We can agree, Nicki Minaj owned the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Serving as both host and performer, all eyes were tuned in for what the prolific emcee and larger than life personality would bring to the airwaves. Nicki Minaj is no stranger to the MTV stage, she was the 2022 Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient and co-hosted the latter part of the show alongside LL Cool J. Minaj is in full album mode and has officially announced the release date for her highly anticipated 5th studio album, “Pink Friday2”, set for release on 11.17.23. 
New Jersey’s Prudential Center was ablaze with the biggest names in the music industry. There was glitz, glamour and a special live skit performance from renowned circus act Barnum and Bailey that kicked the show off lol (iykyk).
But Nicki Minaj was the star of the night as she opened the show dressed in a custom pink bridal gown and veil by Dolce and Gabbana. She looked both alluring and angelic. Obviously, I don’t know what the creative process was for this gown, but it fits; both Nicki’s aesthetic and where she is at in life. Initially, I thought the gown was a symbol of her love for Hip-hop, since 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the genre but that could be a stretch.
Shakira was this year’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient and she bought the house down. Shakira has always been THAT girl on the stage and a true global icon. Taylor Swift was everyone at the VMA’s lol-she got her life on and was vibing to the music. I have never seen her personality shine the way it did Tuesday night and you couldn’t help but walk away with a new respect for her.
Taylor was also the biggest winner of the night, taking home a total of 9 Moon Men, breaking her own record she set last year by winning MTV Video of the Year Award again. Congratulations to both Shakira and Taylor, well deserved ladies.
Everyone’s favorite fun loving Bad Boy, Sean “Diddy” Combs received the MTV Global Icon Award. He also performed a medley of his hits in a performance including his daughters and son Justin. Keisha Cole was one of Diddy’s special guest and they performed their hit song “Last Night” together.
Diddy had an awesome performance and it was really dope seeing him with his children on stage. I know that meant the world to his daughters. Except for Barnum and Bailey’s clown skit earlier in the show, everyone else looked great and gave stellar performances.
Nicki Minaj not only served as host and performer of 2023’s MTV Video Music Awards, she also received the Moon Man for Best Hip Hop for “Super Freaky Girl”. There was no better artist fitting of the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip Hop than Nicki Minaj.
She has been on an extraordinary chart run for 3 years straight and no one can deny the records she has broken. “Super Freaky Girl” was the last female rap song to DEBUT at #1 since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wap, That Thing”. Congratulations Nicki…well deserved.
Minaj looked breathtaking the entire night, but it was her confidence that gave this undeniable aura radiating thru the broadcast. She was in control and command of the night and showed the world why she is Nicki Minaj, Queen of Rap.
Nicki’s first performance of the night was singing “Last Time I Saw You” live. The MIC was on honey and I couldn’t have felt prouder of her at that moment. “Last Time I Saw You” is such a beautiful song and so rich in meaning, the only way to properly deliver it was with simplicity.
As the instrumental came in, Minaj’s stage platform rose up in the most ambient of pink lighting and she started to sing. She was dressed in a fitting black cloak with a microphone stand in front of her. No extra fluff and filler, no dancers or dizzying images-just Nicki with her back up singer, Ms. Keisha Renee a few feet away on a different platform.
Nicki sounded so beautiful as she sung live while amid her industry peers. Karol G, Taylor Swift and so many others watched the Queen of Rap belt out a ballad with class, grace and poise without missing a beat or note. This is what matters. Any hate or bias was set to the side because no one can deny the talent that is Nicki Minaj. The vulnerability in which she sang “LTISY”, makes her that much more of a dynamic artist-not just rapper.
The camera kept its focus on Nicki throughout the performance for a reason. Nicki is a unicorn; a once in a lifetime talent and MTV wanted to capture that moment. A rapper from Southside Jamaica Queens, just bought millions of viewers across the world to the brink of tears with a ballad.
After the performance of “LTISY”, Nicki gave the audience a snippet of “Big Difference” off her upcoming album “Pink Friday2”, and babbbbyyyyyyyy did she fire the crowd up!!! Shortly after Nicki started rapping the chorus, the camera panned to Taylor Swift and her facial expressions when she caught the vibe of the song was everything.
Nicki Minaj was rapping like Nicki Maraj-hungry, like the crown is hers for the taking. I have always said Nicki’s biggest threat in the game is whatever limits she puts on herself. To see her in full control and command of that “Big Difference” performance highlighted everything that is missing in female rap.
Charisma, self-awareness, control and presence on top of possessing an elite skillset is what makes Nicki Minaj unstoppable. She displayed remarkable breath control as she performed “Last Time I Saw You”, “Big Difference” and segued into the Hip Hop 50th anniversary performance.
The Hip Hop 50th anniversary performance was everything. The crowd was on their feet and everyone felt the music, there was no better way to close the show out. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 reunited and performed their hit song “The Message” and they had the Prudential Center lit! Then it transitioned to Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick performing their classic hit “The Show”. Believe it or not, there was a time in hip-hop and rap culture where it was about the music and talent; bots were nonexistent.
The next thing the crowd heard was the beat drop for “Itty Bitty Piggy” and they went crazy-I mean crazy-as Nicki rocked that stage with just a mic and a few dancers behind her. But the coolest part of it all was when she kneeled and “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” came in. The applause Nicki got when that intro started was deafening. They knew the song word for word and bar for bar. The crowd was hype and gave Red Ruby the energy she was looking for.
There was a slight transition into Nicki Minaj’s “Only” as Lil Wayne came out to “A Milli”. Wayne is the GOAT-everyone and their grandmother was rapping along with him. He is such an energetic performer. LL Cool J did a short medley of some of his biggest hits “I’m Bad” and “Mama Said Knock You Out”. DMC of Run DMC joined LL Cool J on stage and they performed “Rock Box” and “Walk This Way” as Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 joined everyone back on stage and Nicki Minaj closed out the show.
At the beginning of the award ceremony, in her opening monologue, Nicki said some people had concerns of her hosting the show; concerns she would say something inappropriate. But let’s be real, the “concern” was she would use MTV’s platform to air out her grievances towards those she felt slighted by.
A platform that was streaming and being televised in millions upon millions of households across the world. I’m not going to speculate as to where the calls came from, we all know the players involved. But my question is this, if Nicki has no influence or legit impact, which was the narrative being shoved down our throats for the past 5 years, why worry about the power of her words now?
Nicki is in a very precarious position. She has been crowned Queen, but she is fit to be King. That’s why those calls were made to MTV. The lack of proximity and access to Nicki, her fanbase and influence has stifled some female rappers. With Nicki being on this incredible resurgence in female rap, she is leaving certain female rappers in the dust. After all, wasn’t the super duo of Barnum and Bailey supposed to take her spot.
Author: Kara B (@karabrazey20 on X / formerly Twitter)