Nicki Minaj's "Only" director admits Nazi influence, won't apologize
Nicki Minaj may have said she's sorry if viewers were offended by her "Only" lyric video, but you won't hear any apologies coming from the maker of the animated clip.
Visual artist and director Jeff Osborne voiced his thoughts on MySpace Tuesday over the recent controversy surrounding the video, and admitted to incorporating representations of Nazism into his work.
While making it clear that he was not speaking on behalf of Minaj, her Young Money record label or the other artists appearing on the track -- Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown -- Osborne refused to back down from being inspired by Nazi imagery.
"I'm not apologizing for my work, nor will I dodge the immediate question. The flags, armbands, and gas mask (and perhaps my use of symmetry?) are all representative of Nazism," Osborne wrote.
The video director did little to assuage suspicions from critics on social media, who feared the clip would represent a glorification of Nazism. In the video, an animated Minaj can be seen attending a public demonstration reminiscent of the mass propaganda events held in Nazi Germany. Images resembling swastikas are also abundant.
Osborne went on to point out that he also incorporated imagery heavily inspired by the U.S.
"A majority of the recognizable models/symbols are American: MQ9 Reaper Drone, F22 Raptor, Sidewinder missile, security cameras, M60, SWAT uniform, General's uniform, the Supreme court, and the Lincoln Memorial," Osborne wrote. "What's also American is the 1st Amendment, which I've unexpectedly succeeded in showing how we willfully squeeze ourselves out of that right every day."
Prior to Osborne's MySpace post, Minaj had earlier apologized to her fans on Twitter, while distancing herself from the video's imagery.
"I didn't come up w/the concept, but I'm very sorry & take full responsibility if it has offended anyone. I'd never condone Nazism in my art," Minaj wrote.
As of Wednesday, the "Only" video still remains available to watch on YouTube (having gathered almost 3 million views since it was first released on Friday), and Minaj's Twitter profile image remains a screen capture from the "Only" video.
Osborne says he incorporated Nazi imagery to make sure the crimes against humanity committed by the Third Reich aren't forgotten.
"As far as an explanation, I think its actually important to remind younger generations of atrocities that occurred in the past as a way to prevent them from happening in the future," Osborne wrote. "And the most effective way of connecting with people today is through social media and pop culture. So if my work is misinterpreted because it's not a sappy tearjerker, sorry I'm not sorry. What else is trending?"
"Only" is the third single from Minaj's upcoming album, "The Pinkprint," due out Dec. 15.
Tell us: Do you think Osborne has a point?
