Don't Hate, Appreciate: How To See The Pure Genius In Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda'
At the stroke of midnight, the greatly hyped and highly anticipated video for Nicki Minaj’s latest material, "Anaconda," went live. Jaws hit the floor as viewers identified their new song for motivation at the gym.
The song, which samples and flips Sir Mix-a-Lot’s classic, “Baby Got Back,” is truthfully nothing special. However, that is the magic and brilliance of Minaj’s approach to music entertainment.
"Anaconda" is a deliberate feast for the carnal urges of the lustful mind. There’s nothing subtle or artistic about the presentation. You get shaking, clapping, bending over and every other manner that serves up the female body. In the classic tradition of the Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Nicki serves unfiltered sex on a platter.
From the moment she dropped the cover art for this iTunes-released single, she knew what the result of this would be. The "outrage” and concern for the image that circulated was always part of the overall plan for the material's execution.
Today’s music entertainers are often more pressed to hold the public’s attention than they are to create deep, moving music.
Nicki Minaj has perfected the art of the “look at me” era of entertainment. The combination of lyrical skill, physical sex appeal and a comfort in being totally over-the-top makes her a triple threat to hit fans from a number of angles.
While people will undoubtedly moan and whine about the blatant raunchiness and sexuality of the content, the fact is that at this point, people should know EXACTLY what they are getting with Minaj. How many times does fire burn before you understand that it’s hot? This is what Nicki unapologetically gives you.
It is also big business and that’s where her true media skills exist. The video is viral gold, and if you understand the business model of online video platforms, then you know that means money. Regardless of what people think of the content or the musical worth of the song, views and page clicks matter.
Nicki has already won with this video. Combine that with the recently updated Billboard charts that now factor in online presence, and you'll quickly realize what’s happening. Nicki Minaj isn’t some ditzy fool that just likes to shake it for attention.
Her lyrics are intense, but they grab your attention and make her a success. Here's a sample of the song's lyrics:
This dude named Michael used to buy motorcycles. D*ck bigger than a tower, I ain’t talking about Eiffel. Real country ass n*gga, let me play with his rifle. P*ssy put his ass to sleep, now he calling me NyQuil. Now that bang bang bang, I let him hit it cause he slang cocaine. He toss my salad like his name Romaine, and when we done, I make him buy me Balmain. I’m on some dumb sh*t. By the way, what he say? He can tell I ain’t missing no meals, come through and f*ck em in my automobile. And I’m hitting it with his girls, and he telling me to chill, and he telling me it’s real, that he love my sex appeal. Say he don’t like em boney, he want something he can grab.
This is a calculated, team-created content masterpiece and syndication for the greatest possible return on investment. Nicki Minaj knows just as well as we do that in regards to how much people pretend to be upset with something, they will still click the link to watch, share and retweet.
The game is simple once you know how to influence people and grab their interest. Say what you want, but Nicki Minaj will get you talking about her music and simultaneously line her pockets with cash.
Photo Courtesy: Nicki Minaj/ Anaconda
