Nicki Minaj took to social media on Thursday to react to her hit single, “Super Freaky Girl,” being kicked out of the Grammy Rap category.
Despite spending eight weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, the song will compete in the Pop category at the Grammys.
Nicki submitted the track, which was released in August, to the rap categories, but the decision was overturned by the Recording Academy’s rap committee.
The committee determined that the playful and pop-sounding song, which sampled Rick James’ 1981 classic, “Super Freak,” should compete for Best Pop Solo Performance instead.
Listen to the song below.
Nicki Minaj went live on Instagram on Thursday afternoon to react to the decision and as you can imagine, she wasn’t happy about it one bit.
She began by saying, “‘Super Freaky Girl’ was removed from rap categories, we found out today, in the Grammys submissions, right?”
“‘Super Freaky Girl’ where I only rapped on the song was removed out of Rap categories at the Grammys and put in Pop.”
Nicki went on to point out how Drake’s singy songy smash, “Hotline Bling,” won Best Rap Song in 2017 and Best Rap Sung Song.
She went on to compare “Super Freaky Girl” to Latto’s hit single, “Big Energy,” which features a very notable sample from Mariah Carey’s 1995 Pop smash, “Fantasy.”
“Let’s just say ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a pop song. What is ‘Big Energy?’ If ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is a Pop song. What song is ‘Big Energy?’ What genre is ‘Big Energy?’”
Nicki Minaj declared, “They stay moving the goalpost when it comes to me.”
“Because in order for them to uplift the people who they want to shine, the people who these corporate giants can make the money off of, the people who control a lot of things behind the scenes…they have to elevate someone that they profit off. So, they must move the goalpost for me all the time.”
Watch Nicki Minaj’s full video statement below.
While I totally understand Nicki’s frustrations and something in the milk ain’t clean – singling out Latto and “Big Energy” feels like a dog whistle to the Barbs to go on the attack.
Let’s be honest, the Grammys has been a low-vibration plate for years.
Look how they played in The Weeknd’s face because he chose to do the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out and who will end up receiving Grammy nominations when they are announced.
Let me know your thoughts on the Grammy’s decision to move “Super Freaky Girl” in the comments below or join the convo on our socials. (Facebook, Instagram)