Laurieann Gibson Denies Controversial Intent With Nicki Minaj Grammy Performance

Published: Friday 17th Feb 2012 by Rashad

Colorful femcee Nicki Minaj certainly had the Catholic Church seeing red after her now infamous 2012 Grammy performance.  Depicting an exorcism of alter ego Roman Zolanski, the interesting set may have seen the ‘Did It On ‘Em’ darling rid herself of demons, but in the process she certainly gained some new enemies.

Debuting ‘Roman Holiday’, one of many new tracks featuring on her forthcoming ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’ LP (due April 3rd), the Trinidadian tapped longtime Lady Gaga choreographer Laurieann Gibson for the Grammy showing.  As evidenced by many of Gaga’s numbers, Gibson’s creativity is no stranger to controversy.

Never one to bite her tongue, check out Gibson’s thoughts on the backlash of Nicki’s number in her candid Rolling Stone interview below.  There, the Canadian choreographer speaks on Minaj’s movie plans for Roman and her famous falling out with Gaga:

Via Rolling Stone:

“To be honest, no, we didn’t do anything for controversy,” Gibson claims. “We never had that conversation at all. Nicki just truly wanted Roman to be exorcised, and I just went to work.”

“I personally chose to stay away from any religious moves. There were no crosses. There were no religious symbols. We made sure we were very respectable. The bishop was a symbolic figurehead. He was not [intended] in a negative light, but in a position of authority.”

“You don’t get press on the other stuff,” she says. “As far as the theatrical and dramatic performance, it’s entertainment. If you are going to rise up about a performance that is not literal or harming from two people that are believers, then we need to see that anger being used to make a change.”

“People can’t wrap their head around the fact that Gaga did not do that on her own. She didn’t. There was a Laurieann Gibson. There was someone to execute at a high level in a short period of time. There are a lot of great artists, and the fact that we did that in such a short period of time was a huge blessing.”


Read the entire interview here.  For those who touted the performance as a ‘Gaga ripoff’, Gibson’s inclusion certainly comes as the explanatory piece of the puzzle.

Do you think the press is overreacting?

Your thoughts?

Comments 28

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  1. RDK February 17, 2012

    like i always say,keep doing your thing nicki.

  2. Theman February 17, 2012

    Whatever, this was a Gaga knockoff performance, except Gaga’s intent is just her being an artist. Nicki did this to seem like she was out of the box, but no ones buying it.

  3. Unbaised February 17, 2012

    Gaga isn’t original….her stuff comes from Madonna….”there is nothing new under the sun…” Gaga is the first to go overboard…..

  4. Xadax February 17, 2012

    There is nothing genuinely creative behind Laurieann’s work. Really, its just annoying – shock value to say the least.

  5. MISHKA February 17, 2012

    I can’t be mad at Laurie Ann, Gaga did her wrong and she went for revenge. Hopefully, Lady Gaga watched Nicki and saw how ridiculous she looks when the song she’s performing is not good.

    When the song is awful, people lose interest and focus on other stuff . ‘Roman Holiday’ is not a good song, Nicki’s singing was not good so everything went downhill from there.

  6. kimberly February 17, 2012

    I love all the controversy. I love the backlash. If only artist now showcase their talent and use less gimmicks. no one can tell me what niki did was talent. Gibson executed what was on stage. what did niki do? that is the problem the youth have. they cannot differentiate. Niki is talentless, her rymes are dead, she needs to tap into something in her life and rap about it. stop with her accents, funny faces and f****** rap like she use to when she was wearing sneakers. Aferall hollywood di change her ass.
    Gaga creativity was gibson and she made the world think it was all her. Now she is struggling to keep up with her crzy antics. lawd I really can’t with these artist nowadays. Being hot in showbiz is one thing but to have longevity and iconic is another. Someone needs to put that in some new artist mind and let them drop the ego.
    Niki and roman will fail if she continues that route. Nowadays every artist have an alter ego. bravo

  7. WIG SNATCHER February 17, 2012

    I am suck if the Gaga haters acting as if Madonna invinted the things she did. Madonna copied from Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, Cher, Grace Jones, ect, just like Gaga has done, she just took it too the next level, AGAIN like Gaga has done with her stuff. Some of us are too young, and the media didn’t see every single moment of stars lives like today, so people easily forget s***, but Imma give yall b****** a history lesson. Madonna copied the hell out of people and used controversy to get her bane out there but you guys dare come for Gaga? Madonna is a legend and I love her, but if yall are going to go in, tell the real tea, and stop sounding bittter. Laurieann may be a b**** at times, but she speaks the truth. Lady Gaga is not Lady Gaga on her own. Just like Madonna didn’t invent ANYTHING, and Nicki Minaj did not invent pink lipstick and blonde lacefronts.

  8. Miao February 17, 2012

    So happy that Gaga fired this lame ass Gibson. Soooo many Gaga’s haters, all over the place. Suckitbitches, my girl has talent! YES, T.A.L.E.N.T.! Something strange to Nicki and 95% of todays popular industry! And this ‘Madonna’ argument is sooooo old and lame, just as Madonnas new flop track!

  9. lsz February 17, 2012

    I am getting tired of Nicki and her desperate tactics. She has become a media w****, and her gimmcks are getting tired.

  10. Von Tae’ February 17, 2012

    Nicki Did Amazing ! There are too many people being over dramatic about the performance. It was what it was. I love the song, and I cant wait to see future performances from her. Also shout out to miss gibson who is one heck of a creative director and choreographer !

  11. nicoyuki February 17, 2012

    Gaga is very different then Nicki. Gaga now how to be controversial but not take things to far. As to offered other people. Nicki is new to this thing and just winging it. That’s way somebody need to set her down and talk to her cause baby girl not going to be around to long. She needs to make it work before it all ends

  12. nicoyuki February 17, 2012

    On for those of you saying Gaga is not original, she’s not . But she does take her act to the next level, and she does it lima a bad bish. Gaga doesn’t half step when she’s on. Nicki could never be in the likes of Gaga, Madonna, Grace. She should of stay in rap lane, and been the next Missy or Kim. Because her career is taking some big hits

  13. nicoyuki February 17, 2012

    Like a bad bish

  14. Mad February 17, 2012

    Then if Madonna is a copycat, then Gaga is a copycat of a copycat? So low down the food chain. Whatever you b****** say, Gaga is just one giant Xerox machine.

    Gaga is far from original, so you little cretins better shut up & burn in hell with you stupid Caca.

    R.I.P Lady S***

  15. ROYALACE February 17, 2012

    Can we just stop with the “Nicki is copying Gaga” b*******. Nicki has always been crazy and I know y’all monsters ain’t gonna come and say GaGa was the original. Cher was known for her crazy outfits as well. An artist can do whatever the f*** they want. And that’s what Nicki is doing. She is not trying to be GaGa nor model her career after her like Gaga has modeled her career off Madonna’s. Let’s not be delayed…..

    MIAO girl you sound mad as f***! Pop an ex-lax and s*** the hate out b****! GaGa may be talented, but we will never see it with the gimmicks and circus tricks and gay political agendas she got goin’ on. And we will NOT compare Gaga, a sick lab rat that looks like it hasn’t eaten a slice of cheese in three weeks, to Madonna, a legend. That rat just barely got out of her cage and STILL has a long way to go before she EVER becomes a legend like the queen. #DEAL or don’t. Or commit s****** like the other monsters. idgaf.

  16. ROYALACE February 17, 2012

    NICOYUKI, WIGSNATCHER, that grammar is ALLLL kinds of tacky! I’mma need y’all hefty asses to sit ALLLL the way down in a remedial English class and learn basic English before you ever type a sentence on here again. We may be an advanced society but there is no Koala option on the google translator. #resubmit that essay

  17. ROMANHOLIDAY February 17, 2012

    I loved it i man as a rapper we never saw a performance on this level Nicki killed it the show was a bore fest im sorry and the song is hot when you listen to it most was to busy watching what was going on im loving these two together like i said ppl complaining did not complain about the devil inside or any other horror satanic movie they went to see

  18. BitchIcantevenspellwelfare February 17, 2012

    Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person in America who liked Nicki’s performance. lol! it was, BY FAR, the most interesting performance she has ever done.

    Not because people are over-reading it as “controversial,” but because it was pretty well done.

    Nicki and Gaga have two completely different aesthetics. She is not copying Gaga. Can we please stop acting like Gaga is the ONLY performance artist in the world?!! If you don’t like Nicki’s brand of performance art, cool. But don’t think she’s simply derivative b/c you don’t like it.

    I just want Nicki’s music to get better which is the most important thing to me.

  19. . February 17, 2012

    @Unbaised

    madonna is barely original herself! keep talking ho!

  20. RHI RHI IS QUEEN February 17, 2012

    LUV HER.. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHY THEIR PRIEST KEEPS MOLESTING LIL BOYS RATHER THAN WHO’S PERFORMING AT THE GRAMMYS.

  21. Theman February 17, 2012

    Gaga adds her own little twist to things. This is who she is. Nicki is just trying to be shocking and so is LaurieAnn Gibson and it just came off as crazy looking. She went from a rapper to a stage clown. It just looks like she’s trying to hard. With Gaga thats her.

  22. Unbaised February 17, 2012

    @.
    B**** i didnt say she was original you stupid h**…..

  23. 123456 February 17, 2012

    devilworshippers next

  24. Itsme2002 February 17, 2012

    She went for shock value and it failed…. #NEXT

  25. slick February 17, 2012

    It really fruatrates me that noone is allowed to do anything “out there” without some monster saying its a rip off of their beloved Gaga.

  26. Kg February 17, 2012

    All I have to say is nicki you fail the people that was waiting on a female hip hop artist to come you your fans and your music are very ignorant

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