Rapper Grrrl

Like Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim before her, Nicki Minaj is speaking up about the double standard that is still very evident in the entertainment industry, especially in rap. Minaj talks about the lack of successful female emcees in the rap world in her documentary My Time Now.

In the same way that liberal feminism was a precursor to radical feminism, Nicki Minaj, Trina and Eve must play by the rules of the violent and misogynistic boys club that is hip hop, establishing themselves as independent rappers, not just members of a crew or featured artists, in order to establish a female presence in hip hop to allow for a future of female rappers that are not a rarity or the token female crew member, but rather treated as equals within rap.

Minaj is well on her way to accomplishing this. She gained notoriety and recognition as a featured artist and a member of Young Money and recently released a solo album, Pink Friday, which is currently #6 on iTunes. Minaj is the only female rapper with an album in the top 10--the other female artists are Katy Perry (#8) and Taylor Swift (#9).

Minaj has garnered a lot of praise for her work on other rappers albums. There is something to be said for being considered the best verse on a track featuring KanYe and Jay-Z. What is yet to be seen is if she will experience the same level of commercial and critical success with her solo album.