On Monday, Nicki Minaj added herself to the annals of proof that people get intellect or creativity, but not both. In a moment of sophomoric socializing on the world wide web, the rapper and new mom tweeted and deleted a picture of herself from 2003. That picture was a mugshot.
Minaj, whose government name is Onika Maraj, posted the mugshot and wrote a caption that sounded like a mix between a Maury Povich “Help Me Control My Wild Teen” episode, a requiem to less than upright past and a motivational speech for the Scared Straight program.
“It took me years to be able to look at things like this…..Criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use. I did use it tho. This is so inspiring now looking back. The girl was leaking blood and spent days in the hospital,” Minaj wrote.
She ended the caption by asking fans what their favorite song on her revamped 2009 mixtape, “Beam Me Up Scotty,”
is.
Mmmkay.
Good sense, a good manager, or a good cup of coffee stepped in and the rapper deleted the tweet but not before several interested parties got their e-hands on it.
Although people were intrigued by the (hopefully) impromptu tweet, fans quickly pointed out that the mugshot photo had the rapper’s social security number on it. Media outlets that captured the tweet were generous enough to use a trusty eraser or marker tool to keep Minaj’s privacy (if not dignity) intact.
Several fans were concerned about her information floating into the wrong hands and suggested the media outlets delete the retweets. However, that is simply not how celebrities tweeting recklessly works in 2021.
Apparent non-fans of Minaj used the opportunity to bash her for the rather careless move.
Although it is well-known that many rappers
have a mugshot or 50, the public does not often become privy to their government-issued file number good for taxes and credit card applications.
Despite the oversight, Minaj has something to be proud of. She went from 20-year-old Onika who was proficient in the use of a firearm, to 38-year-old Nicki Minaj, a wife and mother who
is also one of the biggest female rappers in music history. We’re certain she’s grateful for growth.
Let this be a lesson to celebrities and regular degulars alike. Before you tweet that old pic of yourself, make sure nobody can take it and get a car loan in your name.
