Embracing the Lyrics of Nicki Minaj’s “Stupid Hoe”

If Nicki Minaj won’t say it, who will? With the imminent advent of The Pinkprint, it’s important to reflect on one of the best singles from her last album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (will she ever run out of titles with “pink” in them?). The polarizing “Stupid Hoe” spits vitriol like no other, and is refreshing for its lack of embracing female solidarity, a somewhat contrived trend of late.

Ordinarily, Minaj prefers to direct her anger at men (see: “Lookin Ass”), but, for the first time in her career–and maybe ever in the history of women–Minaj directs her rage at the stupidity of, well, bitches. With a breakdown that includes, “Stupid hoes is my enemy/Stupid hoes is so whack/Stupid hoe shoulda befriended me/Then she coulda probably came back,” Minaj elucidates that just because two women share the same genitalia, it does not mean they’re going to be friends–as seems to be the common misconception.

While it’s a played term at this point, Minaj’s reference to basic bitches takes on pop cultural brilliance as she notes, “Bitch talking she the queen, when she looking like a lab rat/I’m Angelina, you Jennifer/Come on bitch, you see where Brad at.” Yes, Jennifer Aniston is quite an apropos example of basicness, remaining well-liked and applauded in spite of bringing very little to the table in terms of excitement or intrigue. Angelina Jolie, on the other hand, is the type of woman who you never know what to anticipate from. And this is the sort of female Nicki can roll with.

Minaj’s railing against the effrontery of frivolous women who think they’re special is not only a bold artistic choice, but an anthem that so many of us have been missing from our lives in terms of being able to express which was, up until Minaj came along, taboo. Yes, it’s okay to hate other women as a woman. You don’t have to apologize anymore. And it’s all thanks to Nicki Minaj. Because Mean Girls got away from itself at the end by making its protagonist contrite about what Tina Fey lesbianically calls “Girl on girl crime.” But if it’s a crime to hate stupid hoes, then lock me and Minaj up–’cause we’re willing to pay the price.