Nicki Minaj Accuses Grammys Of Moving 'Super Freaky Girl' To Accommodate Undeserving Artists

Rapper Nicki Minaj released a lengthy Instagram video and a series of tweets condemning the Grammys for removing her song "Super Freaky Girl" from the rap category.

Minaj originally submitted the song, which sampled Rick James' 1981 song "Super Freak," to compete in the Grammy Awards' rap categories.

However, the Recording Academy's rap committee reportedly decided the track belonged in the best pop solo performance section.

The decision resulted in Minaj posting a 17-minute Instagram video on Thursday evening criticizing the Recording Academy.

"If you can't tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things that they really don't deserve over people who have been deserving for many years, then you're not paying attention. And by the way, this is not to say any song is bad or any female rapper is bad," Minaj said.

She added, "But why is the goalpost only ever moved when it's Nicki? Well, I'll tell you why. They don't want the people that they have in the industry to go up against me."

On Twitter, Minaj said she had no problem with "Super Freaky Girl" being moved out of the rap category as long as other artists received the same treatment.

Minaj noted that Latto's "Big Energy," which has pop tones, including samples from Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love" and Mariah Carey's hit "Fantasy," should also be moved to the pop division.

"If 'Super Freaky Girl' is pop, then so is 'Big Energy,'" she declared. "If you move 'Super Freaky Girl' out of rap and put it in pop, do the same with 'Big Energy.' Right? Same producers on both songs, by the way, if you want to talk about it."

Minaj claimed she would have had a better chance at winning a Grammy Award for "Super Freaky Girl" if the song competed in the rap category.

"Now what do you think is gonna happen when they start voting on these pop categories? And it's a bunch of people, white or wherever they're from, or older, and they have to decide between Nicki Minaj and Harry Styles, or Nicki Minaj and Adele?" Minaj questioned.

"That's purposely designed, so Nicki is not in the (rap) category that we don't want any competition in. Put her in there (in pop), so she has more competition and less of a chance to win."

Minaj went on to suggest that members of the Recording Academy manipulate the voting process to make sure certain artists win awards.

"They move the goalposts when it comes to me because, in order for them to uplift the people who they want to shine, the people who these corporate giants can make the money off of, the people who control a lot of things behind the scenes, they have to elevate someone that they profit off," Minaj said.

She added, "There is an agenda because I am not signed to a 360, and for years, there was a certain label that had to pay me nonstop for their features.

"Super Freaky Girl" has spent eight weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart.

Nominees for the 2023 Grammy Awards are scheduled to be announced on Nov. 15, and the award show will air on Feb. 5, 2023, on CBS.