Nicki Minaj's Fandom "The Barbz" Are Speaking Out

Are the Barbz Toxic or Are You Committed to Misunderstanding Them?

Aug. 1 2023, Published 5:26 p.m. ET

One thing is definite and two issues are needless to say: Nicki Minaj’s lovers, The Barbz, are deeply passionate of their unwavering support. Whether you detest them or not, info are details.

In case you haven’t heard, Nicki Minaj stands as the highest-selling female rapper thanks in large part to the Barbz and her impeccable pen game. As such, many are aligned that the title ‘Queen of Rap” is correctly becoming.

Aside from Nicki’s everlasting influence on the rap sport, some people believe her legacy may be tainted for a few causes, including The Barbz. On social media, the Barbz don't have any qualms with setting somebody straight who disrespects their Queen, while also championing every transfer she makes. As such, it has caused some folks to label the fandom toxic. However, there’s always more than what meets the eye.

Is The Barbz a poisonous fandom?

If we’re going to name a spade a spade, I don’t suppose we will call The Barbz as a whole fanbase poisonous. Before you roll your eyes and disregard the rest of this piece, hear me out.

Before penning this article, I perused via social media, read countless articles about The Barbz, and even spoke to contributors of the fandom for perspective.

Truth be told, there are at all times dangerous apples in a host. And while it’s easy to color a fanbase as problematic from the out of doors having a look in, all Barbz are now not a monolith. Some, unfortunately, use their platforms to spew hate and harmful rhetoric without fascinated by how it can impact Nicki. On the turn side, others with deep-rooted hate for Nicki every so often cosplay as Barbz to additional perpetuate the toxic label.

“Many people outdoor the fandom see how arduous The Barbz ride for Nicki and confuse loyalty with The Barbz being unnecessarily poisonous as a result of they have got by no means been in a equivalent situation,” Instagram fan web page Barbz Kingdom exclusively advised Distractify.

“Nevertheless, I know for a undeniable fact that identical to every other fandom, there's a minority of toxic and vocal Barbz in the neighborhood. In many cases, they are the ones who are most observed and are ceaselessly related to the Barbz via outsiders."

The Nicki Minaj hate train may have played a role in Barbz being labeled toxic.

Let’s revisit 2018 for a minute. At the time, the well-documented Nicki Minaj hate train began. From alleged shady antics between her and Cardi B at the height of the “Motorsport” release and beyond to her ex-boyfriends Meek Mill and Safaree Samuels speaking out about her alleged bad attitude, ghostwriting claims, and body-shaming digs, Nicki was being dragged left and right.

Not to mention, folks started questioning Nicki’s relevancy and longevity on the charts, talks about her being blackballed in the industry continued to fester, and she was in a battle with Bronx femcee Remy Ma. The list goes on and on.

Naturally, The Barbz made it a point to come to Nicki’s defense in light of all the backlash. However, what was standing up for Nicki quickly turned into her fanbase being deemed toxic and unhinged.

“I’d say the Barbz have become extremely protective of Nicki following the release of her fourth album, 'Queen,' in 2018," 20-year-old Alex, who runs the Instagram fan page Nicki Minaj Fans, told us. "The media portrayed her in the worst possible light, the general public constantly relayed information that overshadowed her in favor of new female rappers, and other fan bases tried to take advantage of this wave of hatred to smear Nicki even more.”

Alex continued: “I think the Barbz saw Nicki in a more vulnerable light and immediately stepped in to protect her. She also became a mother.”

Although it’s easy to conclude that the Barbz just use their fascination and respect for Nicki as a catalyst to defend her honor, it goes a bit deeper.

Over the years, Nicki has helped countless Barbz further their education by paying for college expenses and building and maintaining personal friendships with them. So, what began as a fandom has blossomed into a huge family.

“I think that past loyalty, there’s an actual relationship between Nicki and her fans in accordance with love, respect, and mutual recognition,” Alex added. “Since that dislike educate, folks know that to attack the queen of rap is to attack her thousands and thousands of fanatics. In my opinion, that is above all a strategy of protection and benevolence.”

So is the Barbz a toxic fanbase? The jury might still be out for some. But judging by way of the admiration, determination, and respect that runs deep between Nicki and her fans, the “toxicity” is nothing more than fierce loyalty.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfl66zrtlmnZqmlKS6brrInKKiZZ2eu6K2