Nicki Minaj pleased her fans “the Barbs” last night. The rap star has been on hiatus from new releases after having a case of writer’s block as well as some serious life changes.
In February, Nicki’s father Robert Maraj tragically passed away February after a hit-and-run accident. She also had her first child, who she makes an effort to keep private.
Despite those major changes in her life, Minaj has been in the studio.
For the 12 year anniversary of Beam Me Up Scotty Minaj and her team decided to put her mixtape on streaming services for the first time. For years fans I have had to listen to her songs on YouTube with ad breaks or Wi-Fi interruptions. She added some new and revamped tracks to the drop. A new track called “Seeing Green” has been blowing up the charts since its midnight release. The song features beloved rappers Drake and Lil Wayne.
Other new tracks include “Fractions”, as well as a remix of Skillibeng’s song “Crocodile Teeth”. Minaj also alluded that a new album would be released soon. HBO has announced that Nicki will be having her own six-part documentary series. There has not yet been a public announcement as to the release date or the title of the series.
Minaj arrived slightly late after doing a public countdown and several announcements for her to go live on Instagram. Nearly a million people viewed the Instagram Livestream, reaching nine hundred ninety-three thousand viewers. Drake joined the Livestream a bit late, which the two made jokes about. Nicki thanked the Canadian rapper for helping get her out of her writer’s block.
He praised her talent and advancements, saying her absence was deeply noticed. The two are both parents now. “You know I’ve had some real heart-to-heart conversations with you lately,” Drake said on her Livestream.
The Livestream was star-studded, filled with many comments pouring in from accounts with blue checkmarks. Some of the invested celebrities included models Duckie Thot and Winnie Harlow. R&B singers Solange, Brandy, and Normani joined in to make comments. Other stars that attended Nicki’s stream include Young Money, Big Sean, Lil Nas X, and Malika Haqq all made comments showing their excitement on the Livestream.
Many fans made comments and concerns regarding Nicki constantly sniffling and needing to blow her nose. They accused her of potential drug use or illness. The rapper made several references to her allergies and contacts making her sniffle but had to address it again as rumors went wild online.
At 4 pm Pacific Time the following day, Nicki made another Livestream to explain that she has never used cocaine in her life. “Since y’all want to know about my drugs and all that….just listen to my music.” She admitted that she does have friends and acquaintances in the fashion and music industry that use the substance “but hand to God I never have tried it”.
Nicki said she would be willing to take a drug test with a hair follicle. Nicki also stated she regrets not clearing her name or disputing rumors in the past. She revealed that she loves the smell of rubbing alcohol and bleach, which was an odd pregnancy craving. She said her new strange obsession is eating ice.
