Nicki Minaj Insinuates Amsterdam Arrest Was Racial Profiling, Brings Up Ari Lennox's Experience

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1270 Views
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iHeartRadio Power 96.1's Jingle Ball 2023 - Show
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 14: Nicki Minaj performs onstage during iHeartRadio Power 96.1's Jingle Ball 2023 at State Farm Arena on December 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
Nicki Minaj spoke on Ari Lennox's 2021 arrest in the city, which happened for bizarre reasons that suggest discrimination.

Nicki Minaj is now free from custody in Amsterdam, where authorities shockingly arrested her for drug possession without much of an explanation. However, despite the very vague and concerning nature of this arrest, it seems like she was finally able to get out of that situation with no further hiccups. Now, it's time for Roman to look back on what happened, and she thinks that it's a much more discriminatory situation than some might believe. Moreover, she took to Twitter early Sunday morning (May 26) to speak on Ari Lennox's arrest in Amsterdam a couple of years ago, and to reference the controversial and tragic case of Sandra Bland, who police arrested for a traffic stop and found deceased in jail days later.

"[Ari Lennox] was 'full of emotions,'" Nicki Minaj's tweet began. "She was arrested b/c she was full of emotions in AmsterDAM. Hmmmmm interesting. I didn’t know this was a 'thing' there. Who spoke up for her? Could’ve easily been another Sandra Bland incident. I’m so happy she made it out alive & well." If you're unfamiliar with Ari Lennox's story, authorities arrested her in Amsterdam for reportedly disorderly conduct, but many felt like there was racial motivation..

Nicki Minaj Speaks On Ari Lennox Amsterdam Situation After Her Arrest

Even with all this controversy in mind, the Pink Friday 2 tour has still been as successful as ever, with a second North American leg gracing fans very soon. This really excited Nicki Minaj's die-hards, even if this news about the arrest makes every performance a little more stressful for fans given the bizarre and out-of-nowhere hiccups that she faced along the road. This isn't the first time that she dealt with extenuating circumstances that threatened to delay or sabotage the trek. In fact, a lot of fans (and maybe the Trinidadian MC herself) think that these represent deliberate attempts to bring her down.

While that is more of a conspiratorial take, there is also plenty of success that Nicki Minaj deserved to celebrate if it wasn't for this arrest. "Bang Bang" just became her second Diamond song, and Pink Friday 2's hits still have plenty of mileage. This tour could be a space for Nicki to celebrate herself, her fans, her material, and her trajectory. Sadly, it sometimes made her reckon with the pitfalls of fame and potential discrimination, but we hope things pick up from here and that the shows make it all somewhat worth it.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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