Jasmine Mans vs. Nicki Minaj: There’s Room For More Than One Female Emcee

For those of you who follow slam poetry, the name Jasmine Mans should be somewhat familiar. The idea of a poet critiquing their reality through colorful language and expressive gestures should also come as no surprise. So when University of Wisconsin Sophomore Jasmine Mans released her now heavily debated spoken word piece “Nicki Minaj” last week, I was little surprised at the reaction it garnered. Then I thought about it a little bit more and realized that when you are figuratively carrying the torch for female MC’s all by your lonesome, whatever you do will be called out by somebody. The thing is, this isn’t simply a case of a girl hating on Nick, she actually speaks with intelligence and insight as to why Nicki is such a disappointment to her and others hoping to resurrect this thing called the female MC. While we should not silence either party, there are definite misconceptions on both sides that need to be addressed.

Spit some shit it for girls who kiss girls and got beat down to their backs.

With this line, Mans addresses the bisexuality of Nicki’s lyrics, yet how she will never claim a sexuality if you ask her straight out, which is interpreted by Mans to be exploiting the GLBT community by using those lines to appeal to a lot of young guys fantasy of a girl who likes girls (a la Katy Perry circa 2008). While it is true that Miss Minaj avoids questions about her sexuality like the plague, she has also been a vocal component of Gay Rights, covering Out Magazine and speaking on the unexposed gay scene within Hip-Hop, not to mention her gay following is second to none for a Hip-Hop artist.

Barbie, I think NYC is making you forget you come from Queens.

Jasmine is touching on the fact that not only in Jamaica Queens, but in many hoods in the USA, there are serious socio-political issues that need to be addressed in order for change to take place, and the fact that Nicki, with the platform she now has, is not speaking on these real issues (Queens) in order to seek the approval of the mainstream (NYC), is a disservice to her community. While her singles and most of her guest verses aren’t addressing the plight of the hood where she grew up, if you know her beyond radio play, she hasn’t shied away from speaking on some real shit. Just one example would be her verse on French Montana’s “New York Minute” remix, where she spits “Brought my man down/ Before they even get a cap and a damn gown/ And there gotta be a heaven/ Cause Sean Bell'll never get to make it to his weddin' / But a star will arise/ And she'll originate from the streets of Southside.”

Now, a few critiques of Jasmine Mans from the Barbie’s and Ken’s of the blogosphere.

Why does this chick think Nicki Minaj is obligated to go beyond the call of duty when other entertainers don’t? She could've stated the role of females in hip hop in general, but she went straight at 1 chick.

I must admit, this was also one of my first thoughts. There were plenty of women in Hip-Hop that could have earned this same criticism. Why are we singling out Nicki like she’s the first woman to rhyme lick and clit? For one, one of the points of spoken word is the effect change in the present, not to mull over the issues of the past. As of today, Nicki is considered by most to be thee baddest bitch on the mic. She everywhere, and if you have a problem with certain trains of thought or establishments, you address the one who is currently waving the flag. That may not be entirely fair to Nick, but it would seem ridiculous to go after Foxy Brown or others who laid the groundwork for her if they’re not currently relevant.

Why do black women just hate to see other black women shine? It’s always females who got something to say, especially black chicks. We stay tearing each other down.

This is the classic “she’s a hater” response, sprinkled with some good old fashioned racial implications. The term “hater” as I understand it should apply to those who talk shit for the sake of shit talking, bringing others down for no reason. Jasmine more than explained her position in this poem, and while there are questionable metaphors throughout, it’s clear she is passionate and has the best of intentions for the culture to evolve into something greater. As for the “black woman” aspect, which I’ve been hearing a lot lately, so I’m not allowed to speak my mind against someone’s ideals that I fundamentally disagree with because we are the same race and/or gender? I’m not even going to go heavy into that notion.

The overall point I’m trying to make is that not everything has to be a battle or a beef. Some people rock with Minaj, some people don’t, and there are legit reasons to be on either side of the fence. The “hate” simply appears to be more plentiful now than before because she’s pretty much the only chick poppin’ at the moment. You used to be able to counter a Queen Bee with a Queen Pen, or the creative silliness of a Missy Elliot with the Tomboy sexy of a Remy Ma or Eve. With just one woman in the spotlight, not everyone can get what they want anymore, therefore we want Minaj to be all things to all fans at all times, and that’s just unrealistic. No matter how you feel there is room at the table for a Minaj and a Jasmine Mans, and no reason why we can’t continue to have these debates if we stick to the facts.