Nicki Minaj released the lyric video for her single “Only” Saturday, and its Nazi-inspired imagery has generated much outrage.
In the black-and-white clips of the video, Minaj is shown as a dictator presiding over thousands of soldiers who are wearing “YM” armbands, which presumably stand for her record company “Young Money.” The armbands strongly resemble the ones Nazi soldiers wore with swastikas.
The buildings in the Nuremberg-style video are also draped in red banners with the same logo, with tanks and guns firing in the background.
Jeff Osbourne directed the video, which has over one million views by Monday morning. Offended viewers expressed their outrage on Twitter.
The lyric video for Only by Nicki Minaj is indescribable. Who the hell thought a Nazi theme was a good idea?
— Mr. Palazzo (@MisterPalazzo) November 8, 2014
.@NICKIMINAJ i really do love you but your video for "only" is Really Not Okay. pls do better and take it down or apologize or SOMETHING
— YUNG WINE EMOJI (@HindustaniRani) November 10, 2014
I don't know how I feel about the Nazi imagery in new Nicki Minaj video. Oh yeah, offended at the appropriation of holocaust and genocide
— ᏀᎾᏌᏞᏟᎻᎬᎡ (@goulcher) November 10, 2014
Not sure what's more offensives, Nicki MInaj's Nazi imagery or the lyrics/content. Seriously depressing our culture is
— Sara Ivry (@saraivry) November 10, 2014
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