Nicki Minaj Goes for Solemn, Black-and-White Looks for 'Freedom' Clip

Rapstress Nicki Minaj is obviously trying to make a statement on her newest video for the track "Freedom", which is off her "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded - The Re-Up" album. The Harajuku Barbie, who usually sports outlandish wigs and circus-like costumes on her previous videos and appearances, goes all black and white on this visually inspiring clip. 

The new clip was shot in London and it features the 29-year-old rapper-singer against biblical stage set ups such as a Noah's Arc type backdrop, gray foreboding skies, wide shots of what seems to be an apocalyptic industrial area and some heavy smoke effects while lip-syncing the song.

Halfway through the track, the images then start changing to their colored versions while Minaj still raps solemnly amidst the giant modern sculptures shown in the video. This transition from black and white to a colored world seems to be music video director Colin Tilley's way of interpreting the freedom aspect of the song: Freedom from the dull, boring black and white world and then going into the more lively and colorful one.

Minaj also performed a low-key rendition of "Freedom" during the American Music Awards 2012 on November 18, where she won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded". This video drops the same day as Minaj's official November 19 release date for the "Re-Up" LP.