Nicki Minaj's paper shoot bashed by rapper eve

Nicki Minaj broke the internet this week with her raunchy shoot for PAPER magazine and, like anything remotely sexual, people have divided opinions.

We're sure that the rap queen is used to be people criticising her sexuality, however we did not expect it to come from one of her own... yet here we are.

Eve, the multi-hyphenate talent who started out as one of rap's fiercest divas, has hit out at Minaj's photo shoot, suggesting she sets a bad example for young women.
“I worked with Nicki, I got to know her on Barbershop [the 2016 movie]. She’s a nice person, she’s an amazing rapper, and as a lyricist I respect her,” Eve said on The Talk, before a very big but.

“...but as a woman, from my point of view, personally, I would not be able to do that. I think in this climate, it’s not good.”


If the climate Eve is referring to is today's society fighting for and celebrating women to fully own and express themselves - whether it be their business or body - then we would have to disagree with her, as Nicki's sexuality is her own and no one else's to judge.
As expected, Nicki's fans were straight on the defense calling out Eve on Twitter, and her supposed hypocricy as she started out as a stripper and was suggestive in her early career, even posing for similar shoots.

Eve did - sort of - acknowledge the change in her career, saying “I think every artist has a right to express themselves however they want to express themselves and I respect that as well."

"For me personally, as I started coming up in the business, I started realizing that young girls were looking up to me and younger people were looking up to me, and that, not that you want to be a role model, but it becomes what you become, it is what you are.”

"I’d just rather be a voice that’s uplifting. I can be a voice for those girls that might not have a voice, in a different way without showing myself off. It’s not my thing. I just don’t think it’s right. Personally. Period. That’s it.”

It's disappointing to hear a woman - especially one who will have shared so much of the same path as Nicki - talk like this, but Eve did reinforce her love for her ex-colleague.

Words: Ross McNeilage