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Hey everyone. This is Reggie, and I am back with another Music News Roundup, a brief rundown on music news stories that caught my eye this week. The music landscape lately has been a little dry, but there were two stories that caught my attention, and I think they’ll catch yours as well.
ADL slams new Nicki Minaj video
Nicki Minaj cannot stay out of trouble, can she? The rapper has found herself in yet more controversy with the recent release of the lyric video for ‘Only’ featuring Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown.
Since the video’s release on Friday, the video has drawn criticism for its imagery. The video portrays Nicki Minaj as a dictator, complete with a large army, army tanks and fighter jets with bombs. Drake plays a priest in a church with stained glass paintings of the artists, while Chris Brown is dressed as a general. The video was intended to showcase total Young Money domination, with Young Money controlling the television and Young Money logos being plastered everywhere from product labels to billboards and even on the cover of the religious book.
Many have likened the imagery to Nazi propaganda, and yesterday, the Anti-Defamation League’s national director and Holocaust survivor Abraham H. Foxman had the following to say:
‘Nicki Minaj’s new video disturbingly evokes Third Reich propaganda and constitutes a new low for pop culture’s exploitation of Nazi symbolism. The irony should be lost on no one that this video debuted on the 76th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass” pogrom that signaled the beginning of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.
‘It is troubling that no one among Minaj’s group of producers, publicists and managers raised a red flag about the use of such imagery before ushering the video into public release.
‘This video is insensitive to Holocaust survivors and a trivialization of the history of that era. The abuse of Nazi imagery is deeply disturbing and offensive to Jews and all those who can recall the sacrifices Americans and many others had to make as a result of Hitler’s Nazi juggernaut.’
Currently, there has been no word from Nicki Minaj about the video. At the rate this story has been picking up, however, the singer may be forced to address the controversy very soon.
Clay Aiken to have a four-part series on Esquire Network
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a celebrity running for office? Well, you may be getting the answer to that question sooner than you think.
The American Idol runner-up turned politician will have a four part docuseries on Esquire Network. The show, which was created by the award winning Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn, will go behind the scenes of the singer’s run for Congress.
Clay Aiken is best known for his 2003 appearances on American Idol where he finished as the runner-up to Ruben Studdard. From the moment he stepped into the spotlight, gay rumors surrounded the singer, until he finally came out to the world in 2008. The singer has released numerous albums and made a number of television appearances on various programs.
In February 2014, Aiken decided to run for Senate in North Carolina and won the Democratic primary on the same day his opponent died. Ultimately, Aiken would lose to Republican Renee Elmers on 4 November 2014.
Viewers will get to see Aiken as he participates in strategy meetings, debate preparations, town hall meets and canvassing among other activities. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ‘the docuseries will provide an intimate look at the hope of victory, and ultimately, the disappointment of defeat.’
The series, which is currently untitled, is said to be premiering in the first quarter of 2015.
That’s it for this week’s Music News Roundup. But what about you? What music news stories have caught your attention this week? Feel free to let me know.
