Brad Beatson knows it’s Monday. Sometimes, when I meet a woman who seems interested, I spout fiction as fact. I want to project where I think I’ll be rather than own up to where I’m at. I don’t think they want to hear about the drudgery of freelance work or the financial benefits of the dollar menu. So I stretch the truth a bit. Unfortunately, if things work out, I’ll never live up to the false image. Nicki Minaj is talking directly to guys like me. Don’t hit the blunt if you have virgin lungs. Don’t buy the BMW if you can’t afford it. Don’t act like Tony Montana if you’re a delivery-service runner. Stop lying — that’s all she’s asking for. It’s similar to the message Kendrick Lamar proffered on “Hol’ Up”: “I call a bitch a bitch a hoe a hoe a woman a woman.” They’re calling it how they see it, and Minaj is sick of guys inflating their image in hopes of the proverbial ‘smash.’ Really, there aren’t many new ideas on Minaj’s “Lookin Ass Nigga.” The production is trap-based with hints of Dancehall. Lyrically she’s turned the ethos of the line, “Move weight in the South but live in Hoboken” (“Beez in the Trap”), into a full song. And while Minaj is a talented rapper, Amil’s verse on “Can I Get A…” and TLC’s “No Scrubs” made the same point years ago. Whether or not Minaj’s delivery is controversial depends on whom you ask.
