- Nicki Minaj spoke out about feeling excluded in fashion magazines during a Joe Budden Podcast interview.
- She stated that she has been asked to remove pink hairs for covers, but stars like Katy Perry or Lady Gaga don’t.
- Minaj also mentioned Billie Eilish who was featured on American Vogue’s cover with her green hair.
A podcast episode was released Wednesday by Nicki Minaj. It featured Joe Budden, rapper and media personality. This is their latest conversation. Joe Budden PodcastShe shared her feelings of being excluded as a Black female rapper in the fashion industry.
“Everybody knew me for wearing pink wigs,”During the discussion, she shared her thoughts with Budden. It starts at the 54-minute mark.
“You would think the biggest female rapper of all time who has set so many trends would have been on the cover of American Vogue, but she hasn’t,”She said it, referring to herself.
Minaj specifically criticized fashion magazines for highlighting white artists, such as Billie Eilish. Fashion magazines are responsible for setting fashion trends like colored hair. Minaj is well-known for this for years. She also noted that Eilish was “immediately put on American Vogue”With her green hair.
Minaj revealed that she was not allowed to wear her pink hair on magazine covers. Instead, Minaj was displayed with her natural hair. “stripped down”Version of her vibrant personality.
“They would always ask me not to wear pink hair. But I would see Katy Perry on the cover with pink hair, and I would see Lady Gaga on the cover with pink hair. I came in the game wearing pink hair,”She spoke.
Minaj does not fault Anna Wintour, Vogue editor in chief Anna Eilish, or Eilish for the differences in how she feels treated by fashion magazines
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage/Getty Images
Eilish was not wrong for having received her during the conversation. “shine,”and declared herself to be a fan “Bad Guy” singer.
“They’re gonna say, yeah she put that on the map whether she put that on the map or not,”Minaj spoke highly of Eilish “She’s successful, she’s beautiful, she’s got everybody wearing a certain hairstyle — I know I love her, and when she does do these covers, they’re beautiful.”
She explained why it was important to address the disparity. “The reason why you gotta mention it y’all, is because when we don’t mention it, we are erased, they act like it didn’t happen,”She said. Budden and she then made comparisons with Black musicians. “died poor,”Styles they invented were often credited to others.
“People have to pay attention to what they’re doing and how they’re representing Black artists and Black people,”She went on.
Minaj suggested that another trendy rapper be included in the conversation. “The same way I feel like I already should have been on the cover of American Vogue, so should Lil’ Kim if we keeping it all the way 1000,”She spoke.
She stated that her issue was not with Anna Wintour (American Vogue’s long-serving editor-in-chief), who has been criticized for the publication’s lackluster diversity. “Anytime I’ve ever met Anna Wintour, she has been so gracious to me,” Minaj said.
She clarified that her criticism was directed at “who is at that table with”Wintour makes creative choices.
“It’s your responsibility to wave the flag. You don’t just put it on another face and another person,”Minaj also added.
You can hear the full conversation between Minaj and Budden here.