Nicki Minaj Compares War on Drugs to ‘Slavery, or Something Crazier’
Nicki Minaj reflected on Barack Obama‘s presidency and discussed 2016 candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in a new interview where the rapper also spoke openly about the War on Drugs. “What it has become is not a war on drugs. It has become slavery. Or something crazier,” Minaj said. “When I see how many people are in jail, I feel like, ‘Wait a minute. Our government is aware of these statistics and thinks it’s okay?’ The sentences are inhumane.”
As Minaj told Billboard, Obama’s sympathetic view towards prisoners incarcerated for drug charges will stand out the most when she looks back at his presidency, saying it “melted my heart.” “I thought it was so important when he went to prisons and spoke to people who got 20 and 30 and 40 and 50 years for drugs. There are women who are raped, people who are killed and [offenders] don’t even serve 20 years. I was blown away, watching the footage of him speaking to the prisoners,” the rapper said. “I loved that he made them people again. Because we all make mistakes.”
Minaj is still undecided about which candidate to vote for in 2016, but she did admit she supports Clinton. “Obviously, I identify with her struggles as a woman. I identify with the fact that when she’s in that room and there are nothing but men there – there’s sometimes something in her that must feel intimidated. But I think that she uses that and turns it into a strength. Because that’s what I’ve always done,” Minaj said. “She has gone through horrifying things, even within her marriage. She has been brave and weathered the storm. And continued being a boss. That’s something that every woman should feel inspired by, no matter if you’re voting for her or not.”
As for Trump, Minaj called his efforts to become president the “ultimate reality show.” “There are points he has made that may not have been so horrible if his approach wasn’t so childish,” The Pinkprint rapper said. “But in terms of entertainment, I think he’s hilarious.” Billboard notes that Minaj’s comments came before Trump’s controversial call to ban all Muslims.
Read the whole interview at Billboard.