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"Hard White" is a song by Nicki Minaj from her fourth studio album Queen (2018). In an interview with Zane Lowe, Nicki stated that the track was recorded in early 2017 in Paris. The song was originally leaked under the title "Half Back". The music video for the song was released on January 31, 2019.

Background

A track under the name of "Half Back" was leaked in April 2018. In August it was confirmed by the song's producer Illmind that the original title was "Half Back" before it was changed to "Hard White". He commented that the song has Minaj "in rare form" and that it showcases her rap abilities.

Reception

Bryan Rolli from Forbes characterized how Minaj "rides the hypnotic trap beat" of "Hard White" while singing "a delightfully Auto-Tuned chorus that takes cues from Migos’ tried-and-tested formula". Stephanie Smith-Strickland from Entertainment Weekly outlined how the track, alongside Minaj's other solo tracks "Good Form" and "Barbie Dreams", " her innate lyrical skill".

Live performances

Minaj performed the track live at the TIDAL X Vivo concert in São Paulo, Brazil. The song was on the setlist of her The Nicki Wrld Tour (2019) and Pink Friday 2 World Tour (2024)

Music video

Nicki announced via her Instagram on 30 January 2019 that she would be releasing the music video later at midnight. Directed by Mike Ho, the video opens with Nicki striding confidently towards her throne, adorned with a spiked crown and a flowing black gown, all while declaring, "my legacy could never be undone." She wears a variety of different costumes in the clip, with undead creatures lurking around her.

In the video, Nicki Minaj appears to take subtle jabs at both rapper Drake and the Grammys according to media. The video features visuals of a scorpion breaking into pieces, seemingly referring to Drake's studio album Scorpion (2018), and Minaj's lyrics contain elements that could be interpreted as directed towards him. She appears to take a jab at the Grammys by featuring a gramophone that resembles a Grammy statue while she raps, "I'm the trophy of the game, everybody's trying to win me". It was also speculated that Minaj shades rapper Cardi B with the lyrics "I ain’t never played a ho position / I ain’t never had to strip to get the pole position", but that was debunked by Minaj in an interview with Zane Lowe.

Althea Legaspi from Rolling Stone India noted its "imagery of dark rituals", and how "Minaj affirms her reign, taking a seat at the throne". Nia Groce from Hypebeast called the visuals of the video "haunting" and "cryptic-themed". Jovem Pan described how "in a very futuristic plot, the rapper transforms into a queen and exudes personality".

Credits

Personnel:

• Composer: Onika Maraj, Brittany Hazzard, Matthew Samuels, Ramon Ibanga Jr.
• Producer: Boi1da, !llmind
• Mixer: Jaycen Joshua, Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine
• Assistant mixer: Bne Milchev, Laura Bates, David Nakaji
• Recording engineer: Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine
• Assistant recording engineer: Yann Bordeo, Ludovick Tartavel, Iain Findley, Jordon Silva

References

1. Kaufman, Gil (February 1, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Goes Goth in Spooky 'Hard White' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
2. ^ Nelson, Daryl (April 11, 2018). "Did Nicki Minaj Shade Cardi B In New Song?". Atlanta Black Star. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
3. Lamarre, Carl (August 23, 2018). "!llmind on Producing Nicki Minaj's 'Queen' Standout 'Hard White' & How J. Cole Challenged Him the Most Creatively". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
4. Rolli, Bryan. "First Listen: Nicki Minaj's 'Queen' Is A Great 10-Song Album Hiding Inside A Messy 19-Song Album". Forbes. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
5. Smith-Strickland, Stephanie (August 14, 2018). "Nicki Minaj is a formidable opponent on 'Queen': EW review". EW.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
6. "TIDAL X Vivo Nicki Minaj - Setlist". Music on TIDAL. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
7. "Nicki Minaj är bäst men gör det svårt för sig". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). March 5, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
8. Pinnow, Faith. "Nicki Minaj takes fans to 'Gag City' during second night in Boston". www.boston.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
9. A, Aron (January 31, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Announces "Hard White" Music Video Dropping Tonight". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
10. Blais-Billie, Braudie (February 1, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Shares New "Hard White" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
11. "Did Nicki Minaj Take a Dig at Drake in Her New 'Hard White' Video?". ELLE. February 1, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
12. A, Kate (February 3, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Claims Her Throne in New Video for "Hard White"". HotPopToday. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
13. "Nicki Minaj Seemingly Shades Drake and the Grammys in "Hard White" Music Video". E! Online. February 1, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
14. Clarendon, Dan (February 1, 2019). "Nicki Minaj's 'Hard White' Video Seemingly Includes Drake Diss". Us Weekly. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
15. lanaciongn (September 12, 2018). "Diario HOY | VIDEO | Dos raperas se trenzan a golpes durante un evento de moda en Nueva York". Diario HOY (in Spanish). Retrieved August 23, 2024.
16. Wood, Michael (August 12, 2018). "Review: Nicki Minaj still cares about the old way of doing things. Does anybody else?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
17. "Did Nicki Minaj Take a Dig at Drake in Her New 'Hard White' Video?". Yahoo Life. February 1, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
18. Legaspi, Althea (February 1, 2019). "Watch Nicki Minaj Take the Throne in 'Hard White' Video". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
19. Groce, Nia (February 1, 2019). "Nicki Minaj Drops 'Hard White' Music Video". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
20. "Nicki Minaj se transforma em rainha em clipe de 'Hard White'; assista – Jovem Pan". Nicki Minaj se transforma em rainha em clipe de ‘Hard White’; assista – Jovem Pan (in Brazilian Portuguese). February 1, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2024.

• 2018 songs
• Nicki Minaj songs
• Songs written by Nicki Minaj
• Songs written by Boi-1da
• Songs written by Illmind
• Songs written by Starrah
• Diss tracks
• American hip-hop songs