Was Nicki Minaj Out Of Line With Jab At Malcolm X’s Daughter On “Chi-Raq” Track?

Nicki Minaj has been forging a return to the game, spitting edgy bars as heard on her previous single “Lookin’ Ass Ni**a” which angered the family of Malcolm X AKA El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz over use his image.

The Queens rapper joined forces with Chicago’s Lil Herb for the song “Chi-Raq” and threw a jab at the slain leader’s daughter on the follow-up track. The question that remains is this: did the Pink Friday artist overstep her position by responding to the family of one of Black History’s most revered figures in a violent, profane rap song?

“Don’t yell cut when it’s shootin’ time/Sign up, it’s recrutin’ time/Big wigs with them suit and ties/And them big things, I got two inside/F*ck warrin’ with these ho ni**as/I don’t do coke, I don’t blow ni**as/I don’t tell ni***as, I show ni**as/And it’s never less than like four ni**as,” is how Minaj opens up the track.

Minaj grows more darker on the sinister track, addressing the fervor surrounding her use of the iconic “By Any Means Necessary” photo of Malcolm X. Minaj is in straight battle mode in a continuation of her blistering and profane bars featured on “Lookin’ Ass Ni**a.”

“Malcolm X daughter came at me/lookin’ ass ni**as ain’t happy/rolled out with some Latin Kings and some eses in them plain khaki’s,” said Minaj.

For those who wanted Minaj to get back to her gutter rap roots, they’ll be pleased. The ferocious, scene-stealing ability she featured on Kanye West’s 2010 “Monster” single is making a slow return but at what cost ultimately?

All over social media, fans of Minaj are praising the track as she has one of most rabid fan bases around. Minaj’s return to hardcore rap after flirting with the pop world would normally be a cause for celebration if not for the swipe at Ilyasah Shabazz, one of the six childtren of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.

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Photo: Instagram/Nicki Minaj

Shabazz voiced her concerns when Minaj released the aforementioned “Lookin’ Ass Ni**a” track’s promotional cover, used without consent from the family.

“Ms. Minaj’s artwork for her single does not depict the truth of Malcolm X’s legacy, is completely disrespectful, and in no way is endorsed by my family,” Ilyasah Shabazz said to the New York Daily News back in February.

“That was never the official artwork nor is this an official single,” Minaj wrote on her Instagram page in a now deleted post. “I apologize to the Malcolm X estate.”

Minaj has never pretended to be some grand champion of civil rights, but she has used the power of her celebrity for good recently. What message is Minaj sending to her fans with this new tough-girl image and the blatant disregard of the Shabazz family? It doesn’t shock that there’s little chatter online regarding the lyric, but one should wonder if there would be outcry if a less beloved artist pulled this stunt.

Why isn’t Minaj sticking to her apology and reviving the the tasteless and, quite frankly, erroneous affair? Are we to expect yet another apology via Instagram that will later be deleted, or is this bravado displayed Minaj is what we’re left to deal with? Freedom of speech is definitely a right that the rapper should have, but Nicki Minaj should be reminded that the efforts of individuals like Malcolm X is why she has that platform of empowerment now.