Nicki Minaj criticised after controversial lyric about OceanGate sub tragedy
24 October 2023, 16:50 | Updated: 24 October 2023, 16:56
Nicki Minaj’s new lyric is receiving criticism from her fans after rapping about the OceanGate tragedy in a sexualised sense.
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The lyric appears in her new song, For All The Barbs, released on 20 October and is still receiving both praise and condemnation over social media.
The controversial wordplay mixes BDSM innuendo with reference to the OceanGate tragedy.
OceanGate passengers had paid to see the remains of the Titanic but the Titan sub imploded, killing all five on board.
Recently, human remains have been found and the remaining parts of the sub have been brought to shore.
Read more: Final parts of doomed OceanGate Titan sub brought to shore after investigators find human remains
The rapper, 40, references the tragedy with the lyric: "One sub killed 5 b*****s, Ocean Gate".
Fans took to X/Twitter and Instagram to rave about the controversial lyric.
"Mother is mothering", one fan said.
Another wrote: "That OceanGate lyric added to her most unhinged bars."
However, other fans were not as impressed, with one calling the rapper "heartless" and another calling the lyric "corny" and uncool.
This is not the first time Ms Minaj has rapped about a tragedy.
In 2012, she rapped about the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in her song Roman Reloaded.
The lyric said: "Take you b*****s to school then I Columbine these h**s".
Although, it seems that the rapper had been more sensitive to the OceanGate situation when the news first broke.
On an episode of her Queen Radio Show, she gave her opinion on the situation.
She said: "No one should be hopping they a** on a submarine talking ’bout they going down to the Titanic."
"I’m keeping all five passengers in my prayers and wishing all the best to search and rescue teams."
In a post on X/Twitter, which she deleted but re-posted soon after, the Barbie Girl singer wrote: "Praying they make it back to their families. This is so scary & should not be allowed.
"Like wtf? I just assumed they were marine biologists... finding out this was a 'tourist' 'titanic' thing?????? They said: 'TMZ Tour Bus but make it under the sea.'"
However, this is not the first time the OceanGate tragedy has been pulled into pop culture.
Recently, film producers have been criticised for wanting to make a film about the tragedy, titled Salvage.
Titanic director James Cameron has shut down reports he was developing a series about OceanGate submersible Titan, as he branded the claims ‘offensive rumours'.
He said on social media: “I don’t respond to offensive rumours in the media usually, but I need to now.
"I’m NOT in talks about an OceanGate film, nor will I ever be."
