Trailblazing hip hop star, Nicki Minaj, spoke at a special event at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, aimed at drawing attention to what some describe as the plight of Christians in Nigeria.
Introduced by United StatesPresident, Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, Minaj began by expressing her nervousness and gratitude toward both Waltz and Trump.
She described it as “an honour” to be present “to shine a spotlight on the deadly threats faced by thousands of Christians in Nigeria.”
“I stand here as a proud New Yorker with a deep sense of gratitude that we live in a country where we can freely and safely worship God regardless of one’s creed, background, or politics,” Minaj said. “No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion, like I recently stated on social media. And we don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other.”
The event comes amid remarks from former US President Donald Trump, who recently alarmed Nigeria by suggesting he was considering military action and might cease aid over what he claimed was the Nigerian government’s failure to protect Christians from a “mass slaughter” by Islamist insurgents.
Experts have noted that the situation is more nuanced, with both Christians and Muslims suffering violence from extremists. The Nigerian government rejected Trump’s comments, with presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga telling CNN, “We are shocked that President Trump is mulling an invasion of our country.”
Minaj also recognized the country’s diversity and faith. Calling Nigeria “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions,” she noted that some of her devoted fanbase, the Barbz, live there.
“I am joined here today by peace builders, by faith leaders, by those who saw violence, saw intolerance, saw the threats clearly before us and chose not to look the other way,” she said. “I am inspired by their work to build interfaith ties, to see the humanity across the lines which might divide us and to vie and to fight for security and liberty for all those who pray.”
Waltz explained how Minaj’s invitation to speak at the US mission came about during an interview on Fox News Tuesday morning.
He said she was asked after expressing support for a Truth Social post from Trump related to the Nigeria issue. “To our astonishment, she accepted,” Waltz said. “She is reaching a whole other swath of people who may not follow these issues, and it’s going to be a great day.”
Earlier in the week, Waltz praised the rapper on social media, “She is not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice. I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.”
Minaj also shared her gratitude for the invitation on X, writing, “Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude. I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know.” She referenced her fanbase as well, stating, “The Barbz & I will never stand down in the face of injustice. We’ve been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose.”
The rapper, who recently made headlines for a heated online feud with Cardi B, has expressed admiration for Trump before.
Earlier this month, she shared a screenshot on X of Trump’s Truth Social post about Nigeria, writing, “Reading this gave me a deep sense of gratitude.” She added, “We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever face persecution for practicing their faith. We don’t have to share the same beliefs to respect one another.”
Minaj also reacted to a White House TikTok video that went viral this month, which featured a remix of the 1992 4 Non Blondes hit “What’s Up?” combined with her 2012 track “Beez In The Trap,” showing Trump and first lady Melania Trump. She commented on the video, thanking the Trumps and saying, “This is pretty incredible.”
