Autobiography nicki minaj
Nicki Minaj
Trinidadian rapper (born 1982)
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (néeMaraj; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj (NIK-ee min-AHZH), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her dynamic rap flow, witty lyrics, musical versatility, and alter egos and is credited as a driving force in the mainstream resurgence of female rap in the early 2010s. Minaj began rapping professionally in the early 2000s and gained recognition with her three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), topped the US Billboard 200, achieved the largest female rap album sales week of the 21st century, and spawned the RIAA diamond-certified top-five single "Super Bass". Minaj explored dance-pop on her second US number-one album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012); it produced the internationally successful single "Starships", which is certified diamond. She returned to her hip hop roots with her third and fourth albums, The Pinkprint (2014) and Queen (2018), which yielded the hit singles "Anaconda" and "Chun-Li". Minaj achieved her first two Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles in 2020 as a featured artist on Doja Cat's "Say So" and 6ix9ine's "Trollz"; the former was the first female rap collaboration to top the chart. Two years later, she garnered her first solo US number-one song with "Super Freaky Girl", the lead single from her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2 (2023), which debuted at number one in the US and broke several female rap sales and streaming records. Its concert tour became the fourth-highest grossing tour for a rapper and highest-grossing tour for a female rapper in history.
Minaj is one of the world's best-selling music artists, and the best-selling female rapper, with over 100 million records sold.[1] She has three diamond-certified songs by the RIAA and in 2024 became the first female rapper with multiple diamond-certified solo songs. She is among the RIAA's 50 highest-certified digital singles artists. In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked Minaj as the greatest female rapper of all time. Her various accolades include a Brit Award, five Billboard Music Awards, nine American Music Awards, eight MTV Video Music Awards (including the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award), 13 BET Awards, a Soul Train Music Award, and three Guinness World Records. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016, and she was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Game Changer Award in 2019. Her outspoken views, personal life and fanbase have received significant media attention.
Minaj founded the Heavy On It Records label imprint in 2023. Outside of music, her other endeavors include a fragrance line, a press on nails line, a Loci sneakers collection, and the radio show Queen Radio (2018–2023); She also played roles in the animated films Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), and the comedy films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). On television, she served as a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol (2013).
Early life
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982,[2][3] in the Saint James district of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.[4][5] Her father was Robert Maraj (1956–2021),[6] a financial executive and part-time gospel singer of Dougla (Afro-Trinidadian mother and Indo-Trinidadian father) descent.[3] Her mother, Carol, is also a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry.[7] Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minaj's youth.[8][9] Minaj's father was an alcoholic and crack cocaine addict[10] whom Minaj described to be "violent" and abusive to her mother. He committed arson onto their house in December 1987.[11][12] She has an older brother named Jelani,[13] a younger brother named Micaiah,[14] and a younger sister named Ming.[15]
As a child, Minaj and Jelani grew up with their grandmother in Saint James in a household with 11 cousins.[12] Carol was working numerous jobs in Saint James before getting her green card at the age of 24. She then moved to the Bronx in New York to attend Monroe College, leaving both Minaj and Jelani in Trinidad with their grandmother. When Minaj was five, Carol brought Minaj and Jelani to live with her and their father in South Jamaica, Queens.[12] Minaj said she arrived in the United States as an illegal immigrant, and by the time she moved to the country, her mother and father had lawful permanent residency.[16] She stated in 2024 that she is not a US citizen.[17][18] Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom motivated me, but it wasn't a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household."[19]
Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which focuses on visual and performing arts.[4] A week after graduation, Minaj was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001.[20] At the age of 19, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers.[21] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.[22] Her other jobs included customer service representative and office management on Wall Street.[23]
Career
2002–2009: Career beginnings and mixtapes
Further information: Playtime Is Over (mixtape), Sucka Free, and Beam Me Up Scotty (mixtape)
From 2002 to 2004, Minaj rapped in a New York hip hop group called Hoodstars, composed of rappers Lou$tar and 7even Up and hype manSafaree Samuels.[24][25] The son of Bowlegged Lou from Full Force, Lou$tar recruited Minaj when he and his father heard her work.[25][24] Bowlegged Lou liked Minaj's rapping, and said that back then she was already doing "the crazy voices" in her vocal performances.[26] In 2004, the group recorded the entrance song for WWE DivaVictoria, "Don't Mess With", which was featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6.[27] Full Force tried to get Hoodstars a record deal but were unsuccessful. They then worked with Minaj as a solo artist, meeting with some record companies, including Warner Brothers, who expressed interest in signing Minaj out of the group but required a ghostwriter for a deal. Minaj refused, adamant that she will always write her songs. Brian George from Full Force said that Minaj was impressive in her ambition, describing her as "broke and hungry" while determined to be in control of her craft.[26]
Minaj continued to work independently and uploaded her songs on her Myspace profile, sending several of them to people in the music industry. Later, Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment, signed Minaj to his label in 2007 under a 180-day contract. Originally using the stage name Nicki Maraj, she eventually changed it to Nicki Minaj after Fendi switched her last name when he met her due to her having a "nasty flow".[28] Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, on July 5, 2007.[29]
Minaj released her second mixtape, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008,[30] and her third, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009;[31] it received favorable coverage on BET and MTV.[32][33] At the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. Rapper Lil Wayne sought to recruit Minaj to his new Young Money Entertainment label after seeing her rap on the underground rap DVD The Come Up Vol. 11.[34][35][36] Minaj's mixtapes garnered significant industry and public interest.[37][38][39] The Beam Me Up Scotty track "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U.S. BillboardHot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[40] While Minaj continued playing shows, working on music, doing freestyles and featuring on other artists' songs, there was a bidding war among record labels to sign her.[37][38][36] Minaj eventually signed a recording contract with Young Money, with her deal entailing her owning her 360 rights, including her merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing.[37][39] In a 2011 interview, Minaj said that before she met Lil Wayne, "the person that was spearheading my career was the one person who always told me, 'Don’t be too playful, don't be too kooky and weird... no one's gonna feel that, nobody wants to hear that.' So I stifled a lot of that early on, and then once that we parted ways, I was like, 'Guess what, I’m gonna just be me.'"[41] In November 2009, she appeared with Gucci Mane and Trina on the remix of "5 Star Bitch" by Yo Gotti.[42]
In early February 2010, Minaj made her first two appearances on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with her features on "Knockout" and "Up Out My Face" by Lil Wayne and Mariah Carey respectively.[43][44] Minaj also appeared on "BedRock" and "Roger That" on the compilation album, We Are Young Money (2009).[45][46] The singles peaked at numbers two and 56, respectively, in the U.S. Their parent album reached number nine on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[47][48] At Jay-Z's suggestion, Robin Thicke featured Minaj on his single "Shakin' It 4 Daddy".[49] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post stated that, during that time, she "became the go-to girl for artists who wanted to add some skank to their tracks without sullying themselves in the process".[50] Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously charting in the U.S.[51]
2010–2011: Breakthrough with Pink Friday
Further information: Pink Friday
On March 29, 2010, Minaj released "Massive Attack" featuring Sean Garrett.[52] Intended as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, Pink Friday, the song was dropped from the album due to poor commercial performance.[53][54] The next single, "Your Love", later became the album's lead single.[55] Released in June, it peaked at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Rap Songs chart.[40] The rapper was then featured on Christina Aguilera's song "Woohoo", which reached number 46 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 79 on Billboard Hot 100.[56][57][58] In September, Minaj released "Check It Out" with will.i.am and "Right Thru Me" as follow-up singles.[59][60][61]
In October, Minaj was featured on Kanye West's "Monster", a posse cut with Jay-Z and Rick Ross featuring vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Her verse received widespread acclaim with many critics regarding it as the best verse on that song. Complex rated Minaj's "Monster" verse as the number-one best rap verse in the past five years,[62] while Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice stated that "Monster" was "the track that announced Minaj's "brilliance" to most people."[63] Shortly after, she performed "Monster" with West and Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium, becoming the first ever female rapper to perform there. In November 2010, Minaj received her first Grammy Award nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad".[64]
Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010, debuting at number two and later reaching number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 375,000 copies.[65][66] It had the largest sales week for a female rap album in the 21st century and second-highest sales week overall after Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). The album also became the female rap album with the most weeks in the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart at the time, with fourteen consecutive weeks in the region.[67] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics.[68] The song "Roman's Revenge", featuring Eminem, was interpreted as a response to rapper Lil' Kim's comments against Minaj,[69] including her accusing Minaj of copying her image and that she had recorded a song called "Everywhere We Go" with Minaj but it was pulled from iTunes by Cash Money because it did not perform well.[70] At the time, Minaj said that "Roman's Revenge" was not about a specific person, but about "everyone who has been in interviews talking", adding, "I’ve been quiet for such a long time and I’ve been the nice guy. I’ve been the person that gave everyone their props ... you can’t be a rapper and not speak on things being said about you".[71] In a 2018 interview, she explained that she wrote the song after "a veteran got at me, and I hit them with 'Roman's Revenge' and then I kept on going."[72]
Pink Friday was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in December 2010, for moving a million units in the United States, with it becoming the first album by a solo female rapper to go platinum in seven years.[73][74] As of March 2016, it has been certified triple-platinum.[75] In 2022, the album was included in Rolling Stone's list of "200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time" at number 31; the magazine stated that Pink Friday "proved you could own the charts without dialing back your confrontational individuality, and it set the table for a generation of artists."[76] In 2024, Vibe named it as one of the "50 Greatest Black Albums of the Modern Era".[77] "Moment 4 Life" featuring Drake was released as the fourth single from Pink Friday,[78] on December 7, 2010. It reached number 13 on the Hot 100.[79] Minaj performed "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life" as the musical guest on the January 29, 2011, episode of Saturday Night Live.[80] In February 2011, Lil' Kim released the mixtape Black Friday referencing Minaj, including artwork that showed Lil' Kim decapitating Minaj with a sword and the lyrics "sweetie, you goin' on your 14th minute of fame" and "you a Lil' Kim wannabe". Lil' Kim sold the mixtape on PayPal.[70] Minaj's track "Tragedy" was released online, featuring the lyrics "Pink Friday, Eminem, 8 Mile/ It must hurt to sell your album on PayPal."[81]
"Super Bass" was released as Pink Friday's fifth single in April 2011.[82] It became a sleeper hit and commercially successful, ultimately peaking at number three on the Hot 100.[40] It was eventually certified 12-times platinum in the US, for selling 12 million units;[83] it became the highest-certified song by a female rapper in RIAA history.[84] "Super Bass" was the highest-charting solo single by a female rapper, at the time, since Missy Elliott's "Work It" in 2002. In 2017, Billboard ranked it as the second-biggest US Hot 100 hit by a female rapper of all time (behind Iggy Azalea's "Fancy");[85] and in 2024, ranked it as the biggest Hot 100 hit of Minaj's career.[79] Its music video has over 1 billion views on YouTube, as of October 2024.[86][87][non-primary source needed]
Minaj was one of the opening acts on Britney Spears' 2011 Femme Fatale Tour.[88] She and Kesha appeared on the remix of Spears' "Till the World Ends", which peaked at number three in the U.S.[89] On August 7, 2011, Minaj experienced a wardrobe malfunction during a live performance on Good Morning America when she revealed her left nipple. Both ABC and Minaj apologized for the incident, with Minaj denying it was a publicity stunt.[90][91] Minaj continued to perform at high-profile events throughout 2011 with Donatella Versace inviting her to perform with Prince for the introduction of a Versace collection for H&M. She also performed "Super Bass" at the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.[92] In December 2011, Minaj was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for Pink Friday.[93] Also that year, she won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Super Bass", marking her first VMA win.[94]
2012–2013: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and American Idol
Further information: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up
"Starships" was released in February 2012 as the lead single from Minaj's forthcoming second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.[95] The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100,[40] was the fifth best-selling single of 2012,[96] and was certified diamond by the RIAA in November 2024, for moving over ten million units in the US.[97] Her crossover into pop music was criticized by some, despite her commercial success.[98] Follow-up singles "Beez in the Trap" featuring 2 Chainz and "Right by My Side" featuring Chris Brown were released shortly after.[99][100]
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was eventually released on April 2, 2012, two months later than initially planned.[101] It was preceded by the promotional singles "Roman in Moscow" and "Stupid Hoe".[102][103] The latter song was viewed by critics as a diss aimed at Lil' Kim, following her previous attacks on Minaj.[104] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 253,000 copies, and was certified four-times platinum by the RIAA in November 2024, becoming Minaj's highest-certified album yet.[66][105] However, the mix of hip-hop songs and mainstream pop material received mixed reviews.[106] "Pound the Alarm" and "Va Va Voom" were later released as the final singles from the album.[107][108] Minaj along with fellow rapper M.I.A. joined Madonna to perform the single, "Give Me All Your Luvin" during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on February 6, 2012.[109] Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammy Awards, performing "Roman Holiday" during the 2012 ceremony on February 12.[110] Her exorcism-themed performance was controversial, with the American Catholic League and its president criticizing her performance.[111][112][113]
Minaj began her headlining Pink Friday Tour on May 16, 2012, which was followed by the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour beginning October 14, 2012.[114][115] Although she was scheduled to headline the June 3 Hot 97Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, at the request of Lil Wayne she canceled her appearance the day of the show after Peter Rosenberg of the station dismissed her single "Starships" as "not real hip-hop".[116] The following month, she voiced Steffie in the animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012).[117] Minaj won awards for Best Female Video (for "Starships") at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards and Best Hip-Hop at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards.[118]
An expanded version of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, subtitled The Re-Up, was released on November 19, 2012, with seven new songs.[119] That month, she was the subject of a three-part E! documentary titled Nicki Minaj: My Truth.[120] In September, Minaj joined the judges' panel for the twelfth season of American Idol with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson.[121] Throughout the show there were disagreements between Carey and Minaj, with both of them leaving the series at the end of the season.[122][123][124][125]Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was the best-selling rap album released in 2012 in the US.[126][127] It was also the 25th-best-selling album globally in 2012, with over 1.4 million copies sold worldwide, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[128] In 2013, Minaj became the most-charted female rapper on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, with 44 entries, and tied Carey as seventh among female artists.[129]
2014–2017: The Pinkprint and acting ventures
Further information: The Pinkprint
Minaj's first live-action theatrical film The Other Woman was filmed in spring 2013 and premiered on April 25, 2014.[130] As she was working on her third studio album The Pinkprint, she described the album as "a continuation of The Re-Up with a lot more" and said it would focus on her "hip hop roots".[131][132][133] During an MTV interview, she said that she has "much to talk about" in the album.[134]
"Pills n Potions" was released as the lead single from The Pinkprint in May 2014.[135] In July, she appeared on the song "Bang Bang" with singers Jessie J and Ariana Grande, which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100[136] and marked Minaj's first number-one on the UK singles chart.[137] "Bang Bang" was certified diamond by the RIAA in May 2024, for recognized sales of 10 million units; it became the first all-female collaboration to achieve the certification.[136] Its music video garnered over two billion views on YouTube.[138] "Anaconda" was released in August as the second single from the album, peaking at number two, which became her highest-charting single in the US at the time.[139][140] Its ascent from number 39 to number two in its third week marked the second-biggest jump within the chart's top 40 region, at the time.[139] The music video for "Anaconda" went viral upon release online; it set a 24-hour Vevo record, accumulating 19.6 million views on its first day of release, breaking the record previously held by Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball".[141] It surpassed one billion views on YouTube. On November 9, 2014, Minaj hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards in Glasgow, Scotland.[142] She also won the Best Hip-Hop Award for a second time.[142]
The Pinkprint was officially released on December 15, 2014, and debuted at number two in the U.S., with first week sales of 244,000 equivalent units (198,000 in pure album sales and 46,000 combined album-equivalent units and streams).[143][144] Upon release, critics praised the production and personal lyrics.[145] At the 58th Grammy Awards, Minaj received three more Grammy Award nominations, including a second Best Rap Album nomination for The Pinkprint, a Best Rap Song nomination for "Anaconda" and a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nomination for "Bang Bang".[146][147] In March 2015, Minaj embarked on her third world tour entitled The Pinkprint Tour and also became the first female artist to chart four songs simultaneously in the top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.[148] At the 2015 BET Awards, Minaj won her sixth consecutive award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, becoming the female rapper with most wins in that category.[149] In August 2015, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of Minaj, which depicted a pose from the "Anaconda" music video.[150][151] Minaj voiced her approval of the wax figure on social media.[152] The wax figure received criticism from some, including Angharad Welsh of The Independent, who called it "a sexist, racist mistake".[153][154]
In May 2015, it was announced that Minaj would feature in the third installment of the Barbershop film series, alongside Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, and other original cast members.[155] Titled Barbershop: The Next Cut, the film was released on April 15, 2016. For Minaj's performance as a "sassy" hairdresser named Draya, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Comedy.[155][156] In September 2015, it was announced that Minaj would executive produce and appear in a scripted single-camera comedy series for ABC Family (now Freeform) based on her life growing up in Queens, New York City.[157] The show was titled Nicki and the pilot episode was filmed in Minaj's hometown in January 2016.[157] In October 2016, Minaj stated the filming was postponed for undisclosed reasons.[158]
In February 2017, Minaj featured on Gucci Mane's song "Make Love" and Jason Derulo's single "Swalla" alongside Ty Dolla Sign, the latter of which reached the top ten in several countries, including a peak of number six in the UK.[159][160] Rapper Remy Ma released the diss track "Shether", which, among other claims and insults, alleged that Minaj used a ghostwriter and was in a 360-record deal. The track's release followed interviews where Remy Ma had praised Minaj, rapped over a couple of Minaj's songs, and released tracks that media interpreted as digs at Minaj.[161][162] Remy Ma also released a second diss track aimed at Minaj, "Another One". Minaj responded in her single "No Frauds", featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, in which, among other digs, she took shots at Remy Ma's prison stint for assault, called her a "fraud committin' perjury", and accused her of using a ghostwriter, referring to her husband, rapper Papoose; Minaj also rapped "I never signed a 360, bitch you wild dumb". On her Instagram post promoting the song, Minaj wrote: "Great diss records can’t be lies. Great diss records are FACTS ... Been writing my own raps since I was 11."[163] "No Frauds" was one of three songs Minaj released simultaneously, along with "Changed It" and "Regret in Your Tears".[164][165] On March 20, 2017, with the three songs she released, Minaj broke the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries for a female artist, which at the time was previously held by Aretha Franklin.[166] That month, Minaj also signed with the major modeling agency, Wilhelmina Models.[167]
In May 2017, Minaj opened the 2017 Billboard Music Awards with a medley performance that was described by Elias Leight of Rolling Stone as "flamboyantly produced" and "dexterous".[168] Throughout the remainder of 2017, Minaj performed guest verses on several singles, including Migos' "MotorSport" and Yo Gotti's "Rake It Up", both of which peaked in the top ten in the U.S., at numbers six and eight, respectively.[169] She also featured on Katy Perry's "Swish Swish", which was certified platinum in the U.S. and Canada.[170]
2018–2019: Queen
Further information: Queen (Nicki Minaj album)
After a social media hiatus, Minaj released two singles from her fourth studio album Queen. She released "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz" simultaneously on April 12, 2018, with both reaching number ten and number twenty-five in the US respectively.[171] She performed "Chun-Li" on Saturday Night Live and the 2018 BET Awards.[172][173] While "Chun Li" appears on the tracklist of the album, "Barbie Tingz" is only included on the Target version of the album.[174] On the red carpet of the 2018 Met Gala, she announced the title of the album and the original release date.[175] "Rich Sex" featuring Lil Wayne was released on June 11, 2018, as the first promotional single from Queen.[176] The second single, "Bed", featuring Ariana Grande was released on June 14, 2018, alongside the album pre-order, reaching number 42 on the Hot 100.[176][177][non-primary source needed] Additionally, Minaj appeared as a featured artist on the song "Fefe" along with Murda Beatz and Tekashi 6ix9ine. It debuted at number four in the US, marking Minaj's highest debut on the chart at the time, besting the sixth place start of "Bang Bang" in 2014.[178][179] It later peaked at number three and was added to Queen in the middle of its first tracking week.[178][180] The day before the album's release, Minaj launched her own Beats 1 (now branded as Apple Music 1) radio show, Queen Radio.[181][182] It became the most-listened radio show on Apple Music in 2019,[183] and ran for 17 episodes till February 2020.[184][185] Guests on the show included Ariana Grande, 50 Cent, and Chance the Rapper, among others.[184]
Queen received multiple delays before finally being released on August 10, 2018.[186][187][188] It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 185,000 album-equivalent units, of which 78,000 came from pure album sales.[189] It also debuted at number five in the UK and at number four in Australia, marking Minaj's highest debut in the latter country.[190][191] Minaj later expressed frustration and criticized several people including Travis Scott, whose album Astroworld claimed the top spot for a second week in a row, blocking Queen from the top spot. Minaj alleged that Travis Scott sold shirts, merchandise, and ticket passes for an unnannounced tour to boost his album sales.[192] This controversy and Queen's roll-out was documented by several news outlets and commentators.[193][194][195]Queen received generally positive reviews, with some critics deriding the album's length and direction.[196] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA in January 2019, for moving over 1 million equivalent units.[197]
Minaj performed at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards where she also won her fourth MTV Video Music Award for the "Chun-Li" music video.[198] The same month, she featured on the remix of "Idol" by South Korean boy band BTS. It debuted and peaked at number eleven in the U.S. which was the group's second highest-charting song at the time.[199] She also featured on the song "Woman Like Me" by British girl group Little Mix, which was released on October 12, 2018.[200] A music video was shortly released after, with Minaj and Little Mix later performing the song together at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards.[201] She was also featured on "Dip" by American rapper Tyga which reached number sixty-three in the U.S. making her the first female artist to have 100 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[202] She later attended the year-end Billboard Women in Music event, receiving the Game Changer Award for the accomplishment.[203]
In September, Minaj co-headlined the annual Made in America Festival and suffered another wardrobe malfunction when the front of her outfit fell open.[204] In November, she was invited to the DWP music festival in China but did not perform due to problems with the company hosting the event.[205] The next year in April 2019, Minaj made a surprise guest appearance at the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival during Ariana Grande's set where they performed their collaborations "Side to Side" and "Bang Bang". However, she experienced technical difficulties with her earpiece.[206] Later that month, Minaj parted ways with her longtime management team after a mutual agreement, with American entertainment executive Irving Azoff serving as her new manager.[207][208]
In June 2019, Minaj released a standalone single titled "Megatron" along with an accompanying music video. In the U.S., the song debuted at number twenty. A month later, she provided information on her upcoming fifth studio album, appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, stating that "there's definitely a new album, of course."[209] She featured on the song "Hot Girl Summer" alongside fellow female rapper Megan Thee Stallion in August 2019, which reached number eleven in the U.S.[210] Minaj had a voice role as Pinky in The Angry Birds Movie 2, which was released in August 2019.[211] In November, Minaj appeared on the Charlie's Angels: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on the song "Bad To You", along with Ariana Grande and Normani, marking her sixth collaboration with Grande.[212] Minaj also collaborated with Colombian singer Karol G on the song "Tusa", which was released to streaming platforms on November 7. The song reached forty-two in the U.S. and reached the top of many other charts including the "Hot Latin Songs" chart, which made it the first song with two lead female artists to debut in such position.[213] "Tusa" later became the longest-running number one single in Argentina, spending five months on the top of the chart.[214]
2020–2021: Beam Me Up Scotty re-release
Further information: Beam Me Up Scotty (mixtape)
In January 2020, Minaj was featured on "Nice to Meet Ya" by American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor.[215][216] In February, she released a standalone song called "Yikes" as a promotional single.[217][218] By the end of that month, Minaj appeared as a guest judge on the twelfth season's premiere of the reality television show RuPaul's Drag Race.[219][220] In May, fellow rapper Doja Cat announced a collaboration with Minaj on two remixes of her song "Say So". The remix later debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Minaj and Doja Cat's first single to reach number one in the U.S. It became the first all-female collaboration that had reached number one in the U.S. since "Fancy" by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring English singer Charli XCX did it in 2014.[221] It marked the first time that a song by two female rappers reached the top, for which Guinness World Records later gave them an award.[222][223] A month later, she released a collaboration with 6ix9ine called "Trollz", which debuted at number one in the U.S. becoming her second number one single.[224] This made her the first female rapper to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since Lauryn Hill did so in 1998 with "Doo Wop (That Thing)".[225]
Minaj featured on singer Ty Dolla Sign's track "Expensive" in August 2020.[226] She continued to appear as a featured artist on several songs in late 2020[227][228] and released "What That Speed Bout!?" with producer Mike Will Made It and rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again on November 6.[229] She was the most-streamed female rapper of the year on Spotify.[230] On the 10th anniversary of her debut album Pink Friday (2010), Minaj announced a six-part docuseries about her, produced by Bron Studios and was originally said to premiere on HBO Max.[231][232] In 2022, the streaming platform confirmed it dropped the still-unreleased project.[233][234]
In May 2021, Minaj released a reissue of her mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty (2009), including new songs previously unavailable on streaming services. The reissue debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, which gave it the highest debut for a female rap mixtape in the U.S.[235][236] A song from the reissue, titled "Seeing Green" featuring fellow Young Money rappers Drake and Lil Wayne reached number twelve in the U.S. In July, Minaj collaborated with fellow rapper Bia on the remix of her song Whole Lotta Money. In September, Minaj collaborated with English singer-songwriter Elton John's fifth collaboration album The Lockdown Sessions (2021). She appeared on the song "Always Love You" with John and rapper Young Thug.[237] Later that month, she split with her previous manager Irving Azoff and is now being managed by Wassim Slaiby, also known by his management company SALXCO, who is best known for managing The Weeknd and Doja Cat.[238] English singer Jesy Nelson released her solo debut, called "Boyz", which Minaj features on. The song peaked at number four in the UK and number sixteen in Ireland.[239][240] In October 2021, Minaj appeared as a surprise host for the season six reunion of the reality television show The Real Housewives of Potomac.[241] In November 2021, her 2011 Pink Friday single "Super Bass" received a Diamond certification by the RIAA, making her the second solo female rapper to receive a diamond certification.[242] Minaj won the Best Hip Hop award in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2021, becoming the sixth time she has won this award.[243]
2022–present: Pink Friday 2
Further information: Pink Friday 2
After a social media hiatus, Minaj released a song collaboration with rapper Lil Baby titled "Do We Have a Problem?" on February 4, 2022.[244][245] It debuted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking Minaj's 20th top-ten.[246] On the Billboard Global 200, it debuted at number seven, earning Minaj her first top-ten on the chart.[247] Another Lil Baby collaboration titled "Bussin" was released a week later, on February 11.[248][249] In an Apple Music interview with DJ Zane Lowe, Minaj said her forthcoming fifth studio album was "coming very soon".[250] She described it as "fun, gutta, and back to the basics".[251] In March, Minaj and fellow rapper Coi Leray's collaboration "Blick Blick" was released—from the former's debut studio album, Trendsetter (2022).[252] Later that month, Minaj surprise-released the standalone single "We Go Up" featuring rapper Fivio Foreign.[253] ln April, she appeared on English television host James Corden's Carpool Karaoke segment, kickstarting the return of its broadcast on The Late Late Show with James Corden after a two-year hiatus.[254] In July, Minaj headlined the 2022 editions of Essence Music Festival in New Orleans and the Wireless Festival in London.[255][256] On July 28, she released a two-minute trailer of her upcoming six-part docuseries titled "Nicki", produced by Canadian production company Bron Studios.[233][234][257] Minaj's radio show Queen Radio was revived and broadcast on Amp, a live audio service by Amazon, over two years after its conclusion on Beats 1.[258] The show premiered on August 11 on Amp; episodes were made available on Amazon Music after airing live.[259] It was discontinued in October 2023, as a result of the closure of Amp.[260]
On August 26, Minaj released her first greatest hits album titled Queen Radio: Volume 1, comprising several hits from her previous projects and one new track, "Likkle Miss (Remix)" with Skeng.[261][262] It debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 with 32,000 units.[263] Through the remainder of the year, Minaj appeared as a co-lead or featured artist on various collaborations: Yung Bleu's "Love in the Way",[264] a remix of "Likkle Miss" called "The Fine Nine Remix" featuring eight female rappers,[265] and YoungBoy Never Broke Again's "I Admit".[266] The following month, Minaj collaborated with Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and Colombian singer Maluma on "Tukoh Taka" which was the official 2022 FIFA Fan Festival anthem.[267] Minaj emceed the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards with LL Cool J and Jack Harlow,[268] and hosted the 2023 ceremony.[269] At the former ceremony, she received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and performed a medley of her hits as the recipient.[270]
On March 5, 2023, Minaj appeared as a surprise performer during Lil Wayne's set at the Rolling Loud California festival.[271] In April, she teamed up with Ice Spice on the remix to the latter's song "Princess Diana"—the first-ever release on Minaj's record label imprint, Heavy On It.[272][273] Peaking at number four on the Hot 100, the remix became the first collaboration between two women to top the Hot Rap Songs chart and made Minaj the woman with the most number-ones on the chart (10).[274] In April and May, she also featured on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's "WTF",[275] German singer Kim Petras's "Alone",[276] and "Pound Town 2", the remix to rapper Sexyy Red and Tay Keith's single, "Pound Town".[277] In June, Minaj and Ice Spice released their second collaboration, "Barbie World" with Europop band Aqua, from the Barbie film soundtrack. The song samples Aqua's 1997 single, "Barbie Girl". It reached number seven on the Hot 100 and extended Minaj's record as the female rapper with the most US top-tens (23).[278] Minaj made guest appearances on Young Thug's "Money" with the late Juice Wrld