I was wondering when someone would mention this. I've noticed her getting lighter every month. You are right - it is a calculated effort to make her look less "ethnically black". The truth is, in the entertainment business, the closer you are to the European ideal, the greater your success. The more racially ambiguous you are, the more comfortable the mainstream (i.e whites) are in accepting you and exalting you as fabulous. Notice how any black celebrity that crosses over into the mainstream never acknowledges just being black (they always find some type of mixture, no matter how far back it is) to highlight. Face it, even in the 21st Century being black is still seen as the worst thing you can be.

"Notice how any black celebrity that crosses over into the mainstream
never acknowledges just being black (they always find some type of
mixture, no matter how far back it is) to highlight." Hmmmm... Where do I begin? Jay-Z, Kanye, Viola Davis, Dizzee, Tinie Tempah, Will Smith, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Idris Elba, Oprah.... could go on for yeeeaaars.

ps. Am writing from a British standpoint so you might not be aware of some of these people, but they are a part of mainstream British entertainment culture.

excuse me. white people do the same thing. its called being AMERICAN. americans have hardly ANY cultural restraints, so they have always been known to claim, irish, portuguese, italian, ghanan, brazilian, etc.

true, hardly any restraints because America is a melting pot. The land of the free gotta love it or get out of it. In regards of Nikki and the rest of black celebrities in the mainstream. there is a image change. For what ever reason its far greater than any of the other races that already have simular traits. Just my point of view.=)
 

Land of the free. Haha who are you kidding. You sound like a sell out. Don't forget where you came from.

Just one small point of correction. People from Ghana are Ghanaian. Thank you.

you're ignorant. god i mean, i really started loving jay z once he became white! wow! what a white guy he is now!

Yes, I never listen to any mainstream music, but I saw this woman in the news for the past year or so. I saw Michael Jackson all over again - this time in high speed. In her last video, she was so dramatically German that I Googled her to research what kind of mental issue she is having. Now I'm here.

It's the most obvious thing that she is having a racial image issue, especially now that I haven't lived in America for years and I can think more clearly without all the TV affecting my thoughts. For me, if I ignore the societal pressure to marry another white woman, I usually prefer a black woman or an Asian woman. I can definitely understand the insecurity of some black girls as a minority population with media constantly praising white features. Please ignore it though because you are very swexy.

awww its so a smart & clever comment, i luv ya way of mind, white man !) bless you ^^

still its okay to say "my black brother" and not "my white brother". black people talk about black this black that, when whites do it it's called racist

That's because "my white brother" sounds a bit KKK-ish....

maybe your problem is that you hate on your own kind. instead of dissing her you should be congratulating her for becoming "famous" whatever that may be.
so its not ok for a black woman to be appealing to white people? sounds like reverse racism to me. if you want to start breaking down racial barriers...start by breaking down your own.

Nicki is breaking down no racial barriers. She's a puppet. Trust the mainstream doesn't take her seriously. They laugh behind her back. I don't even think she cares though.

she is only in for the money, so I doubt she cares.

Exactly. She doesn't care bc money talks. Shes a puppet, but they will soon deminish her. Nicki will bow and thank her masters as long as she receives. But as soon as shes kicked to the curve she will be no use.

It's not ok for a Black woman to alter her appearance to appeal to white people.  That's what's wrong with this picture. 

Thank you!!! Black people should be proud of where they come from instead trying to be who they are not. What kind of message are you sending to black children? That being lighter is the way to go? It's not right. My little sister, though she is a little dark, swears that she is light and she's 12 years old. She has also made statements that make me believe that she wishes to be a lighter skin tone like me. Yes, it's a sad thing and i have to continously remind her of how adorable she is, light or not. But i can't blame her because of what society has drilled into our heads; i can only pray she learns to be self-accepting. You don't have to be white or light to be appealing. Darker skin is just as beautiful

My thing is no one cares when a caucaisan women goes tanning to be a little bit darker. No one thinks she's trying to become a black women, but when a black chick bleaches she's always accused of attempting to be white. Every women I've meet or read about on a blog that bleaches never wants to be white she's just attempting to be a lighter skinned black women. In my opinion I have no problems with that. I actually wish I could be a few shades lighter on some parts of my body so I can have even skin tone.

Any black woman who bleaches their skin to become something that they are not, has issues. Point blank. Bleaching an area to even your skin tone is NOT the same as bleaching your entire skin to lighten your shade. 

I just think it's a personal choice. If your not happy with your skin tone you should be allowed to alter it without people looking down upon you...

AGREED

YOU ARE DUMB! so every black woman who wear a long black or blonde weave has self hate? if u dye ur hair thats self hate!!! youre stupid! people will do what they find beauty in! its personal preference,the love for fair skin is ancient! and u need to respect that! ur no dr.phil or psychiatrist to try to analyze folks! mind ur own business and let folks do what they want

A lot of black women who wear weave in general wear it because the media, and society as a whole, have generated this image that long straight silky hair is the ideal and anything more ethnic, such as an afro, is nappy and not presentable. Its no coincidence that white people happen to possess this 'ideal' hair just as it is no coincidence that they also possess the light skin that a lot of black women are also trying to achieve. Just because the love for light skin is ancient doesn't make it any more right. Incest was rife in the 'ancient days' but I don't see anybody breaking their necks to do this today. At the end of the day people are going to do what ever the hell they want but maybe if more black women in the media stopped trying to conform to this ideal perception of beauty and were natural (i.e. natural hair and skin colour) then a lot of these young black girls out here wouldn't feel the need to conform either.

Co-sign!

Bleaching your skin has nothing to do with self hate you idiot! not everyone in the world has gone through slavery like your people did! there are whites who also bleach to be fairer! some/many folks love fair skin!! whites dont own fair skin! if someone likes how they look lighter...thats on them! thats what theyy feel beautiful with! plus,the love for fair skin on a woman is ancient and is recorded in many ancient civilizations! the ancient egyptians always painted women with fair skin(yellow) and men dark! go read poetry from ancient languages and u will see they praise fair skin on a woman because its connected to beauty/femininty! there is even a biological link in men to love fair/light skintones! so what are you on about!!! a person who bleaches their hair or skin or darkens their skin..is all vanity! stop playing the "self hate" crap..its old!

Of course its self hate if they did not hate their dark skin than why would they bleach their skin in the first place? You wouldn't go and get a boob job or a tummy tuck just because the idea popped into your head one day, no you get it because you hate your breasts or your stomach. And the majority of black women that bleach their skin couple it with weave and coloured contacts, if this is not self hate then I don't know what is.

And it has NOTHING to do with slavery. Blaim the media.

I care when a caucaisan women goes tanning. I say to myself oh yeah black is real nice because you want to look like it. (its not whack as they make it out to be) huh!!! all that goes running in my head. getting a few shades lighter from blemish one thing. Change your whole idenity for ?? is different and deap down inside i bet you laughing to yourself saying yeah you got a point because its truth. Dont that truth stuff still make you free. =)

Thats a very racist comment anon.

No one accuses white women of wanting to be black when they tan because more than likely they are not doing it to look black but more exotic like spanish or brazilian women etc.

These are all silly comments. Even though I never do it anymore, for me tanning has nothing to do with race. I never went tanning to appear more "Spanish/Brazilian." Race never popped into my head; I am perfectly content being caucasian. Most but not all other white women I know have felt the same as I, and gone tanning because tan skin tends to be perceived as easier on the eyes, or somehow more attractive than pasty white skin. I prefer having my natural pasty skin, but my point is that most women I know including myself didn't see tanning as trying to appear as someone of another race. It's more to look better wearing shorts, etc, or look like a California beach bum. Not to mention a large amount of women I know who tan are BLONDE as can be and I doubt that is an attempt to look more "Spanish." And as far at this Erika person said above, I have never heard of a white person tanning to seem or look "black." Maybe it exists, but it isn't very common.

 Umm being famous isnt an accomplishment. Would you be proud if your daughter became "famous" by way of butt injections and sucking on rappers d**ks? really?

Oh yea and read a fricken book cuz "reverse racism" : is a term referring to discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group. WOWAlso, to the poster below, just because everyone else is doing it (white people tanning) that doesnt mean its ok or right. smhIts sad that you see nothing wrong with a black woman bleaching her skin even if its just to be light skin. That is self-hate! They have bought into the whole light is right movement and lost their self esteem.Back to the subject at hand. Yes, Nicki Minaj is being white washed (knowingly or not) Yes, her viability as a hiphop artist is non existent so she is doing what many weak women before her have done. Sell her blackness (heritage and culture) so she could continue to spend 50k a month on bags. so sad

ur comment is so dumb. so.... we should congratulate all African Americans for being successful no matter what they do? come now

???? utterly confused from ur remark. if it were reverse racism Nikki hates being black by ur own remark. futhermore who would be the projector of racism if she cant appeal white's by looking like a beautiful black women that she at one point in time did. I for one am glad and thankfull for the way blacks have come into the mainstream. The only way blacks have ever had balance for being our true selves was by another black saying bluntly look sister girl are you "dyeing to be white" or something? All race of people look beautifull just the way God made them and every race should have accountability with speaking out when your going off the deep end and changing everything about yourself. EVERYTHING not one two but the whole Macoy! WUSSAAAH Erika WUU and SAAAHH! =)

who. cares.

"...the way Nicki Minaj is presented nowadays is a calculated effort to make consumers forget that she’s black."

good. this chic is ridiculous.

I wonder if we, at some level, do this to each other, though. I think a lot of this is internalized racism. Colorism's effect within the black community rather than something white people are demanding.

Black people freak out over small differences in skin tone and nose shape, but I don't think white people care as much. They still know Nicki and Bey are black. It's sort of all the same thing to them. Nicki and Bey happen to have knifed up their faces; I doubt that was necessary. White people love to talk about how pretty Rihanna's face is, and while Rihanna's light-skinned, her facial features are classically black.

I wonder if crossover black entertainers, given the public eye and their own feelings, and maybe the white-dominated circles they run in profesionally, themselves decide that they want to go whiter and whiter. People always thought Beyonce was beautiful; she's been going in a whiter direction, and I just don't think that was necessary to further her career. Same with MJ.

 Exactly! No white person would tell you Beyonce is mixed with anything all they see is a black woman with a slightly lighter skin if they can call Obama with one white parent black I don't see why these celebs bother to do that to themselves. White people really don't care about skintones if you're good you're good no matter the skin tone. i think ourselves black people push them to do that.

PS: I really hope Rihanna won't butcher her face her wide nose compliments her very well.

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard....''White people really don't care about skintones(1st dumb thing)  if you're good you're good no matter the skin tone.(only smart thing you said) i think ourselves black people push them to do that'' (ohhh really??).....if you truly believe that seek help in the form of a book. 

I think that nicki minaj has lost some of flavor since making it big. I do congratulate her for making it the top but know she has gone commercial like Lil Wayne which no one who listens to rap wants to listen to. I think she knows this but doesn't care bc she is only in it for the money and not for talent.

*now

all i have to say is, what a HATER this writer is. lets try to hate on nikki for not having enough blackness but then be upset when people think black people should stick to what being black is stereotyped to be. seriously, you cant win nowadays. you're wrong either way. get a life.

This is an opinion piece. A commentary. A blog. I really wish in 2012, the word "hate" will be retired because people equate having an opinion as having hate. I dislike the image that Nicki Minaj has begun to portray. That doesn't mean I am hating on her. It means I am not a fan of her as an artist because she no longer appeals to me. I do not like Madame Noire playing this annoying video every time I click on an article to read. That doesn't mean I am hating on MN. It means that I hate the damn video playing in the background. Big difference.

And on that note.......Thank You, very well said

oh i remember the last time a white person wrote an article about another white person being too black or having an image like a hispanic person!!! oh wait.. it doesnt happen. LOL this is a sad article for other uneducated people who facilitate racial divides. how sad.

Exactly!

Google: Vanilla Ice, The Beastie Boys, Eminem, Steve Martin movies.

Also go to any college or high school campus to see white douche bags trying to act "black" (the media image of blacks in America).

and by the way, not one white person is tricked into thinking shes white. this pic is a girl with pink paint splattered skin. nobody is mistaking her for white. paranoid people who are still trying to shout the black card are though

I'd like to find ANY black woman whose hair can grow bleach blonde. When that happens, its a movement, but not Nicki she doesn;t represent an entire generation. Or at least shouldn't. Yeah some songs hv a ring to it, but the lyrics and persona is what makes me dislike the music. Black women r nappy headed? While today's revolution in Black America is no-perms, promoting black health, and social equality. She has bufooned us, enough already, if she doesn't want to be black, lets dismiss her in unisons yall: "You're not black, Nicki."