In the Belly of the Barbz

Fear them. Cheer them. Nicki Minaj fans are sticking by their queen.

- Scaachi Koul

ON A RAINY early-spring evening, a parade of Barbie dreamgirls and gays make their way to see Nicki Minaj, the sound of high heels crunching on the pavement. It’s the first night of her run of Northeast shows on the Pink Friday 2 World Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. While walking toward the venue, a woman in a layered pink miniskirt, a bikini top, and Lucite coral kitten heels bumps into someone who is demonstrably not a Minaj fan: gray hoodie, jeans, a distinct lack of Big Cunt Energy. The other person doesn’t even notice, but this woman clocks the disrespect. “You ain’t a Barb,” she says mostly to herself as she hobbles along the pavement. “You an ugly bitch.”

Taylor Swift has her Swifties, Beyoncé has her Beyhive, and Nicki Minaj has her Barbz, a notoriously brutal fan base whose members will do anything for their icon. Barbz have publicized the numbers and addresses of Minaj’s critics in the media, have harassed the woman who accused Minaj’s husband of sexual assault, and have sent graphic messages to a former Barb who left the standom for disagreeing with Minaj.