Nicki Minaj Is The Queen Of Darkness In Chaotic New 'Hard White' Video

By Trey Alston


One of Nicki Minaj’s longtime strengths has been her willingness to get crazy. Her name is practically synonymous with theatricality. On Friday (February 1), she released a demonic new visual for “Hard White” that means how much she goes the added mile with her work. It reaffirms her queen status in the realm of the living, but it’s shot in the realm of the dead.


The visual is made up a mix of dark magical scenery and twisted backdrops. Nicki appears as a witchy figure, wearing a mix of costumes that look both majestic and more and more terrifying. There’s one scene that looks to be a futuristic throne room where she operates in full control. In others, there really are naked, painted people moving demonically. Its title may be “Hard White,” and while white historically has symbolized purity, this lavish, sinister video symbolizes anything but.


In the midst of the frantic movements and simmering flames, Nicki raps about her twisted rule of rap’s domain. “Mirror, resemble, who's the fairest? / You the motherfucking fairest, Nicki,” she raps, repeating a line delivered by the Evil Queen of the classic film Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. That bar alone really sells the idea of the song, that a hard-nosed dominating woman emcee is perched upon her throne.


“Hard White” comes from Nicki’s 2018 album, Queen. It’s the fifth single following “Chun-Li,” “Bed,” “Barbie Dreams,” and “Majesty.” She’s getting prepared to go on the European leg of The Nicki Wrld Tour with Juice WRLD, who replaced Future because the co-headliner. She dropped the identically captivating video for “Good Form” in November.


Watch the chaos unfold in the video above.