Nicki Minaj Performs For African Dictator, Disregards Human Rights Activists

Nicki Minaj recently stirred up controversy with human rights activists following her performance for Angola’s allegedly corrupt dictator, Jose Eduardo dos Santos. Not only were people disappointed that Minaj would take a large pay check and ignore the plight of the millions of people living under Santos’ regime, but her decision to play for the dictator goes against the singer’s recent support for human rights groups within the United States.

According to The Muse, Minaj was paid $2 million to perform a concert for Santos. While most of the money paid to Minaj was likely generated from corrupt means, it is interesting to note that the majority of the population of Angola makes a little under $2 a day for their work. This doesn’t even begin to compare to the paycheck that Minaj took to sing in the country.

In response to the negative coverage, Minaj took to Twitter to post a short comment about all of the people who were voicing their opinions against her recent concert. “Every tongue that rises up against me in judgement shall be condemned,” Minaj wrote, referencing a verse from the Bible.

Seemingly, Minaj has little to no regrets about her decision to play for the dictator of Angola. In fact, the singer uploaded a photo of herself on Instagram posing with Santos’ daughter, Isabel dos Santos, who happens to also be the wealthiest woman in all of Africa.

“Oh no big deal…she’s just the 8th richest woman in the world. (At least that’s what I was told by someone b4 we took this photo) Lol. Yikes!!!!! GIRL POWER!!!!! This motivates me soooooooooo much!!!!” Minaj wrote alongside the image. “S/O to any woman on a paper chase. Get your own!!!! Success is yours for the taking!!!!! #Angola thank u to the women who brought me out here as well.”

Perhaps unknown to Minaj, Isabel has not climbed to the upper echelons of the wealthy by legitimate means. Allegedly, all of Isabel’s wealth, which includes some $3 billion, is directly tied with her father’s corrupt business practices, which includes dos Santos arbitrarily dipping his hands into whatever successful business venture starts up in Angola.

In addition to dos Santos’ reportedly unsavory business practices, the dictator has also been accused of rigging elections in his favor and exploiting the country’s natural resources as a way to funnel wealth into his own pockets. In order to quell dissent, the dictator has arrested political opponents in the past, and is rumored to have been cause of a massacre that left hundreds of Angolans dead. Despite the allegations of corruption present in Angola, Minaj still decided to take a pay check and perform.

At the same time, BET is reporting that Minaj’s recent concert is a direct contradiction to the singer’s support in the Black Lives Matter campaign. Dos Santos’ regime has allegedly slaughtered hundreds of innocent civilians and his policies have placed the majority of his citizens in a state of severe poverty, including its black citizens. Based purely on her actions, it could be said Minaj cares more about black lives in the U.S. than those in Angola, and she is seemingly willing to put aside her moral convictions for the right amount of money.

That being said, Minaj is not the only popular artist to have visited Angola and performed a concert. In fact, past celebrities who have performed in the country include Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, and Erykah Badu.

The fallout of Minaj’s decision to perform in Agnola is yet to be seen. However, with a lot of people speaking out against her performance for dos Santos, there is little chance that the controversy will go away any time soon.

Tell us! Do you think Nicki Minaj was wrong to perform for Jose Eduardo dos Santos? Let us know in the comments below.

[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]