Tag: Week 4

A hero is someone who creates their own path, someone who isn’t afraid to separate themselves from society. Nicki Minaj fits that description perfectly. Some people don’t view her as a hero, but to a lot of people she’s a role model and an inspiration. She revolutionised women in the hip-hop/rap music industry, so much so that critics state, “She’s one of the best rappers of all time.” Minaj is also the first solo female artist to have seven singles on Billboard’s top 100 at the same time, also she is the only female rapper to be featured on Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. She has been awarded the best Female Hip-Hop artist at the 2010 BET Awards.

Onika Tanya Maraj, Nicki’s birth name, came from a hard life in Queens, New York. Her father was a drug addict and a heavy drinker, at one point he tried to kill her mother by burning the house down. Once she was old enough, she started working. She got fired from fifteen different jobs because of her standing up for what she believed in. Her last job before she was discovered at 19 was at Red Lobster. Imagine that, someone going from working at Red Lobster to going on tours with other celebrities.

It was a tough road for Minaj even when she realised she had the talent to be a star. At first she wanted to be on Broadway, but was eventually turned down, and attended a performing arts school. Then she found a passion for the music industry, particularly rap. She tried but was told ‘no’ a lot. She kept on trying though, she said at one point that she always had a female empowerment drive which led her to want to become successful so she could help her mom out. Her first record label was with the Dirty Money label. Nicki Minaj made a series of mix tapes with the label but it just didn’t work. Lil Wayne, another current rapper, heard her mixtapes and wanted to sign her. Nicki signed to Young Money Cash Money Entertainment label, which happens to be her current label.

Nicki Minaj inspires a lot of people. She carved her own path for her life, not listening to what other people were saying about her not being able to “make it big.” She went into the music industry not as a singer but as a female rapper, which is almost unheard of. She might not be a person whose actions I want to copy, but her determination and motivation is something I really admire. She pushes herself everyday to be better and to try harder. In a world where a lot of people don’t go after what they are after because they are scared, or being bullied, or people are telling them no you’ll never be able to do that, we could use more people like her.

Your definition of a hero may be different than mine but one heroic quality that I find important is leadership to pursue their dream and to just enjoy life and be happy with who they are. She is a true leader and a hero, and Nicki Minaj has proven herself to be an inspiration to all mankind. She has inspired many people. Nicki Minaj will be remembered for a long, long time.

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Instructions: Write about someone who inspires you, write about how they inspire you. Is it a family member, sports star, author, actor?