Nicki Minaj’s Queen is literally a moving target.
Just last week, it was unveiled that Minaj would be delaying her album's release for a second time, pushing Queen back to Aug. 17, due to complications relating to the clearance of a Tracy Chapman sample. Its release date has been moved a third time, to noon today (Aug. 10). The new release window piggy-backs on her new “Queen Radio” show on Apple Music’s Beats 1, which went live late Thursday.
“I was gonna play the album right now but someone fucked up,” she said during the broadcast, Spin reports. “It’s a lot of corporate drama in here.” Nicki also said she’d completed the album just three hours before going on air.
On Friday, just 60 minutes before its release, Minaj will return to Beats 1 to play Queen in full and walk through each track, sharing stories behind each number, which should include the previously-released “Chun-Li,” “Bed” and “Rich Sex.”
Image copyright Getty Images
Nicki Minaj's new Beats 1 show Queen Radio has made its debut, and her dedicated fanbase - the Barbz - have been getting very excited.
This came ahead of the release of the rap star's highly anticipated album, aptly named Queen.
Here are four things we learned from Queen Radio:
1. The album is here
Image copyright Reuters
Yes. That's right.
Minaj announced that she would be releasing her new album Queen a whole week before its scheduled release.
She originally claimed it would arrive on 15 June. She later delayed it to 10 August, before pushing it back again to 17 August, much to the dismay of the Barbz.
Then it went back to Friday, 10 August, and it has now duly arrived. She even told listeners that she finished recording it three hours before she went on air. We stan a dedicated legend!
2. Nicki was joined by other queens of social media
Nicki enlisted her very famous friends for the debut of her radio show.
From Kim Kardashian West to Kelly Rowland, the studio was overflowing with A-listers.
Kim and Nicki also spoke about how the rapper's voice note ended up in a Kanye song.
3. A Nicki and Normani collaboration could be on the way
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Normani has also been in the studio with Sam Smith
Fifth Harmony member Normani also joined Nicki and her line-up of celebrity pals in the studio.
"There could be a little surprise!" teased Minaj after the singer joined the rapper during the live broadcast.
"We are very proud of Normani. We are wishing her much success, I like meeting artists with discipline," Minaj continued.
4. From one legendary female rapper to another
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Minaj cites Foxy Brown as one of her inspirations
In a live phone call with Minaj, OG rapper Foxy Brown confirmed that a song they worked together will also be on the new album.
She even said it took them just five minutes to record.
Nicki also posted the official track list for Queen on Instagram, revealing that her and Foxy Brown's song is titled Coco Chanel.
While we're still on the subject of OG female rappers, Lil Kim said she's over the drama between her and Minaj, in the middle of promoting her new single Nasty One.
She told American radio station Real 92.3: "That automatically puts females against each other."
Shortly after the show ended, Beats 1 Radio tweeted that Minaj will be returning to "go track-by-track through the project and explain the message behind every song".
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
(CNN) Nicki Minaj has dropped her latest album.
After pushing back the release date multiple times, "Queen" finally made its debut on Friday.
Minaj went live through the album track-by-track via Apple Music's Beats 1.
The collection features several collaborations, including "Rich Sex" with Lil Wayne and "Majesty," featuring Eminem and Labrinth.
Read More
After several release date changes, Nicki Minaj’s fourth studio album has finally arrived. Queen is out now (via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic). Listen below. Queen, the follow-up to 2014’s The Pinkprint, includes “Rich Sex” (featuring Lil Wayne), “Bed” (featuring Ariana Grande), and “Chun-Li.” There are also guest appearances from Eminem, the Weeknd, tourmate Future, Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee, Labrinth (of the trio LSD with Sia and Diplo), and others.
On “Barbie Dreams”—a flip of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Just Playing (Dreams)," that’s an update of the similarly-titled track “Dreams” that she released over a decade ago—she targets numerous rappers, including Meek Mill (her ex-boyfriend), Drake (“Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me shit/But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he cryin' and shit”), Desiigner (“Shoutout Desiigner, 'cause he made it out of special ed”), Young Thug (“Used to fuck with Young Thug, I ain't addressing this shit/I caught him in my dressing rooms stealing dresses and shit”), DJ Khaled (“I had to cancel DJ Khaled, we ain’t speaking / Ain’t no fat n****a telling me what he ain’t eating”), and more.
Addressing the song on her Beats 1 “Queen Radio” program, Nicki said, “You guys know that's not a diss, right. I love them. I said things about people who can take a joke and not be emotional about it.”
Producers on the album include Murda Beatz, Zaytoven, Metro Boomin, Mike Will Made It, Boi1da, and more.
Read “Will the Mainstream Support More than One Rap Queen at a Time? A Charts Investigation” on the Pitch.
