World-famous rapper Nicki Minaj has been condemned for featuring Nazi-style imagery in her new video.

Ms Minaj, the most successful female rap artist in history, released an animated video for her song Only which features swastika-style flags, a gas mask with the word “chamber” over it and the rap star being saluted by troops wearing red armbands.

The video also shows an animated version of the singer dressed as a dictator, inspecting her troops and tanks in front of a replica of the building housing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

Rabbi Steven Burg, who is the eastern director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, described it as “very disturbing”.

He said: “It is clearly a play on Nazi imagery, especially with the armbands and hanging banners. There are some things which should be off limits, and one of those is imitating Nazis. It’s things like this which groups use to show that Nazis and some people being greater than other people is cool.

“I find it offensive. In some countries creating Nazi imagery is outlawed, and I think an apology from Nicki Minaj would be appropriate.

Online commenters have also said the video is offensive, with one posting that: “The new Nicki Minaj video is disturbing. Using blatant Nazi imagery is both shocking and deeply disrespectful.”

One tweeter said: “I loved you Nicki Minaj. How could you?”