MTV Video Music Awards 2022; Nicki Minaj receives Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
by Ana Walia | Mon, 29 Aug 2022 21:01:47 GMT
Nicki Minaj receives Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.  Image Source: Glamour 

Nicki Minaj receives Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. 

The greatest music videos of the year were honored at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, which were presented on August 28 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J, and Jack Harlow served as the show's hosts.

Nicki Minaj performed at the Video Music Awards for the seventh time, and it was her first time doing so since 2018. The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award was also given to her. The rapper performed a mix of her finest tracks, including "Bees in the Trap," "Roman's Revenge,", "Chun-Li," "Anaconda", "Moment 4 Life," and "Super Bass," before beginning her performance in a Barbie box painted with an image of Nicki Minaj. With her signature pink wig on, Nicki Minaj concluded her performance by performing "Super Freaky Girl," her most recent hit.

Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming and Events for Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music for Paramount+ shares his thoughts on why Nicki Minaj was a perfect candidate to receive the honor of Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. He claimed that the rapper had exemplified what it meant to be a role model and that, through her diversity and inventive skills, she had torn down boundaries for women in hip-hop. Bruce claimed that Nicki Minaj's international appeal, genre-defying style, and ongoing commitment to being unabashed "Nicki" had transformed the music industry and cemented her status as a worldwide superstar.

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The five members of Nicki Minaj's fandom known as The Barbz gave her the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and referred to her as the current hip-hop queen. Nicki said she had never written a speech before, but today she did write a few thing she wanted to say on her phone. She went onto thank everyone and mentioned a special thank you for several yet important people in her life, including Foxy Brown, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Slick Rick, Lauren Hill, and Doug E. Fresh who have contributed to her music career and helped her to reach where she is today. She also later thanked BeyoncĂ©, Kanye West, Britney Spears, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Eminem, and Rihanna, claiming that these were the people who believed in her and gave her the opportunities that she cannot forget. 

Nicki Minaj praised Drake in particular, noting that they are close friends and that he constantly gives her the advice she needs to get back into the business. She also thanked her Young Money family. Nicki Minaj expressed her hope for Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston to be alive today and for people to get what they meant when the icons claimed they were going through a difficult time. She added that she wished that people would start taking their mental health seriously and not let it pass through as a phase. The rapper continued by saying that mental health should be a top priority for everyone, even those who believe their lives are perfect. She then shared kind words for the recently deceased rappers Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, and Juice WRLD before expressing her sorrow for her own recent losses, which included her father, cousin, and business manager, Andrew. She expressed her desire for them to be present.

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The reigning queen of hip-hop went ahead to thank everyone including all the artists, writers, producers, and everyone who had contributed to her music career and been a part of her projects and the ones who gave her a chance to feature in their work. Nicki Minaj thanked her passionate Barbz fan base while also mentioning her son, Papa Bear, whom she welcomed in 2020 with spouse Kenneth "Zoo" Petty. She said that although her children are her babies, she now has a new baby whose name is Papa Bear and she adores him a lot.

Nicki Minaj now stands among Madonna, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez, and Missy Elliott as past Vanguard Award winners. This year, Nicki Minaj's collaboration with Lil Baby, "Do We Have a Problem," earned her a nomination for Best Hip Hop, and in 2011, she took home her first Moon Person award for Best Hip Hop Video.

Congratulations! 

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