Five times Nicki Minaj destroyed rappers on their own songs
Ever since Nicki Minaj exploded onto the scene with her 2010 debut studio album Pink Friday, the rapper has established herself as more than just one of the most iconic names in the hip-hop genre, but one of the most legendary female artists of the century.
Her hits are not just chart-topping, although it would be wrong to minimise Minaj’s chart success, with Pink Friday achieving the largest sales week by a female rapper of the 21st century, but they are zeitgeist-defining, with tracks like Super Bass and Starships synonymous with the early 2010s pop-optimism sound.
Even today, her ability to go viral is nearly peerless; try opening any social media app and not seeing celebrities do the ‘Beez in the Trap’ TikTok.
Even her guest verses can outshine that of the main musicians’, with Minaj’s trademark theatrical delivery and whip-smart lyricism often the focus of any song she appears in as a collaborator. Here are five unforgettable moments Nicki Minaj didn’t just provide a verse to someone else’s track, but dominated the tune entirely, establishing herself as one of the fiercest rappers in music history.
Five times Nicki Minaj owned tracks with her feature:
‘Bed Rock’ – Young Money (2009)
The song that was shared across a million Bluetooths, a testament to Minaj’s one-in-a-generation talent that this was her first-ever single, her verse a standout in a song that is a collection of already brilliant performances that include Drake and Lil Wayne, amongst others.
Minaj doesn’t just hold her own but escalates the whole song with merely her first line: “Okay, I get it, let me think, I guess it’s my turn”, where one can literally hear the power of her voice, and the rest of her verse in just those words.
‘Flawless (Remix)’ – Beyoncé (2014)
Two women in the industry at their quite literally, most flawless, making for one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments, this was a union of two absolute heavyweights in music, celebrating their confidence and success with unshakeable authority.
It was already a chart performer when it was released as just a Beyoncé track of feminist lyrics over a trap beat, but a remix a year later featuring Minaj elevated it to a whole new sphere, with critics referring to it as one of the best songs of 2014.
‘Krippy Kush’ – Nicki Minaj, Farruko, Bad Bunny, featuring Rvssian and Travis Scott (2017)
It’s one thing to clear out the rest of the performers on a track in English; it’s another to hop between two languages when doing so, and nailing it all perfectly in the process.
While rapping mainly in English, Minaj sprinkles in some Spanish as a nod to the Reggaeton vibe of the song, seamlessly blending both languages and genres for a fun party tune. This is everything to be celebrated about her, from her confident and charismatic rapping to slick and stylish lyrics, allowing her to stand out even outside her mother tongue.
‘Dance (A$$) Remix’ – Big Sean (2011)
This is a peak Minaj guest verse, a delivery so confident and assured it feels almost theatrical, with lyrics dripping in humour and swag.
It’s almost somewhat embarrassing for Big Sean for the rest of the song onwards, and Minaj enters and leaves not just one of the greatest female rappers of time, but one of the greatest rappers in general.
‘Monster’ – Kanye West (2010)
What’s there to say about the Nicki Minaj verse on ‘Monster’ that’s not been said before? This is the guest verse of all time, and alongside features like Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Bon Iver and, of course, Kanye himself, it is a remarkable accomplishment to put down a series of verses so powerful they were instantly celebrated as ‘colossal’.
Even Adele got involved, performing it on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, as well as, of course, girls at pre-parties across the world, for decades on.