Nicki Minaj has been relatively quiet lately, following a tumultuous 2018 that had her beefing with several celebrities, including Cardi B, Drake, Travis Scott, and Kylie Jenner. She’s now back with a vengeance and breaking her silence with a visually compelling music video for “Hard White” from her 2018 album Queen. Fans think it’s rife with clapbacks against all the issues that plagued her the past year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTl-xsnz7P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“Hard White” is the latest song to get a music video after September’s “Barbie Dreams,” “Ganja Burn,” “Bed,” “Chun-Li,” and “Good Form.” The dark and somewhat disquieting clip showcases Minaj channeling different sinister characters while surrounded by zombie-like creatures.
Fans were quick to notice her choice of characters to portray. “Nicki Minaj channeling Hades, goddess of the underworld. She really said, ‘Y’all want me to be the bad guy,’ huh,” notes Twitter user @LaminbeeIV.
https://twitter.com/LaminbeeIV/status/1091210272734367744
Nicki is channelling Akansha from The Vampire Chronicles. The First Vampire. The Great Mother. #HardWhiteVIDEO pic.twitter.com/hPGIEzTeLL
— decepticon (@red_octagon_) February 1, 2019
Some drew parallels to the Jennifer Lopez sci-fi horror movie The Cell: “The video is shot in the mind of a serial killer,” tweets user @HoneyGuwop.
So if the #HardWhiteVideo is a parallel to the movie “The Cell”…… the video is shot in the mind of a serial killer. Nicki bout to fuck y’all up 😳
— Hundun✨ (@HoneyGuwop) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/JiMiAntwon/status/1091203242632073216
Fans tried to analyze the video’s story and “symbolism” while noting allusions to some of her most recent and highly publicized feuds.
https://twitter.com/Here4Minaj/status/1091208610544263168
So, we are going to ignore the fact that #GanjaBurns & #HardWhiteVIDEO basically tells a story? Or is it just me? Just me? Okay, cool. pic.twitter.com/h9YyHeUmRX
— ARMÁNI (@armanikhari) February 1, 2019
the shades #HardWhiteVIDEO pic.twitter.com/FkWZWIBoXV
— 17. flamenco (@davidalvse) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/Ya_Fav_/status/1091208837221269504
Users like @TurntMinaj think she successfully dissed everyone who crossed her last year, tweeting that “Nicki dragged the grammy’s, drake and cardi b to dust all in 5 seconds.”
https://twitter.com/TurntMinaj/status/1091222218208493568
1) Grammys
— ™️ (@thoughttsofanna) February 1, 2019
2) Scoripon..(drake)
3) Time is up
4) Birds are dead #HardWhiteVideo 🐸🍵👀 pic.twitter.com/Akd54wDdo7
https://twitter.com/rabbigracias/status/1091205315482263553
Grammys
The video release seems timed to draw up publicity for Minaj’s Nicki WRLD TOUR with Juice Wrld, which kicks off this month in Europe. But we can’t help but notice it dropped over a week before the 2019 Grammy Awards (Feb. 10). A brief clip of what looked like a Grammy trophy sent fans speculating that the video is a diss at the music awards, which snubbed her this year. (She was even trolled for it.) “Sis trying to tell y’all she don’t need a grammy to know her spot that’s a real Queen for ya,” says @notime4bullshhh.
Sis trying to tell yall she dont need a grammy to know her spot thats a real Queen for ya #HardwhiteVIDEO https://t.co/xjVhmLansX
— 😈Matthew😈 (@notime4bullshhh) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/pinkdinasty_/status/1091206655524646912
Nicki Minaj just shaded #GRAMMYs I Stan a petty queen…. She doesn’t need a Grammy in order for people to acknowledge her power.. Why? Because, she’s the Grammy herself.. She’s the Grammy of female rap. PERIOD!!!! #HardWhiteVIDEO pic.twitter.com/LcwpSLy3HY
— Gozi Oleks (@GoziOleks_) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/nickismymom6/status/1091204381645701121
By showing the Grammy in her video, Nicki’s letting you bitches know that she don’t need a fuckin Grammy… SHE IS THE GRAMMY‼️haha! My bitch is mad disrespectful 😂
— Jane Obiako (Jasmine) 🇳🇬🦄 (@HerMinajesty1) February 1, 2019
She violated everybody 😂 #madrespectforthisbitch 🙌
“I’m the TROPHY OF THE GAME” #HardWhiteVIDEO pic.twitter.com/6bcb9vccsr
Drake
One of the most striking visuals in the video was a scorpion in pieces, which fans consider to be major shade thrown at Drake and his Grammy-nominated album, Scorpion. Aside from being among the top Grammy nominees, Drake was also supposedly more prominently promoted by Spotify at a time it could have been highlighting Queen, according to Minaj. (She also dissed him in “Barbie Dreams.”) This probably led fans to zoom in on that quick scorpion clip: “Did y’all notice that Drake is featured in the video?” asked user @beyonikaw.
https://twitter.com/beyonikaw/status/1091205054051348480
https://twitter.com/EdisKrasniqi04/status/1091205161199038464
https://twitter.com/MarcusDee_/status/1091204406706667521
Nicki Minaj really did enter 2019 with big DICK Energy like sis did destroy that scorpion #HardWhiteVIDEO pic.twitter.com/bf4LY4oTI9
— ☆☆☆☆☆ (@michellejeann_) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/CJBYDESIGN/status/1091204257708011520
The most important piece of the #HardWhiteVideo pic.twitter.com/H7AwCphzAQ
— Hundun✨ (@HoneyGuwop) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/minaj_mister/status/1091203567418073088
Twitter, media, and Cardi B
One of several feuds Minaj had on Twitter in 2018 was with writer Wanna Thompson, who was harassed relentlessly for writing music criticism about Minaj. Fans now consider the clip of the dead bird in the “Hard White” video to be a reference to this particular controversy. User @askmesucka even went so far as to say “Nicki addressed the chit chat amongst the hating n****s of the culture/industry. Including blogs etc. Nicki made this visual this way for a reason. It’s to make you think. Understand that she’s applying pressure to necks even more now.”
#HardWhiteVIDEO let’s keep it a buck, Nicki addressed the chit chat amongst the hating niggas of the culture/industry. Including blogs etc. Nicki made this visual this way for a reason. It’s to make you think. Understand that she’s applying pressure to necks even more now.
— DLow da Kid (@AskMeSucka) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/beyonikaw/status/1091210780895260672
Some also believe the birds are a symbol for Cardi B.
https://twitter.com/EdisKrasniqi04/status/1091211481411174400
https://twitter.com/EdisKrasniqi04/status/1091213207551819779
Is Roman back?
As if to confirm that she’s clapping back on detractors in “Hard White,” the video also supposedly marks the return of Minaj’s alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, as fans were quick to flag. Minaj has a number of alter egos, and Roman “is Minaj’s most well-known and utilized alter ego, as well as her self-professed favorite. Zolanski is described as an orange haired homosexual male from London, England, characterized as being far more outspoken (and perhaps malicious) than Minaj herself,” according to nickiminaj.fandom.com
Roman really came through in this video #HardWhiteVIDEO https://t.co/i8KWE7kFi8
— J⁺¹ | Boss & CEO (@RisingTron) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/ghostinfe/status/1091207431726743552
So Roman got resurrected??? #HardWhiteVideo cause that wasn’t Ms Chun Li…. pic.twitter.com/ZZZ8sFJOcp
— 🔪 (@PLAYATR0N) February 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/Shoutouttobarbz/status/1091202092277088256
https://twitter.com/BARBIETWNGZ/status/1091213530848784384
Told you guys that Roman was making his return! Stream #HardWhiteVIDEO👑 pic.twitter.com/1TVjwmGs9x
— Nicki Minaj Access (@NMinajAccess) February 1, 2019
Don’t you just love it when artists go to great lengths to throw shade in their music videos?
