Queen of Hip Hop Nicki Minaj is back with her Queen radio on Amazon’s AMP! app and she announced that Republic Records has given her a new record label “because they don’t want her to go anywhere.” She avoids announcing the name of the new label but said her labels first A&R as longtime affiliate Patty Lauren along with a slew of artists on her roster.
She rinsed her Red Ruby Da Sleeze song all throughout the show and played some Jamaican songs that go along with each mood she created. Skillibeng’s Crocodile Teeth got airtime then later she played Buju Banton’s “Love How The Gyal Dem Flex,” which got a pull up from Dj Booth before it was mixed with Bronx rapper London Hilll’s freestyle titled “Big Flexer.”
“New York we known for bars, we know for spitting, and by the way everybody don’t have to rap the same, especially not over here on my label bu this one right here you better watch your fucking mouth,” Minaj said indicating that there’s the possibility of London joining her label.
In less than an hour after the release of Nicki Minaj’s latest dancehall sample, Red Ruby Da Sleeze, the song climbed to No. 1 on March 3 on the U.S. iTunes chart. Her first single of 2023 extends her record as the rapper with the most No. 1 songs on the chart.
Minaj also announced that Ghanaian singer Nana Fofie will be on her label as well while playing Fofie’s “Selling Dreams.”
“Sing it,”The Fendi Prints rapper asked Nana. “I have been obsessed with you for a very long time, and I promised you,” she continued.
“You have one of the most effortlessly warm voices,” Minaj said.
“It’s so funny because the artist you heard here today is not the only artist, don’t think my label will be rap or black, we have some things going on.”
Since reconnecting with her manager Fendi, Minaj has been using dancehall as part of her music roll out strategy since last summer.
She credits “Drake for always knowing what to say to her at the right time.”
Drake has always stayed close to Jamaican culture and the artists from the island have embraced him since the beginning of his career. One of the Toronto artist’s first song Find Your Love was filmed on location in Jamaica and featured Mavado in the music video. For the intro, Drake got advice from a Rasta man about leaving a girl alone and focusing on his music and his album. He has since used the dancehall culture and artist to fuel his singles and albums. Dancehall deejay Popcaan has also been signed to his OVO label since 2018.
Nicki Minaj herself has done a few dancehall collabs, most notably with Gyptian, Mavado, Beenie Man and Skillibeng. If she comes to Jamaica to film it would be her first time filming a music video on the island.
She has scheduled her next Queen Radio on Amazon’s AMP within a week where there will be more arrests announcements.
“Like I said we have some other genres of music and the labels are not just for black artists, and I have three other people I can’t wait to bring them to Queen Radio,” Minaj said.
Nicki Minaj and Skeng were in New York City last August where they met for the first time face to face. Minaj posted a video on her instagram with instructions to go listen to their song “Likkle Miss Remix” with both the Trini and Jamaican flags.
They hung out in Trinidad last week for Carnival and shot a yet to be released music video.
