Nicki Minaj has blasted the Grammys for putting her single Super Freaky Girl, which is currently in its eighth week as number one on Billboard’s Rap Songs chart, in its pop category.
Minaj’s team had initially registered the track in the rap category, where nine of her ten previous nominations have competed (just her 2014 track Bang Bang with Ariana Grande and Jessie J competed in pop). But, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the submission was rejected by the Recording Academy’s rap committee.
In an Instagram video post, Minaj said: “They stay moving the goalposts when it comes to me... Why is the goalpost only ever moved when it’s Nicki?”
Super Freaky Girl samples Rick James’s 1981 single Super Freak and includes singing as well as rapping. But MC Hammer’s 1990 song U Can’t Touch This, which also samples Rick James’s Super Freak, won several Grammys including a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Minaj Tweeted: “I have no prob being moved out the RAP category as long as we r ALL being treated FAIRLY. If SFG has 2B moved out RAP then so does Big Energy! ANY1 who says diff is simply a Nicki hater or a troll.”
Big Energy is a track by American rapper Latto that heavily samples Tom Tom Club’s 1981 hit club song Genius of Love, and is set to compete in the rap category at this year’s Grammys.
I have no prob being moved out the RAP category as long as we r ALL being treated FAIRLY. If SFG has 2B moved out RAP then so does Big Energy! ANY1 who says diff is simply a Nicki hater or a troll. I’d actually LUV 2 c a more street record win- male OR female! IJS rightIsRight 🫡
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) October 13, 2022
When Minaj was criticized online for complaining, the rapper then said: “Could you imagine someone telling you not to “complain” about being treated unfairly at your workplace? This is my job. I work very hard. No diff from a 9-5 where you should speak up for yourself if you know you’re a great employee & continue to be purposely sabotaged.”
Then, as some of her fans, known collectively as the Barbz, started to get angry online, Minaj Tweeted: “And Barbz, there’s no need to be angry. This is simply an open discussion/healthy dialogue. Independent thinking is what makes us human beings!”
The classification of each nomination is important firstly because it changes the songs the track will compete alongside, but also because it’s likely to alter the elements that the song will be judged for. The category will also change an artist’s ability to compete with certain records (for example Kanye West currently holds the record for the most wins and nominations for Best Rap Songs).
However, this is by no means the first time that a song that includes both melodic elements and rap has been put in the Grammy’s pop categories: this was the case with Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX’s 2014 Fancy, Post Malone’s 2019 track Better Now, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’s 2019 track Old Town Road and Doja Cat’s 2019 track Say So.
The Grammy Award nominations are set to be shared on November 15, while the award show itself will take place in February next year.
The Grammys are seemingly yet to respond to Minaj’s comments.
