Nicki Minaj Sparked a Huge Internet Debate With Her "White Rappers” Post

Nicki Minaj sparked an Internet debate this weekend after posting a now-deleted Instagram photo of white male rap artists on the iTunes charts.

As Complex reports, Nicki originally took to her Instagram on the night of December 16 to post a screencap of the current top 10 rap songs on iTunes. She captioned the post with, “It’s a great time to be a white rapper in America huh? These are the top 10 rap songs on US iTunes. S/O to Em & Post. Two of my faves. Congrats to Em on his new album. #Motorsport put dat thing in sport.”

Following the post, Nicki received criticism, as XXL reports that she then updated the caption to read, “Update blocking all u sensitive d*ck riders. It IS a great time to be a white rapper in America. I wanna sign one for my new label. U know anyone? I spk my mthafkn mind n if u don’t like it gtfo my page d*ck rida! Y’all can never wait to ride the Queen d*ck! Sensitive a*s ig thugs. Gtfoh.”

Fans on social media are split on the matter. Because while Nicki's original post was likely meant as just an observation, there seem to be many external fan interpretations floating around. Many were reportedly defending Nicki's first and now-deleted posting, noting that she wasn't factually incorrect in saying so many of the artists represented on the iTunes chart were white rappers. Others are assuming she is upset about their success, while some interpreted it as a "call out" and commended her for it.

Either way, Nicki ended up deleting the initial post and followed up with (another now-deleted) Instagram that has led some to believe she removed the first in response to some sexist, double standard–filled backlash. In her second 'gram, she shared a 2014 video interview of J. Cole in which the artist discussed white artists performing in genres they didn't create, including jazz. For that post, Nicki captioned, "Whenever a black woman speaks on ANYTHING she’s labeled as 'mad' 'angry' 'bitter.'” She followed it up with another caption of, “I’m on 4 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. I’m blessed & highly favored thx to my amazing fans.” Complex notes that before she deleted all of the posts, she responded by saying she was posting “on new developments within the music industry.”

This isn't the first time that artists like Nicki have spoken up about the disparity experienced by black woman in the music industry. Last year, Solange Knowles spoke against the double standard, saying, "As black women in general, we're always having to fight two times harder."

Related: Nicki Minaj Talks About Music Industry Sexism

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