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On his podcast, Expeditiously With Tip "T.I." Harris, rapper T.I. stated that both Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj couldn’t be on the list of G.O.A.T.s (greatest of all time), as they were a reflection of each other — an untrue claim. However, even if this were true, stating that only one of them should be acknowledged as a G.O.A.T. is misogynistic, sexist and unfair to both women. It also goes to show that female rappers are often unnecessarily pitted against each other, as if there couldn’t be space for all of them.
Certain people might call Meek Mill a G.O.A.T. (I am not one of them), but I bet no one would say because Meek Mill is a reflection of DMX, he cannot be on the list.
In this article, I will point out that not only is Nicki Minaj greater in certain ways than Lil Kim, but both she and Nicki MInaj are definitely G.O.A.T.s as far as rappers are concerned. I won’t dwell on making the argument for Lil Kim since people often acknowledge her. Yet, for some strange reason, they hate to give Nicki Minaj her due respect.
I am aware that Nicki Minaj can sometimes be aggressive, going as far as sometimes being a bully, but there are several male rappers with these traits who are not treated the way Nicki Minaj is. Are there better and more mature ways Nicki could handle certain situations? Yes, but that in no way stops her from being a G.O.A.T.
To those who have listened to both artists, Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj’s rap styles are different. Yes, we can sometimes detect Lil Kim’s influence on Nicki Minaj, especially at the beginning of her career, but even then, their rap styles were different.
Nicki Minaj, dare I argue, is a more versatile rapper. Her ability to switch flows and rap styles is unmatched by any rapper except Jay-Z. Nicki’s ability to use poetic devices such as metaphors, similes, rhyme schemes and her incredible word play skills, or use of puns, are unmatched by any female rapper. (And I would only include Lauryn Hill in that list because she has only one great album — please give us another.) Only a few male rappers alive today, such as Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Eminem and Lil Wayne, have these skills.
It's true, Lil Kim paved the way for Nicki Minaj. In certain respects, such as hard flows and braggadocio, especially in her earlier career, Lil Kim is greater than Nicki Minaj, but Nicki Minaj’s incredible versatility (as someone once described her, the "Jim Carrey of hip-hop"), her ability to switch up flows, reinvent her rap career across different albums and the ability to body verses on other people’s tracks are far greater than Lil Kim’s. Lil Kim tried to switch up flows, but failed at it.
Nicki’s verse on DaBaby’s song "iPHONE," where she had about five or six different flows, puns, allusions etc., proves that she most definitely belongs on the list of G.O.A.T.s of hip-hop. Her featured verse on "Monster" is unarguably one of the best rap verses of all time. And one only needs to listen to the sadly underrated "Roman Holiday," one of the most artistic rap verses of all time with complex themes, varying poetic devices and beautiful flows, to realize that Nicki has incredible lyrical skills.
Lil Kim is a G.O.A.T. among rappers, but so is Nicki Minaj. Nicki has been the most successful female rapper for a decade and proved that females in the male dominated hip-hop industry can be successful against all odds. As a matter of fact, dare I say her road was harder than most female rappers who had come before her (except for the first female rapper, probably), including Lil Kim. When Kim came out, there were no female rappers with a real and impactful presence.
As Nicki has said herself, she's still around and on top because she is a chameleon, switching it up for every era. No other female rapper has been able to successfully do so, and even few male rappers have had the longevity that she has had. In turn, she has paved the way for several female rappers such as Cardi B, City Girls, Megan Thee Stallion, Kash Doll and Saweetie, all who now have it much easier than she did. Nicki has arguably made rap by females successful in a way that Lil Kim never could.
Only time would tell if any other female rapper can surpass Nicki. (I'm looking at you, Tierra Whack, Megan Thee Stallion, sadly ignored Angel Haze and Kash Doll.) Of course, Lil Kim paved the way for Nicki Minaj and held her own in an era of male rappers who went hard. However, all arguments given prove that Nicki Minaj not only should be given a seat at the table of G.O.A.T.s of hip-hop, but actually already has a seat. Lil Kim crawled so Nicki could run. Nicki ran so Cardi could fly.
T.I. did not have to pit Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj against each other. It is this act of pitting female rappers against each other, especially by misogynistic male rappers, that has often led to discord. It would have been better if no one selected Nicki Minaj. To put it in such a way that only one woman could come out the winner was inherently sexist and just another way of men denying women the respect and recognition they deserve, further enhancing the "Queen Bee Syndrome," where only one woman can shine.
T.I. did not do the same to the male rappers, but had no qualms doing the same to two women who had long been pitted against each other. I am tired of this trope that says there is only room for one woman at a given point in time. They both have room at the table of G.O.A.T.s in hip-hop. Shame on T.I., because some of the male rappers he recognized as G.O.A.T.s are nowhere close to Nicki Minaj’s rap skills.
Nicki and Lil Kim are definitely both G.O.A.T.s, even if as you put it, they are reflections of each other. Congrats to Lil Kim on her very well-deserved BET I am Hip-Hop award. BET needs to know however, that in time, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliot (if she hasn't already gotten one) and, of course, Nicki Minaj, should be recipients, too.
