Nicki Minaj's Islam Reference

6.02.2010

Tucked into the corner of my bed, propped by pillows, I leisurely fingered through the pages of Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez. It's a non-fiction that narrates Deborah's experience and observations in Kabul, Afghanistan as a hairdresser.


Reading I went until a phrase set off a fluorescent lightbulb. Click.

..."salaam aleichem"-- the standard greeting, meaning "peace be with you"..." (pg.51)

"Salaam aleichem. Where have I heard that before?" I asked myself. It sounded too familiar. Then it hit me: Nicki Minaj.


Nicki Minaj, an up-and-coming female rapper with slightly vulgar yet entertaining and catchy lyrics, has a song titled "Itty Bitty Piggy" aimed at wannabes and haters.

The chorus flows as follows:

And if you see a itty bitty piggy in the market
Give that b*tch a quarter and a car tell her park it
I don't f*ck with pigs like asa lama lakum
I put 'em in the field, I let Oscar Mayer bake 'em

I've sung along to this song (don't judge me) plentiful of times (it's one of my faves) and my tongue always trips at this one line. It's not in English; the lyrics look like gibberish. I brushed it off. *kanye shrug*

But little did I knew that she was making a reference to Islam and its prohibition of pork. Pork is forbidden because its believed that the "consumption of swine-flesh creates lowliness in character and destroys moral and spiritual faculties in a man".

Nicki Minaj oh-so-cleverly must have chosen this phrase to not only rhyme and flow with the subsequent line, but to also provide an image of how disgusted she is with her haters and wannabes. She's not telling them "peace be with you" but rather just substitutes the word Islam or Muslim with a rhyming common phrase from the religion.

**Through my research, I've noticed that this phrase is spelled many different ways. I copied the spelling exactly from the book. Afghans speak Dari Persian and may explain why the author chose to spell it that way.**

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm going to begin with the Islamic greeting Asalaamalaikum meaning peace and blessings be upon you.
First of all I want to say that even though I do not listen to nicki minaj's songs, I have heard what she said and read what she had said.
The least I can offer to her in return is that she's one stuck up ugly looking p** who needs to sort out her attitude. Oh maybe she should stop wearing all that shit on her face and show her real beasty complexion...who is she calling a pig? Oh sorry she was looking in the mirror again and she seen how ugly she was. Wow, that woman seriously knows how to show the world how imperfect she is...

Anonymous said...

Are you islam? If you are not. Pls try find out about islam. Islam is the only solution all problems mankind have.

Anonymous said...

The first comment is from a racist woman with really serious issues. You say Nicki is ugly. Thats a first. Say you're offended by her use of islamic words, dont you talk about her colour coz that is a road you dont wanna go down.
I pray that God deliver you

Anonymous said...

Nobody is talking about her colour -_- you must be blind ^^
You can't deny the fact that she is UGLY! With her big nose contoured with a marker and her BJ lips :)
Not to mention her hair wigs cause she too ashame FTP show her hair!
Overall you listen to her songs get a life and re evaluate yourself!

Anonymous said...

This was 3 years ago why do you care now? I am Muslim for my self and it's Ramadan ATM so just leave it of you have respect for Muslim. Only one person can judge that it's Allah/ god.

Unknown said...

Too be honest, it's nice of you, to give ur details; I as a Muslim really appreciate it. Shes a famous singer, normal people can't do anything about this deal. We should make this famous by making facebook pages, and everything, anything possible. Protest. So some one can take action, cause to be honest this song is really offensive to Muslims.

Anonymous said...

Don't preach!!!! A normal religion wouldn't do so, I'm not Muslim and never want to be but I got mates who are and I know for a fact they agree.

Anonymous said...

I agree, don't be bring her race into it, I'm a white male so I'm not standing up because I share her race, I'm standing up to say don't bring others down for ones mistake, Muslims didn't like it when they where all called terrorists :-/

Anonymous said...

I am a Muslim , I am not a racist. I don't care if nickie Minaj is white or black , I want to say that nickie Minaj has done something which a professional singer shouldn't do . She had a lot of Muslim fans and has lost many of them . She has cursed somebody's religion . This is to whole of America : WHY ARE WE TERRORISTS??!?!!!! Muslims countries are constantly under threat , Pakistan ; in 2008-2011 was constantly Being bombarded with target kills and bomb blasts . Israel invaded Palistine ,Iraq millions of innocent people were brutally killed , let's not get in detail . MY MESSAGE TO ALL NON MUSLIMS : ISLAM IS NOT A VIOLENT RELIGION ,IT BELIEVES IN PEACE ,HARMONY AND RIGHTS . ALL THE MUSLIM HATERS PS : ASLAM ALIYEKUM MEANS BLESSING BE UPON YOU , MY MESSAGE TO NICKIE MINAJ , I WAS YOUR FAN , YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS , I AM
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU .

Anonymous said...

fuck her i was fan of her but not anymore she is bitch she disrespect my religion ama disrespect her she need to apologize...:(

Anonymous said...

I think niki minaj has done a very wrong thing...
Us muslims havnt done wrong to anyone and i think niki minaj should give us an explanation towards this

Anonymous said...

First she mocks Catholicism at the Grammys and now this.. Thanks for your contribution to society.

Anonymous said...

It seems like alot of these comments just reflect on her appearance rather than on whatever statement she apparently made. I think she just looking for lyrics, I mean is it really worth it to think so hard about these lyrics? Most lyrics in popular music today suck total ass. Why do so many people focus on how she's dressed and how her makeup looks? She's a fucking pop star. Of course she's going to look the way she does. People are all worked up cause they think she's a whore. Misogyny.

Anonymous said...

I am Muslim. I do not care one bit about these lyrics. I think many Muslims spend too much time bitching and whining and getting offended! If I got this worked up over every comment I didn't like, I would have no time to focus on things that actually matter. People all over the world say things that are offensive to people of different races and religions every day. Muslims are not entitled to special treatment. Brush it off and MOVE ON. Do something productive with your faith instead.

Anonymous said...

Is she really bashing Islam or Muslims? In non rap paraphrasing she's saying she doesn't concern herself with people that don't like her in the same way Muslims don't mess with pork. Would this be offensive if it was about Mormons not drinking caffeine or Christians avoiding being adulterers?

Anonymous said...

Black people smh

Anonymous said...

Either Way Nicki Minaj is a really bad and disgusting human being who puts not only Islam in the eye but she does so to the catholics too...what a disgrace...u mention gods name in most of ur songs yet u dress like a cheap wh*re...what's up with that? U should repent n go to church more becos clearly u don't have any morals or values what so ever...u been losing alota fans..yes u have millions but on the day of Ressurection u will stand alone and face god...then u can tell him how disgraceful I were! U disgust me nicki!

Anonymous said...

I really hope she is reading this and i mean everry thing i say....people are saying why do we muslims care let me tell you why we care if your offending muslims mostly because the whole world thinks we are bad and always wanting to talk baf about ud and now you bitch ass or what ever the fuck u wanna call your self a fucking pop star or what ever anyways what am trying to say is you have no fucking right to say that shit about us i mean do we muslims go arround discriminating black white christian or what ever you may be l. No. Thats what i toughtm i have to deal with lots of anti muslims every day and mostly this whole world because we are going arrlund bombing people and americas things were only doing that because you guys strarted it by starting wara and never shutting yall fucking mouths because you guys are always getting in peoples buiessnesses like mind ya own motherfucking problems like how AMERICA IS FUCKED UP.not what anyone tought it was what so ever

Anonymous said...

I think istead of talking we should pray our faith will definetly turn the wrongs into the rights. Let her continue with what she thinks is right for her often in our homes in our surroundings we let people act towards us stupidly but then there comes a time they face reality and feel embarrassed and ashamed. To this i say insha Allah may Allah guide every1.