Music
Nicki Minaj Is Still Mad About The ‘White Man Bon Iver’ Taking Her Best New Artist Grammy
Getty Image While some debated this year’s batch, Mrs. Petty re-aired old grievances. …

With the Recording Academy releasing its nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards today, the reactions have been flying thick and fast on Twitter about the respective merits of the nominees, the mysterious absence of The Weeknd, and the most egregious snubs. However, rather than addressing this year’s batch of nominees, one person used the opportunity to revive an old grievance against the Academy. Nicki Minaj reminded her fans that she was once nominated for Best New Artist in 2012, but lost to Bon Iver.
“Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation,” she wrote. “They gave it to the white man Bon Iver.” As usual, there’s a point to her pettiness — pun intended. The Grammys have long had a history of overlooking and underrating accomplished artists in traditionally Black genres like rap and R&B — especially women, who have rarely won albums of the year in either category and are even more seldom even nominated for general categories like Album Of The Year.
Never forget the Grammys didn’t give me my best new artist award when I had 7 songs simultaneously charting on billboard & bigger first week than any female rapper in the last decade- went on to inspire a generation. They gave it to the white man Bon Iver. #PinkFriday
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) November 24, 2020
In fact, this year, there are no women nominated in the Rap category at all and only Jhene Aiko and Chloe X Halle are nominated in the new spinoff R&B category, Best Progressive R&B. Also, remember the year they gave Best Rap Album to Macklemore despite Kendrick Lamar being nominated for Good Kid, MAAD City?
So this time, we have to side with Nicki. Incidentally, though, the Academy does have the chance to clean up that eight-year-old mistake; this year’s Best New Artist category includes Chika, the breakout Alabama rapper who starred on Netflix’s Project Power and collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Doja Cat, the compelling R&B/hip-hop hybrid who racked up a No. 1 with Nicki earlier this year, and Megan Thee Stallion, who garnered two No. 1s with Beyonce and Cardi B, competing against a field that includes D Smoke, Ingrid Andress, Kaytranada, Noah Cyrus, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Artist Spotlight
Dominique Xishak questions the search for love and money on latest release “Delusional”
Dominique Xishak takes a confrontational approach to modern relationship expectations with “Delusional”, a rap track that questions what some people demand from a partner and what they bring to a relationship themselves. The song focuses on the perceived gap between wanting an ideal man and being willing to offer the same level of commitment, honesty, and personal responsibility. Rather than approaching romance with a soft touch, Xishak uses a direct lyrical perspective to challenge these expectations.
The track raises questions about appearances, personal choices, and the motivations behind seeking a partner. Its subject matter includes cosmetic surgery, the pressure to meet certain physical ideals, and the possibility that financial status can become more important than genuine connection. Xishak also addresses the tension between demanding a good partner and overlooking the qualities that make a healthy relationship possible. These themes give the song a provocative edge and invite listeners to consider the standards they set for themselves and others.
“Delusional“ positions Dominique Xishak as a voice willing to tackle uncomfortable conversations about dating, attraction, and relationship priorities. The message is deliberately challenging, encouraging debate about whether people are truly searching for meaningful partnerships or pursuing an ideal shaped by appearances and money. It is a track designed to provoke reactions and get listeners talking.
Connect with Dominique Xishak on Spotify
Artist Spotlight
Shadowspell invites listeners into a world of fear and defiance on latest release “CYANIDE”
Shadowspell’s latest hard-hitting single, “CYANIDE,” explores disturbing thoughts, fear, and the struggle with sanity, pulling listeners into a disquieting world of inner darkness. Big drums and guitars drive the song, creating a powerful atmosphere for its troubled emotional landscape. Its central thesis is chillingly provocative, darkness is no longer in the past, but has settled in.
The song’s lyrics drop the listener into a mind where scary voices are a strange kind of survival, and nowhere else seems safe. Shadowspell doesn’t push fear away; it brings it to the front and center, inviting listeners to face the unsettling thoughts and feelings at the song’s heart. The lush instrumentation gives this tension a gritty edge that suits the song’s defiant spirit.
If you enjoy exploring darker musical territories, CYANIDE delivers a heavy, intense listening experience that blends heavy drums, powerful guitars, and psychologically charged themes. Shadowspell embraces awkwardness, not smoothing it over, and makes a track that sounds raw, confrontational, and unashamedly uncomfortable. The result is a record that exposes inner turmoil and demands that the listener confront the shadows instead of simply turning away.
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