Why Nicki Minaj Outsells Kanye West; It Isn't Hard to Figure Out

So now I understand that Nicki Minaj latest album "Pink Friday" is outselling Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", and I can't say that I am surprised. There are more than a few reasons for this. Kanye West has become inaccessible to most music listeners. We liked him for his beats, initially, but he started to lose us on the lyrics, which these days seem more abstract than anything. The album title alone suggests his analyst is ripping him off and he should find another psychologist.

Kanye West uses controversy to sell records; being difficult, throwing tantrums and outdoing his previous accomplishments when it comes to making a scene. Nicki Minaj brings back the fun of the nineties to hip-hop; evoking Gwen Stefani, or doing her best female impersonation of Busta Rhymes. Neither artists true strength is hip-hop, clearly both are artists in their own right that just happen to use hip-hop as their medium to reach fans. Both take advantage of strong visuals to communicate a message like Missy Elliot.

Kanye West is simply transitioning into an area that the majority of his fans are not going to follow him artistically. He is taking that move that most artists talk about, but few make. There are consequences for taking such chances artistically, outside of the alienation of those at the fringes of his fan base. Outkast tried to do the same thing and delivered their best album ever, but are they still together? They delivered another album, a soundtrack for Idlewild, that was just as strong, but did not sell as much.

I don't think it is fair to criticize Kanye West for not releasing his videos closer together. I think the man has become the consummate perfectionist, like Michael Jackson who he idolizes, and tries to outdo himself with each production. So the real contrast is between high art, which is what Kanye West specializes in, and big budget pop music productions, which is where you'll find Nicki Minaj. It is an apples to oranges comparison, and neither are right or wrong. Some of what Nicki Minaj offers can be found in music videos for pop artists in other parts of the world, and isn't entirely new, but delivering it to American fans in a unique way is a great way to market herself. Plus she is sort of like the Beyonce of hip-hop; you may not like her songs or her videos initially, but they do grow on you ...