Nicki Minaj Blasts Grammys for Moving Her Out of Rap Category

Nicki Minaj wants to know why her track “Super Freaky Girl” was booted from the rap category. The Grammys are reclassifying the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with its pop contenders. Minaj, who co-created the song, recently took to Twitter to air her thoughts about the situation, suggesting that if “Super Freaky Girl” is being forced into pop, then maybe Latto’s hit “Big Energy” should be submitted as well. The song samples Tom Tom Club’s 1982 hit “Genius of Love,” which Mariah Carey famously sampled for her hit record “Fantasy. “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!” Minaj wrote on Twitter, referring to Latto’s hit single. “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.” The observation would later escalate into a Twitter war with fellow rapper Latto.

Minaj went on to release a series of tweets on the matter. She even answered a Twitter user who asked, “Anaconda was nominated for Rap Song. Wouldn’t you say that SFG and Anaconda are sonically similar. So what changed??? ” Minaj replied, “I’d LOVE to know.” She wrote later, “Could you imagine someone telling you not to ‘complain’ about being treated unfairly at your workplace?” she wrote. “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.” A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the Recording Academy’s rap committee decided Minaj’s record, which samples Rick James’ 1981 classic “Super Freak,” should compete for best pop solo performance instead of rap.

Minaj also posted a video on Instagram on Oct. 13 criticizing the decision. “They stay moving the goalposts when it comes to me,” the rapper said about the academy in the clip. “Why is the goalpost only ever moved when it’s Nicki?” The music star sings, raps, or both in several hip-hop and pop songs she has released over the years. Her 2010 debut solo single, “Your Love,” included a sample of Annie Lennox’s 1995 cover version of “No More I Love You.” She has since released other pop-influenced songs like “Super Bass” and “Starships,” which Hot 97 radio host Peter Rosenberg infamously labeled “not real hip-hop.”

The only Grammy nomination Minaj has received in pop is for best pop duo/group performance with “Bang Bang,” a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Jessie J.  Most of her Grammy nominations have been in rap, including best rap album for Pink Friday and The Pinkprint, best rap song for “Anaconda,” and best rap performance for “Moment 4 Life” and “Truffle Butter.” Other singles with rap elements that have competed for best pop solo performance include Doja Cat’s “Say So,” in which she sings and raps, and Post Malone’s “Better Now,” which incorporates hip-hop, alternative, and pop elements. The 2023 Grammy nominations will be announced on Nov. 15, and the live telecast will air on Feb. 5, 2023, from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on CBS and streamer Paramount+.