Nicki Minaj

7 Rappers Who Dominated In 2023

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Make no mistakes; Hip Hop is still very much alive and just as significant as ever. In 2023, several rap artists have dominated not just their peers but also those beyond the Hip Hop genre. Their influence and reach are broad and undeniable. From newbies like Ice Spice to icons like Nicki Minaj, the best rappers in 2023 didn’t disappoint. They have saturated the mainstream with their songs and exerted their dominance in the music scene throughout the year.

Rap had a relatively slow start in 2023. Until very recently, no rap song had topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart since Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” debuted atop the chart in August 2022. An entire year passed before Doja Cat broke the cycle with the release of her hit song, “Paint the Town Red.” Nevertheless, it’s been a good year for the genre, and artists have consistently released great tracks throughout. A good song doesn’t have to be a chart-topper after all, and sleeper hits are also making the rounds. 

Lil Durk

Lil Durk has steadily risen since he released his debut album in 2015. Since then, he has released seven additional solo albums, and his discography has grown exponentially. His last five solo albums have peaked within the Top 5 of the Billboard 200 chart. Additionally, several of his singles have enjoyed some success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. His most successful single to date, however, is the J. Cole collab, “All My Life.” It was released in May 2023 and has taken over the airwaves since. “All My Life” was the lead single from Durk’s eighth solo studio album, Almost Healed. It peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart and is certified Platinum by the RIAA. The song is undoubtedly one of the soundtracks of the year and has solidified Lil Durk as one of the best rappers in 2023.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is already widely a legendary rapper, with nothing left to prove. However, the icon refuses to take the back seat. She continues to remain relevant almost two decades into her career. With the announcement of the highly anticipated Pink Friday 2, she is set to dominate the music scene once again. Her supremacy in 2023 can be traced back to her 2022 release, “Super Freaky Girl.” The track’s impact lasted well into 2023, but she went further to support it with a few new releases. 

Most notable are her two collaborations with her protégé, Ice Spice. The “Princess Diana” remix was a hit upon its release. “Barbie World,” however, was the icing on the cake. Being attached to the billion-dollar blockbuster movie Barbie, the song was already destined for greatness. It exceeded expectations, though, and charted well in several countries across the globe.

Ice Spice

This has been a remarkable year for Ice Spice, and definitely one the young rapper will not forget in a hurry. Besides the aforementioned collaborations with Nicki Minaj, 2023 saw the release of Ice Spice’s debut EP, Like…? Additionally, her guest appearance on Pink Pantheress’ “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” proved a huge success. It earned Ice Spice her first Top 10 appearance, peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart. She followed this with a feature on Taylor Swift’s “Karma Remix,” which peaked at No. 2. Ice Spice has also gone viral multiple times throughout 2023. Her impressive track record this year has cemented her as one of the best hitmaking rappers in 2023. Ice Spice is arguably 2023’s biggest breakout star.

Travis Scott

Travis Scott’s last solo album before 2023 was the critically acclaimed Astroworld, released in 2018. In the five years since that body of work, fans hoped and prayed for a new album. Travis finally answered their prayers and dropped Utopia, his highly anticipated fourth album, in July. Utopia had been teased by Scott since 2020, so it was fulfilling to finally have the star-studded project.

Upon its release, the album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. Furthermore, all 19 of its songs appeared on the Hot 100 chart. In the short time since, it has raked in impressive streaming numbers. The album is already one of the most-streamed of 2023. Scott has dominated the charts and the music scene in such a short time. The album’s impact continues to grow, solidifying Scott’s place as one of the best rappers in 2023.

Gunna

Since 2018, Gunna has been a notable figure in Hip Hop. In 2023, he added an impressive album to his already impressive discography. A Gift & a Curse was released on June 16, 2023, and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It spawned two singles, “Bread & Butter” and “FukUMean.” The latter went on to become a viral social media hit. “FukUMean” received generally positive reviews from critics and was also a commercial success. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100 chart and is one of the biggest rap tracks of 2023.

Doja Cat

In 2023, the discourse around Doja Cat has been very divisive. One thing remains unchanged, however, and that is that she is a massive star. Her talent is undeniable and has come well into fruition over the last few years. The rapper’s name has actively been present in the media for positive and negative reasons. She was again canceled on Twitter following some controversial statements about her fans. Upon the release of “Paint the Town Red,” however, they couldn’t help but salute her creative genius. The song is her biggest hit of 2023 so far. It was also a viral hit and rose to the very top of the Hot 100 chart. Further, it became the first rap single to top the chart in 2023. Doja’s fourth studio album, Scarlet, was released in September 2023 and is evidently making waves.

Drake

Drake needs no introduction. In 2023, the rapper effortlessly continued his impressive dominating streak. He is arguably the biggest Hip Hop star in the world right now and has been for a while. As such, he does not need to do much to greatly impact the music industry. In 2023, he appeared as a featured artist on a handful of tracks. The rapper has also released two songs as a lead artist: “Search & Rescue” and “Slime You Out” ft. SZA. The latter was released on September 15, 2023, and peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart. It is the second single from Drake’s eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. Following its release, Drake will complete his arc as one of the best rappers in 2023.

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The post 7 Rappers Who Dominated In 2023 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Taylor Swift Has High Praise For Ice Spice In New Interview

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Ice Spice has been one of the breakout stars of 2023 by pretty much every metric. She not only rose to a massive level of popularity but also started making allies in high places pretty much immediately. She took home the fan-voted Best New Artist award at the VMAs earlier this month, beating out Peso Pluma and Renee Rapp. She’s also become pretty close friends with Nicki Minaj, and the pair have already scored two top-ten hits together. First Nicki joined for a remix of Spice’s song “Princess Diana.” After that, the pair teamed up again for the song “Barbie World” from the Barbie movie soundtrack.

During the VMAs, Ice Spice was sitting next to another one of her collaborators, Taylor Swift. Swift invited Ice Spice onto a remix of her song “Karma” earlier this year. The track landed on the deluxe edition of Taylor Swift’s Midnights album and became yet another top-10 hit for both artists. Recently, Ice Spice was the subject of a cover story for Variety which sought to identify the personality behind the quickly elevated superstar. She spoke on a variety of subjects herself in the piece, like Matty Healy’s notorious jokes about her on a podcast. But Variety also collected some testimony from artists who have worked with Spice and Taylor was happy to provide.

Read More: Ice Spice’s Doppelganger Blows Up On TikTok

Taylor Swift Says Ice Spice “Impressed The Hell” Out Of Her

In her full quote, Swift was overflowing with praise for the rapper. “I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start. She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize,” she explained.

Swift also took the opportunity to laud Ice Spice for her professional demeanor despite how new of an artist she is. “She knows what is and isn’t ‘her’ and sets those boundaries with grace. She studies the industry and other artists’ careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It’s her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.” What do you think of Taylor Swift’s high praise for Ice Spice? Let us know in the comment section below.

Read More: Max B Flirts With Ice Spice: “She Looking Real Good”

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When Will Nicki Minaj Release The New Song She Performed At The VMAS?

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nicki minaj interview
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It has been about five years since Nicki Minaj last released a full-length album but she’s been busy since. However, even with hits like “Barbie World” and “Last Time I Saw You” under her bright pink belt this year, fans can’t help but look forward to the full release of Pink Friday 2 — especially after she teased another song from the album at the 2023 VMAs.

When Will Nicki Minaj Release The New Song She Performed At The VMAS?

Unfortunately, we don’t know when Nicki’s next song is due, but thanks to a new post on Twitter (which I’m never calling “X”), we know a bit more about what it’s going to sound like. While the live version of the stripped-down track made the beat a little bit harder to hear, in the sample Nicki shared on Twitter, the beat comes through more clearly. She’s shared snippets of the song before, leading to some listeners criticizing her for referring to having shooters as her husband was sentenced to house arrest for making threats against Offset.

While we don’t know when the track is due, we do have a release date for Nicki’s fifth studio album. Pink Friday 2 is due 11/17 on Young Money and Republic Records.

Nicki Minaj & Cardi B’s Beef Timeline: How Did It Start?

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nicki cardi
Getty Image / Derrick Rossignol

With the hostilities between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj — and their husbands, Offset and Kenneth Petty — heating up again after a few years on simmer, you may be wondering how all this got started in the first place. Don’t worry; Uproxx has you covered. Here’s a timeline of just how the feud between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B got started and what’s happened since then. While there’s been plenty of speculation about who said what about whom, we’ll just stick with the facts.

The Beginning — 2017

In our original timeline of the Nicki/Cardi feud, we noted that everything likely starts with Cardi’s “Bodak Yellow” release. The ensuing fan and media frenzy surrounding it led to the song becoming the first by a solo female rap artist to reach No. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” — a goal Nicki had pursued and fallen short of for nearly a decade prior.

However, the song was still several weeks away from its peak when Nicki Minaj’s fans, known as Barbz, began throwing shade at Cardi. At the time, it had been nearly three years since Nicki had last released an album. Perhaps the Barbz perceived a threat to Nicki’s dominance or simply wanted to see a fight, but either way, they got one — ironically, as a result of the two women’s attempted show of solidarity.

Open Conflict — 2017 – 2018

In October 2017, Migos added Cardi B to their Culture II single, “Motorsport.” This turned out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. After the song’s video was released in November, news of behind-the-scenes drama between the two began to trickle out. Nicki and Cardi’s scenes were shot separately, leading to more speculation of tension between them, and after it was revealed that Migos added Cardi without consulting Nicki and that Nicki’s verse was allegedly changed at the request of Cardi’s label, Atlantic, there was no stopping the oncoming train wreck.

In April 2018, Nicki began openly throwing Cardi under the bus in interviews while promoting her 2018 album Queen, which was due just a few months after Cardi’s debut Invasion Of Privacy. Invasion turned out to be a coronation, Cardi’s victory lap solidifying her as a breakout star. In interviews, Nicki called out Cardi for being “ungrateful” and for not backing up her explanation for their separate shoot days, which involved a scheduling conflict with her hairstylist.

In September 2018, things erupted, as their meeting at a New York Fashion Week party that year led to a physical altercation in which Cardi threw a show at Nicki, getting a bump on the forehead from one of the older rapper’s bodyguards in return. Since then, they’ve returned to less open hostilities, settling into a cold war, complete with proxy fighters and accusations of sneak disses flying from fans on both sides.

The Cold War — 2019 – Now

Since then, the closest either side has come to outright beef has been in the wake of Nicki’s 2022 “Super Freaky Girl (Queen Mix),” which featured rappers Akbar V, BIA, JT, Katie Got Bandz, and Maliibu Miitch. In the weeks after its release, Akbar V and JT both lashed out at Cardi — ostensibly at the behest of Nicki Minaj, if you were to ask fans what prompted the exchanges.

Eventually, both feuds petered out though, returning to status quo until the 2023 MTV VMAs — the first time they’d both appeared at such a function since their NYFW fight. Now, details of the inciting event are murky, but it appears that some sort of exchange between the two rappers’ crews backstage took place that led to Cardi apparently being threatened but later boasting on Twitter that “I ain’t even flinch.”

Then, the next weekend, Nicki’s husband, Kenneth Petty, posted a video with his crew roaming New York, apparently looking for Offset. While Offset laughed off their threats, a judge apparently did not, slapping Petty with a probation violation (he is serving a suspended sentence for failing to register as a sex offender in California) and sentencing him to house arrest.

In the aftermath, Nicki seemed not to sweat the sentence, sharing a song snippet from her upcoming album Pink Friday 2 that references her husband’s “G” status and having shooters.

The key to all this might just be in that last bit, though; beef sells — supposedly — and with both rappers gearing up to release new full-length projects, don’t be surprised if this list gets longer in the near future.

Nicki Minaj & Son Papa Bear Cuddle Up In Adorable Video Amid Kenneth Petty Drama

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Nicki Minaj loves her son Papa Bear, but it seems like he isn’t as willing to pose for cute pictures with his mom as she is. Moreover, the Queen recently shared a wholesome video of her carrying him on a swivel chair and lightly swaying him around. Amid laughs and Papa’s excited yells, you can tell that he just wants to get his feet on the ground as soon as possible. “Telling #PapaBear we on a magic roller coaster,” she captioned the video. “But he figured it out right away & got up out of there [crying-laughing emoji]. He said he got more important things to do than to take pics with some random lady.”

Furthermore, it seems like the Trinidadian rapper is feeling quite family-focused these days. Just about a week ago, Nicki Minaj shared a family picture with Papa Bear and father and husband Kenneth Petty. Of course, this family orientation might be because of a big scandal that Petty got into recently. He threatened Offset online, staking him out at the VMAs and getting a house arrest order because of it.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Announces New Queen Radio In Video With Kenneth Petty

Nicki Minaj Tries To Take Papa Bear On A “Magic Rollercoaster”: Watch

Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of shady statements, backlash, feuds with media figures, and more. Still, through it all, the 40-year-old remains set on promoting herself, particularly her Queen Radio program, and letting it all roll past her. Amid a supposed still-brewing cold war with Cardi B that the Offset and Kenneth Petty situation accentuated, all this creates is just more attention, clicks, and conversation. Nicki Minaj knows exactly how to capitalize on that, but she also knows how to take a break from it. After all, there’s nothing like some family time to clear your head of all the noise.

Meanwhile, we’re sure that there will be many more cute videos of the “Last Time I Saw You” hitmaker spending quality time with Papa Bear. Barb could coast off of her success if she wanted to and just live a happy, exciting life with her family. But that’s not how Roman operates, as we all know, and she’s balancing all these elements of competition, stardom, and family love with the same hunger for greatness she’s always had. With that in mind, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Nicki Minaj.

Read More: Taylor Swift & Nicki Minaj Collab Hints Seemingly Appear Online

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Dead or Alive: The Most Influential Artists Evident in Today’s Music

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Nicki Minaj, Michael Jackson, Beyonce

The music industry has been shaped and influenced by countless artists throughout history. These musicians have significantly impacted the industry, from their unique styles to powerful voices. Artists from the past continue to inspire and influence the music we hear today. Here’s a closer look at some of the most influential artists and their impact […]

The post Dead or Alive: The Most Influential Artists Evident in Today’s Music appeared first on SOHH.com.

Nicki Minaj Stole “Buy A Heart” & Meek Mill’s Chain From K. Michelle, “L&HH” Star Alleges

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Thanks to social media, most of the drama that unfolds within the music industry is quickly plastered across the internet for fans to react to. However, there are still things that go down behind closed doors, some of which only come to light years later during podcast interviews or dramatic blowouts. Since Nicki Minaj confirmed her Pink Friday 2 album is dropping later this year, there’s been a notable increase in the number of unflattering stories about the mother of one in the news. K. Michelle only contributed to that while recording an episode of R&B Money, reflecting on some things that Minaj allegedly stole from her earlier in their careers.

“‘Buy A Heart’ was on a Meek Mill album, and Nicki Minaj’s mean a** took it from me,” the 41-year-old told Tank and J Valentine. “Atlantic Records put me in with Meek Mill ‘cuz he needed some love songs,” she explained to the confused hosts. “He played that record, it wasn’t on his album. I said, ‘Oh, you sleeping on this.’ So I got the record,” Michelle shared. At the time, she wasn’t aware of the Philly native’s romantic relationship with Minaj, but the Queen of Rap was well aware of her existence.

Read More: Jason Lee Vs. Nicki Minaj: Blogger Isn’t Afraid Of A Lawsuit From The Queen Of Rap

K. Michelle Recalls Uncomfortable Past with Nicki Minaj

“I had never slept with Meek, none of that,” the “Can’t Raise a Man” singer clarified. “She wanted to take the record from me, and she said that he had to take back his chain from me.” Michelle noted that she was always a fan of Minaj’s, and didn’t think she had done anything to upset the “Only” artist.

In the end, “Buy A Heart” ended up on one of Minaj’s previous albums with her then-boyfriend as a featured artist. It’s been nearly a decade since The Pinkprint first landed, but its influence remains undeniable – even if the Trinidadian wasn’t the original owner of all the songs.

Read More: K. Michelle Claims She Was Paid More Than Joseline Hernandez On “LHHATL”

Full R&B Money Episode

Check out K. Michelle’s full conversation with Tank and J Valentine on R&B Money above. Do you believe what the L&HH cast member is saying about Nicki Minaj? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.

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Jason Lee Vs. Nicki Minaj: Blogger Isn’t Afraid Of A Lawsuit From The Queen Of Rap

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After Friday (September 22) night’s episode of Queen Radio, Nicki Minaj’s name has been all over hip-hop blogs for a multitude of reasons. Not only did she invite a group of young, male, up-and-coming rappers (though they’re also being described as goons) to join her in the studio, but she also showed off some dance moves that arguably weren’t her best. In response to all the criticism, the mother of one later sent out a message to her haters via her Instagram Story.

“They want you to be mad so bad that when you happy having fun they say something wrong with you,” Minaj wrote over a black screen. “When I see them saying that I know I got under that dingy skin 🥴😝😂😂😂😂😂😂. A millionaire joking around. That’s all it is boo. Coming for youuuuuuu. Threeee four better 🔒 your 🚪. #PinkFriday2 11.17.23.” It’s unclear exactly who the menacing message is aimed at, though it could possibly be DJ Akademiks, who called out the Trinidadian in a scathing rant recently.

Read More: “Queen Radio”: Nicki Minaj Hits The Studio With NY Rappers, Dances Salaciously For The Camera

Nicki Minaj Has a Message for Her Haters

Another blogger currently in the midst of some drama with Minaj is Hollywood Unlocked‘s Jason Lee. Since accusing the “Barbie Tingz” hitmaker’s husband of coming after him, the media personality has had the internet speculating that a lawsuit is soon to come. “Before y’all say [she] will sue me, we welcome a discovery with these folks,” he clarified. “All phone records, bank and wire transactions, emails – everything.”

Additionally, Lee addressed Minaj and her man in a video message, making it clear that he doesn’t plan on backing down. “See, what Nicki and Kenny thought was, ‘Jason’s a pu**y, he’s not gonna say anything,’” the podcast host speculated. “Are you f**king d*mb? I’m the same ni**a that put out how you tried to punk Future. I’m the same ni**a that put out your original track on ‘MotorSport’ when you said you never changed your verse,” Lee began to list all the times he’s exposed the 40-year-old.

Read More: Jason Lee Targeted By Nicki Minaj, Kenneth Petty, And Their Affiliates: Report

Jason Lee is Ready for War

Keep scrolling to see Jason Lee’s full video message to Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty. Do you think that we’ll see the blogger and the Queen of Rap face off against each other in court? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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Nicki Minaj Doesn’t Seem To Be Backing Down Amid Alleged Beef With Offset And Cardi B

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Nicki Minaj Marc Jacobs Fall Runway Show 2020
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Nicki Minaj doesn’t seem to be relenting from her alleged beef with Cardi B and Offset. Earlier this past week, a video of her husband, Kenneth Petty, surfaced on the web, in which he appears to be making threats to Offset, standing outside of a hotel where he and Cardi were said to be staying.

After the video surfaced, Minaj doubled down, sharing a snippet of new music on Twitter, on which, she raps, “I can’t be playin’…I married a G/ I got some…that do what I say, if I tell ’em to shoot, they pull up on the three.”

DJ Vlad later slammed Minaj, taking to Twitter to blast this move.

“Nicki Minaj’s husband is on house arrest for threatening Offset,” Vlad said. “Right after that, she previews a song on IG saying she got killers who will pull up and do what she say. This was the same Nicki who threatened to send her husband to Akademiks’ house for his comments about her.”

Last night (September 22), Minaj took to her Instagram livestream, in which she is seen in a studio ahead of an airing of her Queen Radio Amp show. She is surrounded by people who seem to be backing her up. Minaj doesn’t directly address Vlad’s comments, and issued a warning, saying, “It’s a difference between making calls and calling the shots” throughout the stream.

Neither Cardi B nor Offset appear to have responded to this particular line.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

“Queen Radio”: Nicki Minaj Hits The Studio With NY Rappers, Dances Salaciously For The Camera

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Nicki Minaj has kept booked and busy for the past few weeks, from hosting and performing at the annual MTV Video Music Awards to putting final touches on her highly anticipated Pink Friday 2 album. During the former event, the 40-year-old’s long-standing beef with Cardi B rose to new heights, and both women’s husbands even got involved. Now, Kenneth Petty is sitting through several months of house arrest for threatening Offset.

Despite the family drama, Minaj isn’t letting herself get down over the situation. Instead, she brought a huge group of New York rappers with her to record the latest episode of Queen Radio. While some (including DJ Akademiks) were quick to label them as goons, it’s since been made clear that the men are simply up-and-coming rappers who the “Barbie Dreams” hitmaker offered an invitation to join her for the night.

Read More: DJ Akademiks Calls Nicki Minaj A “Gangsta Bully” While Recalling Time She Threatened To Have Kenneth Petty “Break His Jaw”

Nicki Minaj Invites New York Artists to Join Her on Queen Radio

As per usual, Minaj’s energy was on 100 as she played some of her favourite music and grooved along to dancehall tracks. She even included some twerking in her choreography, though it appears the black-haired beauty may need to hit the studio for some refreshers before her next tour.

The Trinidadian promised that she plans to head out on the road again shortly after Pink Friday 2 hits DSPs later this fall. Seeing as it’s been some time since we’ve seen her travelling across the country to perform, we’re looking forward to what she has in store next.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Plays Megan The Stallion’s “Ungrateful” During “Queen Radio”

Queen of Rap Shows Off Her Dancehall Dance Moves

As shown in the video above, the mother of one was clearly feeling herself while turning up in the studio this weekend. Still, not everyone has been leaving flattering comments beneath viral videos taken from her stream, especially not fans of her No. 1 opp. Whose upcoming album are you more excited to hear, Nicki Minaj or Cardi B? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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