Queen of Rap Onika “Nicki Minaj” Maraj has been at the forefront in the elevation of female figures within the hip-hop spectrum. Establishing herself as a formidable lyricist with the heads of respected rappers hanging on the wall of her featured verses and multiple multi-platinum-selling records, she has made a name for herself. With a prodigious legacy tailing her steps, her fame has been marred with numerous beefs, including that of fellow rappers Remy Ma, Cardi B, and, more recently, Megan thee Stallion. And with her latest skirmish with Megan, the Pink Friday 2 mastermind has revealed a side of herself that isn’t to the tune of the Nicki who has assumed unquestionable dominion over the 2010s.
On the heels of the release of Megan thee Stallion’s “HISS”, Minaj has dropped “Big Foot”, a timely yet lethargic response that feels more like a reply than an actual diss. Distastefully named “Big Foot”, since Megan is an Amazonian woman who’s been embroiled in the traumatic scandal of getting shot in the foot, the track is a less-than-slick clapback loaded with references to Megan’s dirty laundry.
On the four-minute joint – which is, in truth, half of actual rap while the second half is just her talking – she covers the Tory Lanez saga (“The b*tch fell off, I said, ‘Get up on your good foot.’”) and her getting it on with her best friend’s man (“F*ckin’ your best friend man is crazy, you the type though”). Retaliating over the “Megan’s Law” portion of Megan’s song (which is only a single line), Nicki’s jaded performance is tantamount to getting rid of a housefly using a grenade.
Rapping over a fast-paced beat, Nicki is a pale version of herself as she fights to defend her pique and the public honour of her husband, Kenny Petty, on the record. What’s more, is that the song in its entirety is locked on Megan, off-key considering that the line being responded to wasn’t even specifically geared to scrape Nicki’s skin. With that said, Onika’s lack of her usual kineticism, conviction, and vigour is a symptom of something deeper: the response to Megan wasn’t exactly aimed at the intended recipient; she was simply used as a punching bag for everyone who has been looking at Nicki askant for her marital choice.
There are quirky yet comical glimpses of the usual Nicki on the record, as rare as they come. Her satirical evil laugh at the beginning as well as the “Sh*t gon’ get uglier than Ken Barbie, okay?” one-liner are amusing sprinklings on an otherwise badly baked cake made from the fodder of Twitter posts and Instagram previews.
“Big Foot” is as much a misfire as it is a crudely constructed diss with no base to stand on other than suspicion and fomenting mistrust. Compiled from Megan’s misfortunes and scandals, the song is gossipy pomace not even worth treading on foot, a lazy piece of work that is wholly uncharacteristic of Nicki while hinting at the existence of a darker side within her.
Listen to “Big Foot”:
