Nicki Minaj Wikipedia.............
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), [3] [4] known professionally as Nicki Minaj (/ mɪˈnɑːʒ /), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. [5] Born in Saint James, Port of Spain, and raised in Queens, New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).
After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [ 6] Her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014. She subsequently played supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Her fourth studio album, Queen, was released in 2018.
Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, primarily British cockney. [7] Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. [8] As a lead artist, she has earned multiple top-ten entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014, "MotorSport" in 2017 , and "Chun-Li" in 2018. She has scored additional top-ten entries as a featured artists. She has accumulated the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres, [9] and the most top 10 singles among women on the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Airplay chart. [10]
Minaj has been called one of the most influential female rap artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two Billboard Women in Music Awards, and 10 Grammy Award nominations. Minaj has sold 30 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James. [20] [25] Her mother, who had moved to the Bronx in New York City to attend Monroe College, [25] brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five. [20] By then, the family had a house on 147th Street. [25] Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom inspired me, but it was not a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household." [27] Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which focuses on visual and performing arts. [3] After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play in Case You Forget in 2001. [28]
At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers. [29] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons. [30]
Minaj briefly signed with Brooklyn Group Full Force, in which she rapped in a quartet called The Hoodstars composed of Lou $ tar (son of "Bowlegged Lou"), Safaree Samuels (Scaff Beezy) and 7even Up. [31] [32]
In 2004, the group recorded the entrance song for WWE Diva Victoria, "Don't Mess With", which was featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6. Minaj later left Full Force and uploaded songs on her Myspace profile, sending several of her songs to people in the music industry. At the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. Later, Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment, signed Minaj to his label in 2007 under a 180-day contract. [33] Originally adopting the stage name Nicki Maraj, she eventually changed it to Nicki Minaj stating that "my real name is Maraj. Fendi flipped it when he met me because I had such a nasty flow!" [34]
Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, on July 5, 2007, [35] and her second, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008. [36] That year, she was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. [37] She released her third mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009; [38] it received favorable coverage on BET and MTV. [39] [40] One of its tracks, "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Songs chart. [41]
Minaj performing in New York City in 2010.
On March 29, 2010 Minaj released "Massive Attack". [50] Intended as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, Pink Friday, [51] the song was dropped from the album due to poor commercial performance [52] and the next single, "Your Love", released on June 1, became the album's lead single, [53] peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. [41] In September, Minaj released "Check It Out" and "Right Thru Me" as follow-up singles. [54] [55] She also became the first female rap artist to ever perform at Yankee Stadium in 2010. [56] In October, Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously and the first woman to appear on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. [57] [58] In 2010, Minaj received her first Grammy Award nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad". [59]
Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010, [60] debuting at number-two on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 375,000 copies. [61] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. Sam Wolfson of NME complimented Minaj's "pop sensibility" and found her "volatility and quirks ... reminiscent of heyday Lil Wayne". [62] Entertainment Weekly's Brad Wete commended Minaj's "knack for melody" and "boasting lyrics". [63] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post wrote that the album "nibbles at the edges of what female rappers are allowed to do, even as it provides a steady helping of pop hits". [64] The album was certified platinum in December, and eventually reached number-one in the United States in February 2011.
"Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single from Pink Friday shortly after the album's release. [66] The song serves as the third single off the album, released as a single on December 7, 2010. Minaj performed "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life" as the musical guest on the January 29, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live. [67] "Super Bass", the album's fifth single, was released in April 2011, [68] and became a sleeper hit and commercial success; it ultimately peaked at number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually certified octuple-platinum in the U.S. [41] [69]
Minaj was one of the opening acts on Britney Spears' 2011 Femme Fatale Tour. [70] She and Kesha appeared on the remix of Spears' "Till the World Ends", which peaked at number-three on the Billboard Hot 100. [71] On August 7, 2011, Nicki experienced a "nip slip" during a live performance on Good Morning America. Minaj was criticized for wearing the low-cut shirt during her performance which led to the brief exposure of her breast on a live telecast. ABC apologized for incident. [72] Minaj, while interviewed on ABC's Nightline show, apologized for the incident and denied that she intentionally sought to expose herself on live television as a publicity stunt. [73] The incident attracted protest from the Parents Television Council. [74] Despite this, Minaj continued to perform at high-profile events throughout 2011; Donatella Versace invited her to perform with Prince for the introduction of a Versace collection for H&M, and she performed "Super Bass" at the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. [75]
In December 2011, Minaj was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for Pink Friday. [76] Also that year, she won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Super Bass", marking her first VMA win.
Nicki Minaj performing during the Pink Friday Tour in 2012.
"Starships" was released in February 2012 as the lead single from Minaj's forthcoming second album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. [78] The song reached number-five on the Billboard Hot 100, [41] and went on to become the fifth best-selling single of 2012 and one of the best-selling singles of all time. [79] Minaj's crossover into pop music was criticized by some, despite her commercial success. [80] Minaj was sued by Chicago artist Clive Tanaka in September 2013 for its alleged copyright infringement. [81] Follow-up singles "Beez in the Trap" and "Right by My Side" were released shortly after. [82] [83] Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was eventually released on April 2, 2012, two months later than planned. [84] The album was preceded by the promotional singles "Roman in Moscow" and "Stupid Hoe". [85] [86] The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 253,000 copies, [61] and was certified platinum by the RIAA in June 2012. [87] However, its mix of hip-hop songs and mainstream pop material received mixed reviews from music critics. [88] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times commended its "minimal, bouncy hip-hop tracks" for highlighting Minaj's "charm and achievement", but wrote that the "disjointed, artistically confused" album "drives off a cliff" with "dance pop songs as simple as they are generic ". [89] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole panned it as a "mediocre rap album". [90] In a positive review for Rolling Stone, journalist Jody Rosen called it a "filler-free mega-pop album" and commented that "the energy never flags". [91] "Pound the Alarm" and "Va Va Voom" were later released as the final singles from the album. [92] [93]
Minaj and 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. [94] Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammy Awards, premiering "Roman Holiday" during the 2012 ceremony on February 12. [95] Her exorcism-themed performance was controversial, with the American Catholic League criticizing Minaj for bringing a fake "Pope" to escort her on the red carpet. The "exorcism" scene that was performed during her appearance was criticized as well. [96] [97] Catholic League president Bill Donohue called Minaj's performance "vulgar". [97] [98]
Minaj began her headlining Pink Friday Tour on May 16, 2012, [99] which was followed by the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour beginning October 14, 2012. [100] Although she was scheduled to headline the June 3 Hot 97 Summer 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 ". [101] The following month, Minaj voiced Steffie in the animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012). [102] She 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. [103] Her collaboration with Pearl Future on the song "Looking At Me" made it to the top 20 in BBC Radio 1. [104] An expanded version of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, subtitled The Re-Up, was released on November 19, 2012. [105] That month, Minaj was the subject of a three-part E! documentary title Nicki Minaj: My Truth. [106] She announced plans for her own record label after signing Parker Ighile, Brinx, Keisha, and Blackout Movement. [107]
In September, Minaj joined the judges' panel for the twelfth season of American Idol with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson. [108] In 2012, Minaj was a big contributor in help with raising $ 250 million for an AIDS campaign. She worked alongside Ricky Martin to advocate MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam [109] products in which the earnings went right to the MAC AIDS fund. [110] That year, Minaj was the most-charted female rapper in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, with 44 entries, tying Mariah Carey among women of all genres. [111] Her seven nominations led those for rap musicians at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, [112] and she was the first rapper to win the BET Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Award four consecutive times. [113] Before any other female artist, she was on the Forbes Hip-Hop Cash King List where she was the number 4 spot in 2013, earning $ 29 million. [114]
Minaj's first live-action theatrical film The Other Woman was filmed in spring 2013 and premiered on April 25, 2014. [115] She played Lydia, assistant to Carly (played by Cameron Diaz). [116] [117] In 2013, Minaj described her then-upcoming third album, The Pinkprint, as "a continuation of the Re-Up with a lot more" and said it would focus on her "hip-hop roots". [118] [119] During an MTV interview, she said that her third album would be "next level" and that she has "much to talk about". [120]
In February 2014, Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz voiced her displeasure by the artwork of her slain father used "inappropriately" for Minaj's single "Lookin 'Ass Nigga". [121] A statement from the Malcolm X estate read: "Ms. Minaj's artwork for her single does not depict the truth of Malcolm X's legacy, is completely disrespectful, and in no way is endorsed by [Shabazz or the Malcolm X] family." [121 ] Minaj released an apology to the estate, [121] however the rapper received backlash after comments were made towards Shabazz in a mixtape recording ("Chi-Raq") that went: "Malcolm X daughter came at me / lookin 'ass niggas ain 't happy / rolled out with some Latin Kings and some eses in them plain khaki's. "[122]
"Pills n Potions" was released as the lead single from The Pinkprint in May 2014. [123] "Anaconda" was released in August as the second single, peaking at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting single in the U.S. to date. [124] [125] The music video for "Anaconda" attracted significant controversy and 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 for "Wrecking Ball". [126] In December of that year, Minaj received two Grammy Award nominations, for Best Rap Song ("Anaconda") and Best Pop Duo / Group Performance ("Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Ariana Grande). [127]
The Pinkprint was officially released on December 15, 2014, and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of 244,000 overall units (198,000 in pure album sales and 46,000 combined album-equivalent units and streams). [128] [129] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. Billboard magazine's Niki McGloster called it "her best album to date". [130] Sheldon Pearce of The A.V. Club thought that The Pinkprint is "the closest Nicki Minaj has ever gotten to balancing her tendencies". [131] Randall Roberts from the Los Angeles Times wrote that throughout the album, "She's intent on channeling her talent to explore and document her many moods. The combination is often, if not always, intoxicating". [132] At the 58th Grammy Awards, Minaj received three more Grammy Award nominations, including a second Best Rap Album nomination for The Pinkprint. [133]
In November 2014, Minaj released a video containing Nazi-style imagery for her third single "Only". There was immediate backlash from the Anti Defamation League, who stated that it was "troubling that no one among Minaj's group of producers, publicists and managers raised a red flag about the use of such imagery before ushering the video into public release." They called the video "insensitive to Holocaust survivors and a trivialization of the history of that era." [134] [135]
On November 9, 2014, Minaj hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards at the SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland. [136] She also won the Best Hip-Hop Award for a second time. [136] 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. [137] At the 2015 BET Awards, Minaj won her sixth consecutive award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, becoming the female rapper with the most wins in that category. [138]
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. [139] The show was titled Nicki and the pilot episode was filmed in Minaj's hometown in January 2016. [139] In October 2016, Minaj stated the filming was postponed for undisclosed reasons.
2018–2019: Queen
Minaj officially announced her fourth album, Queen, on the red carpet at the 2018 Met Gala; the album was scheduled to be released on June 15, 2018. [151] Its lead single, "Chun-Li", was released on April 12, 2018, and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. [152] Another single, "Barbie Tingz", was also released alongside "Chun-Li", but ultimately did not make the final album cut. It is, however, included on the Target version of the album. [153] A promotional single, "Rich Sex", featuring American rapper Lil Wayne, was released on June 11, 2018. [154] The album's second single, "Bed", featuring Ariana Grande, was released on June 14, 2018 alongside the album pre-order, and peaked at number 42 on the Hot 100. [155] [154] [156]
On May 19, 2018, Minaj was the musical guest for the finale of the 43rd season of Saturday Night Live; the show was hosted by Tina Fey and Minaj performed "Chun-Li" and "Poke It Out", alongside rapper Playboi Carti. [157] Minaj later announced via her Instagram account that she was pushing back the release date of Queen from June 15 to August 10, 2018. [158] In early June 2018, Minaj released the cover art for the album on Twitter, shot by Mert and Marcus, which features Minaj topless, wearing pasties, with a Cleopatra-inspired head-dress, [159] [160] and revealed that her next tour would be a double-header with rapper Future. [161] On June 23, 2018, she performed a medley of "Chun-Li" and "Rich Sex" at the 2018 BET Awards. [162]
On July 22, 2018, Tekashi 6ix9ine's single "Fefe", which featured Minaj, debuted at number four, and later peaked at number three, on the Billboard Hot 100. [163] "Fefe" marked Minaj's highest bow on the Hot 100 chart as a featured artist, besting the number six start of "Bang Bang" in 2014. [164] Minaj was also featured on 6ix9ine's song "Mama", along with Kanye West. Both songs were included on 6ix9ine's debut album Dummy Boy. [165] Nicki Minaj received backlash for her choice to collaborate with 6ix9ine for their 2018 collaborative single "Fefe" due to charges of sexual abuse against him. [166] [167]
On August 1, 2018, Minaj pushed back Queen once again, to August 17, 2018. [168] Minaj finally released Queen on August 10, 2018, a week ahead of schedule. [169] The day before the release of the album, Minaj launched her own Beats 1 radio show, Queen Radio. [170] [171] Queen debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 185,000 album-equivalent units, of which 78,000 came from pure album sales. [172] It also debuted at number five in the UK and at number four in Australia, marking the highest debut of Minaj's career in the latter country. [173] [174] Upon debuting second on the Billboard 200, Minaj expressed frustration and criticized several people in a series of tweets, including Travis Scott, whose album Astroworld claimed the top spot for a second week in a row, blocking queen from number one. [175] Queen's roll-out and the ensuing controversy was criticized by several news outlets and commentators. [176] [177] [178] [179] "Fefe" was added to the album in the middle of its first tracking week. [180]
Queen received generally favorable reviews, though some critics took issue with the album's length and lyrical content. Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that Queen "brings a new Nicki Minaj character: the regal, haughty monarch, a woman who insists on sword-sharpened rhymes as a prerogative for excellence", however noted it to have "a flabby, meandering mid- section ". In a mixed review, Bryan Rolli of Forbes visited that Queen is "a great 10-song album hiding inside a messy 19-song album", though complimented Minaj's lyricism, and said the album "gives fans plenty to sink their teeth into". [181] For the Washington Post, Chris Richards said, "Queen only feels connected to the current rap zeitgeist in the saddest way - as another portrait of a visionary rapper in decline [...] A great Nicki Minaj comeback album would be the first great Nicki Minaj album, period.
After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday (2010), which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was ultimately certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [ 6] Her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014. She subsequently played supporting roles in the films The Other Woman (2014) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016). Her fourth studio album, Queen, was released in 2018.
Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, primarily British cockney. [7] Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. [8] As a lead artist, she has earned multiple top-ten entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014, "MotorSport" in 2017 , and "Chun-Li" in 2018. She has scored additional top-ten entries as a featured artists. She has accumulated the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres, [9] and the most top 10 singles among women on the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Airplay chart. [10]
Minaj has been called one of the most influential female rap artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, two Billboard Women in Music Awards, and 10 Grammy Award nominations. Minaj has sold 30 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, and over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Early life
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. [3] Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Dougla (Afro-Trinidadian mother and Indo-Trinidadian father) descent. [20] [21] Her mother, Carol Maraj, is also a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry. [22] [20] Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minaj's youth. [23] [24] Minaj's father was addicted to alcohol and other drugs, and had a violent temper, burning down their house in December 1987. [25] She has an elder brother named Jelani, an older sister named Maya, a younger brother named Micaiah, and a younger sister named Ming. [26]As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James. [20] [25] Her mother, who had moved to the Bronx in New York City to attend Monroe College, [25] brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five. [20] By then, the family had a house on 147th Street. [25] Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom inspired me, but it was not a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household." [27] Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which focuses on visual and performing arts. [3] After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play in Case You Forget in 2001. [28]
At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers. [29] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons. [30]
Career
2004–2009: Career beginningsMinaj briefly signed with Brooklyn Group Full Force, in which she rapped in a quartet called The Hoodstars composed of Lou $ tar (son of "Bowlegged Lou"), Safaree Samuels (Scaff Beezy) and 7even Up. [31] [32]
In 2004, the group recorded the entrance song for WWE Diva Victoria, "Don't Mess With", which was featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6. Minaj later left Full Force and uploaded songs on her Myspace profile, sending several of her songs to people in the music industry. At the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. Later, Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment, signed Minaj to his label in 2007 under a 180-day contract. [33] Originally adopting the stage name Nicki Maraj, she eventually changed it to Nicki Minaj stating that "my real name is Maraj. Fendi flipped it when he met me because I had such a nasty flow!" [34]
Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, on July 5, 2007, [35] and her second, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008. [36] That year, she was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. [37] She released her third mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009; [38] it received favorable coverage on BET and MTV. [39] [40] One of its tracks, "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Songs chart. [41]
2010–2011: Breakthrough with Pink Friday
Minaj performing in New York City in 2010.
On March 29, 2010 Minaj released "Massive Attack". [50] Intended as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, Pink Friday, [51] the song was dropped from the album due to poor commercial performance [52] and the next single, "Your Love", released on June 1, became the album's lead single, [53] peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. [41] In September, Minaj released "Check It Out" and "Right Thru Me" as follow-up singles. [54] [55] She also became the first female rap artist to ever perform at Yankee Stadium in 2010. [56] In October, Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously and the first woman to appear on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. [57] [58] In 2010, Minaj received her first Grammy Award nomination for her guest verse on Ludacris' song "My Chick Bad". [59]
Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010, [60] debuting at number-two on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 375,000 copies. [61] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. Sam Wolfson of NME complimented Minaj's "pop sensibility" and found her "volatility and quirks ... reminiscent of heyday Lil Wayne". [62] Entertainment Weekly's Brad Wete commended Minaj's "knack for melody" and "boasting lyrics". [63] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post wrote that the album "nibbles at the edges of what female rappers are allowed to do, even as it provides a steady helping of pop hits". [64] The album was certified platinum in December, and eventually reached number-one in the United States in February 2011.
"Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single from Pink Friday shortly after the album's release. [66] The song serves as the third single off the album, released as a single on December 7, 2010. Minaj performed "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life" as the musical guest on the January 29, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live. [67] "Super Bass", the album's fifth single, was released in April 2011, [68] and became a sleeper hit and commercial success; it ultimately peaked at number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually certified octuple-platinum in the U.S. [41] [69]
Minaj was one of the opening acts on Britney Spears' 2011 Femme Fatale Tour. [70] She and Kesha appeared on the remix of Spears' "Till the World Ends", which peaked at number-three on the Billboard Hot 100. [71] On August 7, 2011, Nicki experienced a "nip slip" during a live performance on Good Morning America. Minaj was criticized for wearing the low-cut shirt during her performance which led to the brief exposure of her breast on a live telecast. ABC apologized for incident. [72] Minaj, while interviewed on ABC's Nightline show, apologized for the incident and denied that she intentionally sought to expose herself on live television as a publicity stunt. [73] The incident attracted protest from the Parents Television Council. [74] Despite this, Minaj continued to perform at high-profile events throughout 2011; Donatella Versace invited her to perform with Prince for the introduction of a Versace collection for H&M, and she performed "Super Bass" at the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. [75]
In December 2011, Minaj was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for Pink Friday. [76] Also that year, she won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Super Bass", marking her first VMA win.
2012–2013: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and The Re-Up
Nicki Minaj performing during the Pink Friday Tour in 2012.
"Starships" was released in February 2012 as the lead single from Minaj's forthcoming second album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. [78] The song reached number-five on the Billboard Hot 100, [41] and went on to become the fifth best-selling single of 2012 and one of the best-selling singles of all time. [79] Minaj's crossover into pop music was criticized by some, despite her commercial success. [80] Minaj was sued by Chicago artist Clive Tanaka in September 2013 for its alleged copyright infringement. [81] Follow-up singles "Beez in the Trap" and "Right by My Side" were released shortly after. [82] [83] Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was eventually released on April 2, 2012, two months later than planned. [84] The album was preceded by the promotional singles "Roman in Moscow" and "Stupid Hoe". [85] [86] The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 253,000 copies, [61] and was certified platinum by the RIAA in June 2012. [87] However, its mix of hip-hop songs and mainstream pop material received mixed reviews from music critics. [88] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times commended its "minimal, bouncy hip-hop tracks" for highlighting Minaj's "charm and achievement", but wrote that the "disjointed, artistically confused" album "drives off a cliff" with "dance pop songs as simple as they are generic ". [89] Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole panned it as a "mediocre rap album". [90] In a positive review for Rolling Stone, journalist Jody Rosen called it a "filler-free mega-pop album" and commented that "the energy never flags". [91] "Pound the Alarm" and "Va Va Voom" were later released as the final singles from the album. [92] [93]
Minaj and 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. [94] Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammy Awards, premiering "Roman Holiday" during the 2012 ceremony on February 12. [95] Her exorcism-themed performance was controversial, with the American Catholic League criticizing Minaj for bringing a fake "Pope" to escort her on the red carpet. The "exorcism" scene that was performed during her appearance was criticized as well. [96] [97] Catholic League president Bill Donohue called Minaj's performance "vulgar". [97] [98]
Minaj began her headlining Pink Friday Tour on May 16, 2012, [99] which was followed by the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour beginning October 14, 2012. [100] Although she was scheduled to headline the June 3 Hot 97 Summer 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 ". [101] The following month, Minaj voiced Steffie in the animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012). [102] She 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. [103] Her collaboration with Pearl Future on the song "Looking At Me" made it to the top 20 in BBC Radio 1. [104] An expanded version of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, subtitled The Re-Up, was released on November 19, 2012. [105] That month, Minaj was the subject of a three-part E! documentary title Nicki Minaj: My Truth. [106] She announced plans for her own record label after signing Parker Ighile, Brinx, Keisha, and Blackout Movement. [107]
In September, Minaj joined the judges' panel for the twelfth season of American Idol with Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson. [108] In 2012, Minaj was a big contributor in help with raising $ 250 million for an AIDS campaign. She worked alongside Ricky Martin to advocate MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam [109] products in which the earnings went right to the MAC AIDS fund. [110] That year, Minaj was the most-charted female rapper in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, with 44 entries, tying Mariah Carey among women of all genres. [111] Her seven nominations led those for rap musicians at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, [112] and she was the first rapper to win the BET Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Award four consecutive times. [113] Before any other female artist, she was on the Forbes Hip-Hop Cash King List where she was the number 4 spot in 2013, earning $ 29 million. [114]
2014–2017: The Pinkprint and other ventures
Minaj's first live-action theatrical film The Other Woman was filmed in spring 2013 and premiered on April 25, 2014. [115] She played Lydia, assistant to Carly (played by Cameron Diaz). [116] [117] In 2013, Minaj described her then-upcoming third album, The Pinkprint, as "a continuation of the Re-Up with a lot more" and said it would focus on her "hip-hop roots". [118] [119] During an MTV interview, she said that her third album would be "next level" and that she has "much to talk about". [120]In February 2014, Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz voiced her displeasure by the artwork of her slain father used "inappropriately" for Minaj's single "Lookin 'Ass Nigga". [121] A statement from the Malcolm X estate read: "Ms. Minaj's artwork for her single does not depict the truth of Malcolm X's legacy, is completely disrespectful, and in no way is endorsed by [Shabazz or the Malcolm X] family." [121 ] Minaj released an apology to the estate, [121] however the rapper received backlash after comments were made towards Shabazz in a mixtape recording ("Chi-Raq") that went: "Malcolm X daughter came at me / lookin 'ass niggas ain 't happy / rolled out with some Latin Kings and some eses in them plain khaki's. "[122]
"Pills n Potions" was released as the lead single from The Pinkprint in May 2014. [123] "Anaconda" was released in August as the second single, peaking at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting single in the U.S. to date. [124] [125] The music video for "Anaconda" attracted significant controversy and 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 for "Wrecking Ball". [126] In December of that year, Minaj received two Grammy Award nominations, for Best Rap Song ("Anaconda") and Best Pop Duo / Group Performance ("Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Ariana Grande). [127]
The Pinkprint was officially released on December 15, 2014, and debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of 244,000 overall units (198,000 in pure album sales and 46,000 combined album-equivalent units and streams). [128] [129] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. Billboard magazine's Niki McGloster called it "her best album to date". [130] Sheldon Pearce of The A.V. Club thought that The Pinkprint is "the closest Nicki Minaj has ever gotten to balancing her tendencies". [131] Randall Roberts from the Los Angeles Times wrote that throughout the album, "She's intent on channeling her talent to explore and document her many moods. The combination is often, if not always, intoxicating". [132] At the 58th Grammy Awards, Minaj received three more Grammy Award nominations, including a second Best Rap Album nomination for The Pinkprint. [133]
In November 2014, Minaj released a video containing Nazi-style imagery for her third single "Only". There was immediate backlash from the Anti Defamation League, who stated that it was "troubling that no one among Minaj's group of producers, publicists and managers raised a red flag about the use of such imagery before ushering the video into public release." They called the video "insensitive to Holocaust survivors and a trivialization of the history of that era." [134] [135]
On November 9, 2014, Minaj hosted the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards at the SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland. [136] She also won the Best Hip-Hop Award for a second time. [136] 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. [137] At the 2015 BET Awards, Minaj won her sixth consecutive award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, becoming the female rapper with the most wins in that category. [138]
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. [139] The show was titled Nicki and the pilot episode was filmed in Minaj's hometown in January 2016. [139] In October 2016, Minaj stated the filming was postponed for undisclosed reasons.
2018–2019: Queen
Minaj officially announced her fourth album, Queen, on the red carpet at the 2018 Met Gala; the album was scheduled to be released on June 15, 2018. [151] Its lead single, "Chun-Li", was released on April 12, 2018, and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. [152] Another single, "Barbie Tingz", was also released alongside "Chun-Li", but ultimately did not make the final album cut. It is, however, included on the Target version of the album. [153] A promotional single, "Rich Sex", featuring American rapper Lil Wayne, was released on June 11, 2018. [154] The album's second single, "Bed", featuring Ariana Grande, was released on June 14, 2018 alongside the album pre-order, and peaked at number 42 on the Hot 100. [155] [154] [156]
On May 19, 2018, Minaj was the musical guest for the finale of the 43rd season of Saturday Night Live; the show was hosted by Tina Fey and Minaj performed "Chun-Li" and "Poke It Out", alongside rapper Playboi Carti. [157] Minaj later announced via her Instagram account that she was pushing back the release date of Queen from June 15 to August 10, 2018. [158] In early June 2018, Minaj released the cover art for the album on Twitter, shot by Mert and Marcus, which features Minaj topless, wearing pasties, with a Cleopatra-inspired head-dress, [159] [160] and revealed that her next tour would be a double-header with rapper Future. [161] On June 23, 2018, she performed a medley of "Chun-Li" and "Rich Sex" at the 2018 BET Awards. [162]
On July 22, 2018, Tekashi 6ix9ine's single "Fefe", which featured Minaj, debuted at number four, and later peaked at number three, on the Billboard Hot 100. [163] "Fefe" marked Minaj's highest bow on the Hot 100 chart as a featured artist, besting the number six start of "Bang Bang" in 2014. [164] Minaj was also featured on 6ix9ine's song "Mama", along with Kanye West. Both songs were included on 6ix9ine's debut album Dummy Boy. [165] Nicki Minaj received backlash for her choice to collaborate with 6ix9ine for their 2018 collaborative single "Fefe" due to charges of sexual abuse against him. [166] [167]
On August 1, 2018, Minaj pushed back Queen once again, to August 17, 2018. [168] Minaj finally released Queen on August 10, 2018, a week ahead of schedule. [169] The day before the release of the album, Minaj launched her own Beats 1 radio show, Queen Radio. [170] [171] Queen debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 185,000 album-equivalent units, of which 78,000 came from pure album sales. [172] It also debuted at number five in the UK and at number four in Australia, marking the highest debut of Minaj's career in the latter country. [173] [174] Upon debuting second on the Billboard 200, Minaj expressed frustration and criticized several people in a series of tweets, including Travis Scott, whose album Astroworld claimed the top spot for a second week in a row, blocking queen from number one. [175] Queen's roll-out and the ensuing controversy was criticized by several news outlets and commentators. [176] [177] [178] [179] "Fefe" was added to the album in the middle of its first tracking week. [180]
Queen received generally favorable reviews, though some critics took issue with the album's length and lyrical content. Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone wrote that Queen "brings a new Nicki Minaj character: the regal, haughty monarch, a woman who insists on sword-sharpened rhymes as a prerogative for excellence", however noted it to have "a flabby, meandering mid- section ". In a mixed review, Bryan Rolli of Forbes visited that Queen is "a great 10-song album hiding inside a messy 19-song album", though complimented Minaj's lyricism, and said the album "gives fans plenty to sink their teeth into". [181] For the Washington Post, Chris Richards said, "Queen only feels connected to the current rap zeitgeist in the saddest way - as another portrait of a visionary rapper in decline [...] A great Nicki Minaj comeback album would be the first great Nicki Minaj album, period.
2020: Upcoming fifth studio album
As of January 2020, Minaj was yet to break her silence online after announcing a hiatus from social media on November 9, 2019.[207] The rapper did not make any recorded public appearances aside from her attendance at the Billboard Women in Music event on December 12, at which she was awarded the Game Changer Award after "becoming the first woman to notch 100 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 chart".[208] She returned to both Twitter and Instagram on January 30, 2020, to announce her appearance as a guest judge on the premiere episode of the twelfth season on the American reality competition series Rupaul's Drag Race.[209] The next day, her collaboration with American singer Meghan Trainor entitled "Nice to Meet Ya" was released accompanied by a music video.[210]
Soon after posting a snippet of a new, untitled track, Minaj announced that she would be officially returning to music with her first solo song of 2020, titled "Yikes" which would be released on February 7, 2020.[211][212]
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