--- description: In her video for "Lookin Ass Nigga," the fiery femcee gets back to her rhyme-spitting roots title: Nicki Minaj - Lookin' Ass Nigga Music Video image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Nicki Minaj Has a Few Complaints About Disappointing Dudes by [Jamieson Cox](/author/cox-jamieson/) ## Jamieson Cox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 13, 2014 9:43 PM CUT by [Jamieson Cox](/author/cox-jamieson/) ## Jamieson Cox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 13, 2014 9:43 PM CUT Nicki Minaj has harnessed the concept of balance like few artists before her: it’s a major part of her success in every imaginable realm, from music to merchandising to the cultivation of her persona. She’s a pure pop star who crashes the charts and pals around with toddlers on _The_ _Ellen_ _DeGeneres_ _Show_; simultaneously, she’s a ferocious, obscenely talented MC who makes a habit of chewing up and spitting out rappers crazy enough to let her drop the hammer on a guest verse. When interacting with her fans — a massive community affectionately termed “Barbz” — she has a gift for allowing them into her life while maintaining a regal distance, simultaneously inviting identification and aspiration. New single “Lookin Ass Nigga,” cut from a studio album due out later this year that might be called _The_ _Pink Print_(a reference to Jay Z’s 2001 classic _The Blueprint_), finds Minaj tilting all the way toward one end of her internal spectrum — it’s a no-holds-barred attack on lame dudes, complete with double assault rifles. “Lookin” is a remarkable display of personality: when Minaj turns her gaze to the camera, a single arched eyebrow or touch of her hair conveys a powerful disdain that seeps into your skin. When gestures packing that much force are coupled to wickedly spat put-downs and punch-lines, it’s fearsome to behold. The message is clear: this is not someone to trifle with. If the song is a sign of things to come from Minaj in 2014, we’re in for an exciting year. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7270/nicki-minaj-lookin-ass-nigga-video/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7270/nicki-minaj-lookin-ass-nigga-video/"},"headline":"Nicki Minaj Has a Few Complaints About Disappointing Dudes","datePublished":"2014-02-13T21:43:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:24:15.637Z","description":"In her video for \"Lookin Ass Nigga,\" the fiery femcee gets back to her rhyme-spitting roots","url":"https://time.com/7270/nicki-minaj-lookin-ass-nigga-video/","keywords":["Music","Nicki Minaj"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamieson Cox","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cox-jamieson/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7270/nicki-minaj-lookin-ass-nigga-video/","name":"Nicki Minaj Has a Few Complaints About Disappointing Dudes"}}]}] ```