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

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.2K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
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 music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.