Popular music star Nicki Minaj, delivering an emotional address at the United Nations on Tuesday.
International music star Nicki Minaj stepped away from the stage and onto the world’s biggest diplomatic platform this week, delivering an emotional address at the United Nations on the escalating killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In a moment that immediately stirred global attention, the rapper thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for elevating the crisis and calling for urgent international action.
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue … and calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria … to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion or belief,” Minaj said.
The award-winning rapper—known for filling stadiums, not UN chambers—used her appearance to highlight reports of mass displacement, church burnings and targeted attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria.
Framing the violence as a human rights emergency, she told delegates that music had shown her how faith, culture and identity can unite people far more than they divide them.
“Music has taken me around the globe … I have seen how people, no matter their language, culture or religion, come alive when they hear a song that touches their soul,” she said.
Minaj stressed that freedom of belief is a universal right, warning that it is “under attack in way too many places.” She painted a grim picture of the situation in Nigeria: “In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes, and killed. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly simply because of how they pray.”
The rapper insisted that the crisis should not be viewed through political or partisan lenses. “Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity,” she said.
At one point, Minaj broke from diplomatic formality to address her fan base, known as the Barbz—many of whom had flooded social media with messages of support. “Barbz, I know you’re somewhere listening. I love you so very much … This is about standing up in the face of injustice … It’s about what I’ve always stood for … and I will continue to stand for that for the rest of my life.”
Her speech, blending activism, celebrity influence and raw human concern, has already sparked intense global debate. Whether it shifts diplomatic momentum on Nigeria’s religious crisis remains to be seen, but Minaj’s presence at the UN ensured the issue is now squarely—if unexpectedly—on the world’s cultural and political radar.
