In a Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie titled “We Should All Be Feminists”, Adichie mentions that women are conditioned from a very young age to aspire to marriage and only marriage, while the same is not done for men. Women are hardly taught to strive for success in their careers, or fortune in general. Instead, women are taught that having and raising a family is their natural born duty, and that a husband will provide for everything else. While there is nothing wrong with women who do see this as a fulfilling life, it is not the dream for everyone, and holding this stereotype for all women can be dangerous to those who desire different paths in life. It’s also hard when you’re in a relationship with someone who is so giving and truly doesn’t mind paying for everything, because it’s just so easy to let it happen. But there is a special power in not having to depend on anybody.
What would Nicki Minaj do? Ever since her rise to fame, the rapper, pop artist, and actress has emphasized the idea of being independent and providing for herself. This is not to say that she has remained single- she was in a long-term relationship before recently getting with another rapper, Meek Mill. Let’s be clear, he could easily provide for both of them, and she technically wouldn’t have to work another day in her life. Even still, she has been known to tell her fans to stay in school, go to college, get a career, and provide for themselves. She openly takes pride in her success and ability to take care of herself- in fact, she was featured on the remix of Beyonce’s “Flawless”, which in the original version featured a snippet from Adichie’s Ted Talk, mentioned earlier. Additionally, she admits that she can’t wait to have a family of her own- showing that a woman can be more than just one thing. Never one to censor herself (which just adds to her tradition-breaking, unapologetic, boss-woman nature), Nicki leaves this advice for her fans: “Don’t depend on a man for anything. I don’t care how good that d*ck is.”
