Nicki Minaj is back spitting lyrics over a Caribbean beat. This time it’s a sample of Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh ooh, Uh Oooh)” which has a slightly altered version of Stephen “Lenky” Marsden “Diwali Riddim.”
“Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” was released as the lead single from her debut album, Almost Famous, almost 20 years ago on May 12, 2003. It featured Fabolous and Busta Rhymes in the official remix and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It topped the charts in Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland and had top ten positions in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, and the United Kingdom.
The song gave Lumidee success all over Europe and she was subsequently signed to Universal Records, Nicki Minaj’s current label.
Already the Barbz are going crazy over Red Ruby Sleeze calling it a “radio worthy” as Minaj set the pace to rule the summer.
This song is definitely radio worthy. I wanna hear this shit on the radio when I’m on the road driving to the beach or a club. Like Nicki you have a HIT
— Ganja Burn (@Ganjaburn__) March 3, 2023
Other calling her vocal surprisingly good.
Nicki we did not expect these vocals and they were so fkin good!! That chorus is one of my favourites from yours no cap 💥🩸 @NICKIMINAJ #RedRubyDaSleaze
— dimitar 𓆩⟡𓆪 (@heavyonitbarbie) March 3, 2023
Writing credits on Red Ruby Da Sleeze include Minaj, Lumidee, Eddie Perez, Tate Kobang, Uncle Biddy, Go Grizzly, Cheeze Beatz, Teddy Mendez, John Eddie Pérez, Kirsten Allyssa Spencer & Steven “Lenky” Marsden.
The song produced by Cheeze Beatz and Go Grizzly follows Minaj’s 2022 Sumer smash hit Super Freaky Girl and her Like Miss Remix and Fine Nine Remix with Skeng and 8 other Caribbean women.
As she continues her dancehall pilgrimage, the Queen of Hip Hop went to Trinidad last month and announced via Instagram that she is coming to Jamaica Carnival.
Minaj announced her trip to Jamaica in an engagement with DJ Foota Hype where he said: “happy to see you back in full effect queen, I am reviewing ur new song tomorrow a chubble lol.” to which the MTV Vanguard Video Music Awardee answered, “need you to go Crazy when you playing it. We need a next Trini Carnival. Im going to Jamaica Carnival.”
Two weeks ago she posted a video with the caption: “S/o to @skeng.don for reppin us. 2nd video by @grizzleearts 📸 Last video shot by @emanuelambi#ShakeThePlace @machelmontano @destragarcia & me. Sweet sweet T& T 
.”
Nicki Minaj 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.
The last time the Young Money Queen was in Jamaica, she headlined Reggae Sumfest in 2011. She was approached by Jamaican police soon after she left the stage and told she had violated the Towns and Communities Act, which is a British colonial law that fines persons for “obscenity in a public place”. She was issued a court summons for 28 July.
Minaj however left the island and never appeared. Instead, a local lawyer attended court and entered a guilty plea on her behalf. The singer was ordered to pay a fine of 1,000 Jamaican dollars. On Twitter, Minaj joked about the incident: “I swear I just had the time of my life,” she wrote.
In 2019, she compared the situation to Saudi Arabia women’s rights laws saying, “I could make one mistake and got to jail in a different country where women have no rights.”
Watch Nicki Minaj’s Red Ruby Sleeze below:
