On Complex’s latest episode of their new Everyday Struggle series with Joe Budden and DJ Akademiks Tuesday (April 11), Joey expresses his thoughts on Nicki Minaj’s mostly sole position as a woman in the rap game.
With Atlantic signing on Cardi B, Young M.A creating hit records, Chicago’s Dreezy and other budding lady rap stars on the come up, Budden pointed out that the “No Frauds” rapper has had the luxury of being the only female rapper for quite some time.
Nicki Minaj, however, has shared the stage or invited fellow female artists to go on tour with her as opening acts such as Misha B, Tinashe and DeJ Loaf in the past.
“Now, there are other women around so all that big shit you’ve been talking when there was no women, now we looking,” Joe says. “Now, we looking for you to perform. Now is the time for you to be at your best musically. Not brand-wise. Musically. My girl is the biggest Nicki Minaj fan in the world and I haven’t heard her play a Nicki Minaj song in awhile.”
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The “Pump It Up” rapper also makes it clear that he feels as though her recent accolades don’t compare to what it took to achieve the same feat years ago, while referencing Nicki’s insertion for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women thereby displacing Aretha Franklin. He asserts that numbers do lie when context is not given.
According to Budden, her rallying up the Young Money crew for the Remy Ma diss track doesn’t make her any better.
“Get that shit out of here, I hate that,” Joey opined. “Who was there for Wayne when he was having seizures and shit? I ain’t see a picture then. I don’t want to see it now that you may need that conglomerate to get back. I don’t want to see that now. I want to see you float on your fucking own, Nicki. Best woman rapper in the world. I want to see her do it alone.”
Watch DJ Akademiks and Joe Budden go back and forth over Nicki Minaj’s career above.
