One day in, and Twitter has already called February 2017 as the most lit Black History Month of all time.
First, Donald Trump proved once and for all that he can’t tell black people apart, and/or cannot differentiate living humans from centuries-old corpses. During a Black History Month event on Wednesday morning, our 45th President claimed that, “Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice.” Confused listeners were quick to point out that Trump clearly doesn’t know who Frederick Douglass is, and is describing the famous abolitionist in the same way he would a living government employee. Frederick Douglass died in 1895, suggesting that, despite being casual acquaintances with Omarosa, Donald J. Trump might not be all the way up on his black history.
But Trump’s weird statement was quickly forgotten when, with a single Instagram, pop icon Beyoncé descended from the heavens to make America great again. In the stunning photo, a pregnant Bey clutches her stomach in a veil and lingerie. She writes, “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. - The Carters.” That’s right: Bey and Jay are gifting this world with not one, but two new iterations of their genetic code. Henceforth, February 1st will be celebrated as a National Day of Patriotic Devotion, and this photo will adorn the walls of our public schools.
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And, as if that wasn’t enough, there’s the feel-good reunion between hip-hop heavyweights Drake and Nicki Minaj. Drake and Minaj have famously collaborated on a number of successful singles. There’s 2009’s “Best I Ever Had (Remix),” 2010’s “Moment 4 Life,” and 2011’s “Make Me Proud.” Then there’s 2015’s “Truffle Butter,” a song about making money, selling records, and putting “truffle butter on your pussy.” On “Only,” Drake rapped: “I never fucked Nicki cause she got a man / But when that’s over then I’m first in line.” And while queuing up for a relationship sounds like exactly the sort of Drake-approved courtship tactic that would never work, the Canadian rapper’s long game might finally be paying off.
Back in January, Minaj finally took everyone’s advice and started off the New Year without the dead weight. That dead weight would be Meek Mill, the Philly rapper turned hip-hop punching bag. In a giddy tweet, Minaj celebrated her new relationship status: “To confirm, yes I am single. Focusing on my work & looking forward to sharing it with you guys really soon. Have a blessed New Year.” We like to think that Meek Mill didn’t know he was broken up with until he got an email from his bank informing him that Nicki had canceled his debit card.
Allegedly, Nicki and Meek’s relationship went south because he was stepping out on her with a “Philadelphia boutique owner.” Of course, this isn’t the first time Meek Mill has redefined dumb. The rapper previously set the unofficial world record for most ill-advised hip-hop beef when he accused Drake of using ghostwriters. Drake responded by politely asking Meek if that was “a world tour, or your girl’s tour?” He also buried him under two rapid-fire diss tracks and a suffocating pile of savage memes. Publicly, Minaj stayed above the fray during this summer feud, essentially filing her acrylics while her boyfriend and longtime collaborator pulled each other’s hair out. But privately, as Drake later revealed, the proverbial pantsing of Minaj’s romantic partner didn’t exactly bode well for her and Drake’s friendship.
Last April, the artist formerly known as Aubrey Graham told Beats 1’s Zane Lowe that he and Minaj were on the outs. “I don’t really talk to Nicki,” he confessed. “Again, another person that I have a lot of love for and a lot of respect, not only for our past and how much work and time we put in, but even just the way she dealt with the situation [regarding Birdman and Lil Wayne] at hand.” He continued, “I understand what love is, and I understand a personal situation. She dealt with me how I would expect her to, which was with class, and I could only ever do the same.”
Drake was referring to the extended, painful falling out between Cash Money’s Lil Wayne and his mentor Birdman. As The Daily Beast previously reported, Wayne has accused Cash Money Records of owing him back pay, and threatened to go into retirement until he gets his due. In 2015, he filed a $51 million lawsuit against the label, alleging that Birdman violated his contract by endlessly delaying his album Tha Carter V. The suit was an attempt to break ties with Cash Money once and for all, and possibly take protégées like Drake and Minaj along with him. Last September, Drake posted an Instagram in support of Weezy, pledging, “We are fighting until you get yours. Freedom to drop music and peace of mind.” Minaj took a more tactful approach to the drama, explaining that, “People know that I love Wayne and I have loyalty towards him, but I love Baby too. I’m very close to Baby, and I don’t think people know that…I am banking on the fact that they’re gonna work this out like family.”
As of today, the Young Money Holy Trinity is back together again. First, Minaj shared an Instagram of her and Drake, because there really isn’t a more iconic duo. Apparently, breaking up with Meek, who took one look at the pic and deleted his Instagram, really did clear a path to reconciliation. And forgiveness couldn’t have come at a better time—after all, was anyone really buying that J. Lo “relationship?” Drake belongs with someone who will call him on his shit, make him pick up the check, and shamelessly use his body as a prop in a music video. So far, only Nicki and Rihanna fit that bill, and RiRi is way too busy leading The Revolution. A second Instagram featured the full squad—Drake, Nicki, and Lil Wayne—photographed by Young Money president Mack Maine. Now that Nicki is no longer wasting her time on Meek Mill, and Drake is done trifling with Taylor Swift, fans are hoping for a musical collaboration from the iconic trio. Because while boyfriends, girlfriends, and lawsuits may come and go, Young Money is forever.
