Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Sawtee), it is very likely Minaj now considers her work done.
These new stars have adopted and improved on the qualities that made Minaj famous. Theres the colorful hair, sex-positive lyrics, and empowering messages about hard work and education. These women are poised to achieve a cultural ubiquity both commercially and critically that was simply not available to Minaj at the start of her career.
Minaj frequently talks about ushering in a new era of female rap in her songs. But theres one thing she leaves out of the narratives: how bittersweet it is to see those who come after you have it easier. And as other female rappers have begun to shine, Minaj has grown increasingly outspoken and critical of the music industry and the media in general.