Nicki Minaj is usually not a conversation starter here, but these pictures took me by surprise. Nicki is showing us her “real” hair. I have never understood the technicolor nightmare that is the usual state of what’s going on atop Nicki’s head. Well okay, I get it. She likes wigs. She likes wigs of every shape and size. She really likes wigs that are of colors not found in nature. I’ve always wondered what Nicki’s “real” hair looks like and whether not she looks better going au natural.
Nicki must have grown tired of the bewigged look for a few moments. She took to Instagram to show off a sleek ponytail in her natural color. Nicki claims these photos reflect “no perm” and “no extensions.” Is she telling the truth? Who knows.
What is absolutely clear is that Nicki looks a million times classier and prettier than she usually looks. The clown makeup and wigs do not do her any favors. They’re part of her pop-star gimmick, but I think she looks gorgeous here, don’t you? She’ll probably go back to wigs in five minutes, but we’ll always have Instagram.
Photos courtesy of Nicki Minaj on Instagram
I’m sure it’s her own hair. Looks like she’s just had a good straightening. I’m surprised she doesn’t have it permed since that would make it easier under her wigs. She does look so much better here than in her usual costume.
The ends look like they need a trim so I’m sure its real.
It’s real you can tell by the edges but yeah she used a hot comb to straighten that out. My hair looks like that after I blow dry it and then use a little bit of grease and some pink lotion and hot comb the mess out of it lol.
Whats she straightening with if not chemicals. Heat? Cause I gotta say those edges are hinting at chemical. Not judging of course, just an observation.
I know. Her edges are on point. I don’t straighten my daughter’s hair very often, but when I do – it’s like a minute before her edges revert, lol! I’m sure Nicki’s got access to a very good stylist, though. Maybe some setting lotion and a hot comb? Add to that I have no idea her natural texture – maybe it’s pretty loose?
Isn’t she part Trinidadian? That could account for some of it. I know a hot comb/flat iron has touched that though which I am throwing no shade over. I went from having an afro to relaxing my hair again because It was not fitting under my helmets (football, motorcycle, cosplays) comfortably so dang, mad props to keeping it up.
She has a mixed ethnic background.
Nicki is an island girl who grew up in NY. Lots more diverse hair textures from straight to kinky on many women out there. So, yes, I believe that’s her hair. And she looks so beautiful, I seriously wondered who she was before reading the title. As for her edges, I think they prove she isn’t using chemicals. Those edges and tips aren’t perfect. It looks like my own! She did a Glamour (?) cover once w her natural hair, but it was wet then. Looks like the same length.
African American hair can be straightened with a hot comb, also know as a pressing comb. It can take natural hair from an afro to bone straight in a matter of seconds. I worked at a hair salon for 7 years and we used this method daily.
AlmondJoy, does that tool damage hair eventually? Or is it something that can be used often without any extreme damage?
Littlestar: With deep conditioning and a good pressing creme/oil, pressing usually does not damage your hair. From what I’ve learned though, It should only be done once a month though, and every 2 weeks at the most. If you do it too often and your combs are too hot or rusty, your hair can break off. I love the versatility though, you go back and forth between curly and straight. Whereas relaxed hair is straight all the time.
Her hair doesn’t look chemically straightened. For one, her hair looks heat damaged and her edges aren’t “laid. It looks to me that she’s just had her hair straightened with a heating implement by a professional.
In other news, she looks really beautiful without all the war paint.
@MonicaQ, Trinidad is a country, not an enthnicity, but yeah she was born here.I believe she left when she was five. I do however believe that she is mixed with East Indian so that could account for her edges being on point.
My apologies for the mis-step. I just remember her discussing going back to her roots in the “Pound the Alarm” video and there’s Trini flags everywhere.
NP. It’s cool.
Actually, being Trinidadian is an ethnicity. Ethnicity has to do with one’s nationality, and other roots of culture whereas race denotes one’s genetic origin physical characteristics. So ethnically she is Trinidadian because she was born there but racially she is black-East Indian/Desi.
@Renee. Yep you’re right!
Actual @Renee is wrong.
She is Trinidadian by NATIONALITY not by ethnicity. Trinidad has a diverse ethnic makeup but is not in and of itself an ethnicity. Just as American is not an ethnicity. Also Indian is not a race. I have a friend who was born and raised in Malaysia and is a Malaysian national but is ethnically Chinese. Just as there are a lot ethnically Chinese Jamaican nationals and I’m talking about people that were brought to the Island along side the African slaves and descendants that have lived there for many generations. I also have a friend who is a Chinese National but is ethnically Laotian. Just as I have a friend who is a Nigerian national but is Ethnically Yoruba and one who is Ethnically Nupe. Ethnicity doesn’t really have to do with nationality as much as it has to do with Heritage. Your geographic location can be a good marker but ethnicity is really not determined by birthplace.
Which is why generations of Koreans born and raised in Japan are still considered ethnically Korean or why generations of Chinese born and raised in Malaysia and Singapore are still considered ethnically Chinese. In fact in many traditionalist cultures your ethnicity is restricted further to be determined by your father. Which is why there was a big brouhaha in, I believe, Philadelphia or new York a few years back when a mixed race woman was denied entrance into a Miss China Town competition because it was her MOM who was Chinese and her dad was Black instead of the other way around.
Sorry I just had to clarify. I’m a huge anthropology buff. I didn’t major in it but I have a minor in Anthro and Cultural Studies.
Hi Dee,
I am going by the definitions of race and ethnicity. There IS a Trinidadian culture, yes it is comprised of many racial groups that stem from different nations, cultures and religions but it still stands on its own as a culture, anyone who is Trini will tell you 🙂
The following is taken from a posting on Ethinicity vs. Race: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related to biological and sociological factors respectively. Race refers to a person’s physical appearance, such as skin color, eye color, hair color, bone/jaw structure etc. Ethnicity, on the other hand, relates to cultural factors such as nationality, culture, ancestry, language and beliefs.
Introductory sociology classes usually cover the difference between ethnicity and race. My family is Jamaican, I was born in Canada and now live in the States. I am black, I have mainly West African ancestry along with some Indian (from India, not Carib or Tanoo (sp)) and European. My ethnicity is not black, it’s Jamaican Canadian. I realize that Indian is not a race per se, although culturally and sociologically it does function as one and there are specific physical characteristics that are associated with people from South Asian who are designated as Desi, which is why I stated that she was also East Indian/Desi.
@Renee
This is so late you’ll probably never see this but I just wanted to reply. I totally understand what your are saying but please don’t conflate culture with ethnicity. To be clear, I never said there ISN’T a Trinidadian culture. Of course there is Trinidadian culture, as much as there is American culture but that does not make it an ethnicity on it’s own. Trinidadian culture has very many different and distinct ethnic makeups just as many other places in the world. It’s a common mistake many people make, intro courses not withstanding. National identity is not the same as ethnic identity though the two are intimately woven. My best friend always says “I am a woman, I am Hmong, and I am Chinese. That is how I identify myself.” Of course there is a national Chinese identity and shared culture but go to any rural town in China and ask them what they consider themselves and they will always answer with their ethnicity first.
Have you ever done any anthropological research? Observational field research? If you ever get the chance to visit Malaysia please do. It’s a beautiful country with a rich national culture but deep ethnic pride. Stop a few random people and ask them their ethnicity. You can try this experiment anywhere really. Within your chosen working definition of Race, I can understand labeling her as East Indian/Desi but to call her ethnically Trinidadian is misinformed by any definition. Ask your sociology professor.
She Really should consider staying with THIS… But whatevs Im not invested in her clown show
ha, + 1
I agree, she actually looks beautiful and I never thought of her that way before.
Yep, she really does have a very pretty face. Never noticed until these pictures.
Agreed. I wish she would stick with this. Honestly, she really is a great rapper. Better than half the men out there with half the respect, partly because of her gimmicks. If she highlighted her beauty in a more natural way, like Eve?, she would be better received.
LOL she does look better here than her usual mess but I am not a fan of NM anyway.
She is pretty but I thought she was cuter before all the plastic surgery.
Is this reverse cat-eye liner trend seriously gaining momentum? Ugh.
I see you maintaining them edges girl!!
Ha! I had the same thought. That must be one fresh press, lol!
I covet the edges! Mine always look so tired. ha ha ha. Looks like a blow-out and flat iron.
She looks very pretty without all the wigs and stuff. But one question what are u guys talking about her “edges” huh? I don’t straighten my hair (it’s curly but I love my curls) . 🙂
With black hair when people are talking about edges we mean our hairline or edges around the front, sides, and back (AKA the kitchen) of our hairline. Unless we get our hair relaxed our edges never lay flat. If you go a while between relaxers you can tell since your edges will go from poofy to bumpy to just looking raggedy.
Every time she shows her real hair she’s always pulling on it.
I noticed it too bms, it means something….
It means “Beyonce pulls on her long weave ponytails too”.
Really, that’s about it.
She’s half Indian so that’s probably her natural hair.
I didn’t say it wasn’t…
Even if she wasn’t half Indian that is probably her real hair. You do know that black women who aren’t biracial can and do have long hair, right?
Oh, how pretty!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Yes, she really does look beautiful when she tones it down, doesn’t she?
I suspect it is her real hair, since she will only show it in a thin ponytail, pulling it taut, straight up defying gravity. This reminds me of those so-called makeup free shots of celebs where you can clearly see concealer and lipstick. These ladies won’t show the real natural deal ever.
But if they did show their real deal, the internet would *never* forget, e.g. look at Katy Perry’s picture that Russell Brand took of her in the dead of night.
I almost didn’t recognize her…and I mean that as a complement!
Im going to regret this but… shes actually kinda pretty with out the 4 tons of make up and cray-cray wigs…
I’m sure u meant clown whore makeup. Ugh.
I remember an episode of ‘Will the fresh prince of Bel Air’ where he’s stuck in the basement with his then gf. At one point she starts showing him what it takes to look so beautiful and starts taking the wig off, fake nails, false lashes, false boobs, colored contacts and make up. At the end the girl is just a normal looking gal, cute but not bombastic.
This is what i think of every time i see Nicki Minaj. She has nothing real going on. Even her make up changes her features completely. Fake. Fake. Fake.
Oh my God I remember that episode! They were stuck in an earthquake under something in the basement and he starts screaming every time she takes something else off. Good memories!
She didn’t have fake boobs and she kept her make-up on. And she was still a pretty girl, the point was that Will didn’t really know her and vice versa, being stuck together brought out the worst in both of them.
Most people use make-up etc to enhance their features or hide the ones they don’t like, I think that has more to do with the pressure of being beautiful or presentable to the outside world, which we all know can be quite cruel. Or some people just like to dress up and wear make-up, that’s not fake imo.
Most celebs don’t show you anything real anyway and people like Gaga and Minaj go overboard with their act. But between them, Minaj is definitely gorgeous while Gaga is plain. Minaj has strong cheekbones, a strong face overall.
I think you are mixing up the scene in the movie “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka” which also had a woman that was super fake with this Fresh Prince Episode. In the scene she starts removing her hair, green contacts, one leg, and her boobs. Here’s the link to the scene, it starts at 3:36 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-1C6QlvHl8
Nope sorry never seen this film but thanks for showing me! It’s funny!
@artemis
It’s been a while since i’ve seen that episode of the fresh prince.. just watched it on youtube now and yes no boobs or make up is coming off.
But it still reminds me of Nicki Minaj for all the fakery going on.
I just realized that actress is the same playing Janet in ‘My wife and Kids’!
I love My Wife and Kids. Classics 🙂 and she’s hilarious in it!
It’s her hair but she will go back to wigs .She looks cute but basic without the wigs.The woman in that pic is Onika Tanya Maraj,the woman with the wigs is Nicki Minaj.
THAT’S your idea of basic?? I would PAY to look as “basic” as she looks in the pics.
She is very pretty. Some deep dark part of me secrectly loves all the bright coloured wigs and crazy clothes. But obviously this ‘natural’ look is millleeeessssss better.
I like her wigs too lol. She’s pretty either way.
Surprisingly, this is not the first time she has shown her real hair. It’s actually very beautiful. Looks like the result of a blow dry and a pressing comb. I find it interesting that the general assumption is that whenever a black woman wears her her straight, she MUST have chemicals in it. I worked at a hair salon for years, and there are definitely ways to achieve straight hair without getting a relaxer.
she looks pretty but she bores me w/the clown act.
I know I’m in the small minority that like her (basically because I like that she pushes the limits of…everything…lol…music, song, make-up, etc..) and I love this natural look!
It can be her real hair. She is from Trinidad of mostly South Asian descent. Very little black: if any.
Her being mixed doesn’t change a thing about her hair. I am 100% haitian chemical free since 5 years and when I flat iron my hair it is that long.
She looks so… good without her clown costume. And the hair, I think it’s really hers, all straightened and shit, of course.
She is really pretty in this picture.
Wow u do know black people can grow long hair too. And i dnt have to straighten my edges for them to get straight. We all don’t hv relaxers either!!! In fact I haven’t had a perm n 6 years. If i want to change my hair up I get a weave.. It’s called being versatile. She has very pretty hair, NOT the 1st time she has shown it. In fact a lot of black actresses have beautiful hair, but thy wear wigs and weaves so as NOt to mess up their hair.
+1