Can Women Truly Break into Rap Without Using their Sexuality?

That's the question that popped into my mind when I started reading the editorial posted on AllHipHop.com entitled "Jasmine Mans Explains 'The Mis-Education of a Barbie Doll.'"


Jasmine Mans is a spoken word poet who released a poem entitled "Nicki Minaj" or referred to as "The Mis-Education of a Barbie Doll" - referring to Nicki Minaj's habit of calling herself Barbie. She targets Nicki Minaj in her poem and editorial, she says, "because I am a long time fan and follower of her work. I recognize and applaud her lyrical abilities and the affect she has on women older and younger than myself. If we, as an audience, do not hold up a mirror to our artists, then who will?"


Nicki Minaj has been one of the breakout artists of the year, winning such awards as the BET New Artist of 2010 and the Best Female Hip Hop Artist. She is also the first female artist to top the Rap Songs chart unaccompanied since 2002.


It is not hard to see where Jasmine Mans is going with her criticism of Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj is a role model for many young girls and Jasmine Mans is recognizing this fact. She says in her editorial that she wants Nicki Minaj to provide a less shallow basis for her lyrics. She also questions Nicki Minaj's use of calling herself "Barbie," saying, "How can we expect our male rappers to pay homage and respect to women when the voice that is representing us is tainted with sexual innuendos and “child’s play?”


While I agree that Nicki Minaj should have a less shallow base to her lyrics, I do not have an objection to her using Barbie as a nickname for herself. To me, Barbies can be looked at as more than an anti-feminist  plaything, based solely on looks and sex appeal. When I was a kid, the Barbie dolls of my play were pretty - yes - but they were also highly successful because of what they did. I think it is perfectly okay for Nicki Minaj to use the idea that, like Barbie, a woman can be beautiful and sexually appealing and also carry weight in her skills and personality beyond that.


As for Nicki Minaj's lyrics, I do agree that some are much too shallow. So far, Nicki Minaj has only released mixtapes, or been featured in songs with other artists or the Young Money family. Her debut album, Pink Friday, will not be released until November 22, 2010. I'm looking forward to listening to it and seeing if she has matured in her lyrics.


Nicki Minaj's past lyrics have sometimes bordered on the vulgarity that Lil Kim was famous for, using such lines as:


Maybe It's Time To Put This P**** On Ya Sideburns,
He Say I’m Bad, He Problly Right,
He Pressing Me Like Button Downs On A Friday Night
 -From "Bedrock," a Young Money song


As seen by those lyrics, she could be more into empowering women as opposed to speaking merely about sex.


Here's a link to Nicki Minaj's first single - Your Love.  And I hope you read the poem linked at the top (it's included at the end of the article). I found the flow to be quite beautiful and I appreciate where Jasmine Mans is going with her proclaimed dare to Nicki Minaj:


"I dare Nicki Minaj to be a PHENOMENAL WOMAN and not a phenomenal 'Barbie.'"
-Jasmine Mans