Why was Nicki Minaj's 2015 Angola concert controversial? Human Rights activists' criticisms explored

Nicki Minaj is a globally celebrated rapper. The 41-year-old, who has completed four solo headlining world tours, has fans in every corner of the globe, and Angola is no exception.

As proof of the Anaconda rapper's growing popularity, she was invited to perform in Angola in 2015. However, the African country was globally criticized for reportedly violating the basic human rights of its journalists, activists, and anyone else who spoke out against the government.

Due to the oppressive and intimidating nature of the Angolan government, Nicki Minaj was reportedly termed a "hypocrite" for performing there despite advocating for human rights herself. According to BBC, the rapper also received a six-figure sum for her performance at the event, while more than 70% of the country's population lived on less than $1 a day.

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Nicki Minaj headlined the Boas Festas in Angola in December 2015

Nicki Minaj was invited to Angola in 2015 to perform at the Boas Festas— a Christmas Festival organized by a phone company called Unitel— which was claimed to be owned and controlled by the family of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Santos first became the president of Angola in 1979, and also helped the countrymen recover from the 27-year-long Civil War, which ended in 2002. He allegedly did not distribute the fair share of profits made by Angola's oil industry to the citizens.

Critics accused him of using the money to further his family's wealth instead of bettering his country, a report by BBC in December 2015 said. According to the claims made by Amnesty International, extra-judicial killings and excessive force were used against those who raised their voice against the Santos government.

Since all of it was reportedly public knowledge, the Barbie Dreams rapper's decision to perform at a concert organized by Unitel was seen as controversial.

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Thor Halvorssen wrote Minaj a letter to cancel her show

Thor Halvorssen— the president of the Human Rights Foundation— told The Hollywood Reporter that the organization believed Minaj should cancel her show, stating:

"Nicki Minaj is a global artist. Millions of people look up to her for creative inspiration. There is no good reason for her to do business with the corrupt Angolan dictatorship and endorse the ruler’s family’s company."

Halvorssen also wrote a letter to the Swalla rapper, mailed to her via Brian Sher of Category 5 Entertainment, in which he asked her:

"As a strong-willed independent artist, shouldn’t you be advocating for the release of the imprisoned rapper Luaty Beirao rather than entertaining the dictator and his thieving family?"

Luaty Beirao, an Angolan rapper known for his anti-corruption activism, was arrested in June 2015 reportedly because of his presence in a meeting that discussed democracy and non-violence.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Thor's letter to the Bang Bang rapper also talked about the billionaire daughter of President dos Santos, accusing her of being the main beneficiary in the "blood diamond" trade in Angola.

The activist also talked out that the human rights crimes allegedly committed by the Santos family had been documented by global organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

When Nicki Minaj's representatives were approached to comment on the matter, no response was offered. The Side to Side rapper ultimately ended up performing in Luanda, and also shared a picture with dos Santos' daughter on her Instagram handle, calling her "the 8th richest woman in the world" in the caption.

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Two years after Nicki Minaj's concert, dos Santos was succeeded by Joao Lourenco— the former Minister of Defence— now the president of Angola.