9781422274453

HIP - HOP & R&B Culture, Music & Storytelling

HIP - HOP & R&B Culture, Music & Storytelling

Beyonce Bruno Mars Cardi B Chance the Rapper DJ Khaled

Drake Jay-Z John Legend Lil Wayne Nicki Minaj Pharrell Pitbull Post Malone Rihanna The Weeknd Travis Scott

HIP-HOP & R&B mason crest Carlie Lawson Culture, Music & Storytelling

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Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4366-4 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7445-3 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress

Developed and produced by National Highlights Inc. Editor: Dave Johnstone Production: Michelle Luke Interior and cover design: Annalisa Gumbrecht, Studio Gumbrecht

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CONTENTS Chapter 1 : Career Highlights—Setting Recording Industry Records ........................... 7 Chapter 2: The Road to the Top—Fulfilling a Lifelong Dream ...................................... 23 Chapter 3: Nicki Minaj's Hip-Hop Career, Interests, and Passions in Moments ...... 31 Chapter 4: Nicki Minaj's Brand Messaging—Becoming a Worldwide Sensation ... 47 Chapter 5: Nicki Minaj Reminds Us to Give of Ourselves ............................................... 59 Series Glossary of Key Terms ....................................................................................................... 70 Further Reading and Internet Resources ................................................................................ 72 Citations .............................................................................................................................................. 73 Educational Video Links ................................................................................................................ 75 Index .................................................................................................................................................... 76 Picture and Video Credits ............................................................................................................. 79 Author’s Biography ......................................................................................................................... 80

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Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

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Chapter 1:

N icki Minaj holds the record for the most Billboard 100 chart hits by a woman with 100 chart appearances. She reached this rare level on November 10, 2018, when the Tyga single “Dip,” on which she’s featured, charted at number 83 in the United States. She shares the honor of at least 100 appearances in the charts with Elvis Presley, Drake, Lil Wayne and the cast of Glee . Minaj has landed 17 songs in the Top 10. Her highest-charting record Career Highlights— Setting Recording Industry Records

Nicki Minaj was raised in the borough of Queens in New York City.

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was at number 2 with the 2014 single “Anaconda.” Minaj’s career has been filled with noteworthy moments, from her multitude of collaborations with other artists to her impressive solo career to her career consistent charity work, from her home in her borough of Queens to abroad in India. This chapter dives in to highlight the musical moments of her work as a rap artist. All Released Solo Albums to Date: Discography P INK F RIDAY (Released November 22, 2010) Minaj’s first solo album debuted at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It sold 375,000 copies in its first week of release. Pink Friday later rose to number 1 and spent thirty-nine weeks on the charts. By February 2018, the album had sold two million copies in the U.S. It featured thirteen songs on the regular release but sixteen on the deluxe edition. The rapper released eight singles from it. The tracks on Minaj’s debut release featured the work of a number of producers, including Bangladesh, J.R. Rotem, Swizz Beatz, T-Minus, and will.i.am. She drew such notable producers and high sales and charting by appearing on numerous other artists’ singles, a practice she continues

Scan to listen to “Super Bass” from Nicki Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday .

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today. The Recording Industry Association of America certified Pink Friday ’s Platinum status on January 5, 2011. Collaborations “Fly,” featuring Rihanna “Blazin’,” featuring Kanye West “Check It Out,” featuring will.i.am “Moment4Life,” featuring Drake “Last Chance,” featuring Natasha Bedingfield “Roman’s Revenge,” featuring Eminem Minaj’s sophomore release debuted at number 1 on the United Kingdom (UK) Albums Chart and the UK R&B Albums Chart and at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded set records in the UK with its release. Minaj became the first female rap artist to have an album debut at number 1 in the United Kingdom. The initial week of release resulted in the sale of 47,462 copies, qualifying for Gold certification there. It also debuted at number 1 in Canada and number 5 in Australia. It continued to sell well in the U.S. and other countries. The RIAA certified it Platinum on June 22, 2012, after it reached one million copies sold. It also went Platinum in Ireland and Gold in Australia, France, and Japan. P INK F RIDAY : R OMAN R ELOADED (Released April 2, 2012)

Scan to listen to ”Your Love,” the first single to be released from Pink Friday.

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Collaborations

“I AmYour Leader,” featuring Cam’ron and Rick Ross “Beez in the Trap,” featuring 2 Chainz “Roman Reloaded,” featuring Lil Wayne “Champion,” featuring Nas, Drake, and Young Jeezy “Right by My Side,” featuring Chris Brown “Sex in the Lounge,” featuring Lil Wayne and Bobby V “Gun Shot,” featuring Beenie Man P INK F RIDAY : R OMAN R ELOADED , T HE R E -UP (Released November 19, 2012) Seven months after the release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the album was re-released as Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, The Re-Up as a part of a three-disc set. Disc One features seven new rap tracks and a bonus selection, the hit “Va Voom.” Disc Two provides the original release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded . Disc Three, a DVD, provides 90 minutes of video content. Although it is marketed as a regular album release, it is essentially a box set. The release even features original cover art. It spawned a promotional single, “The Boys.” Its initial official single was “Freedom.”

Nicki Minaj at a signing of her album Pink Friday at the HMV store in London, UK.

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Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA.

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Collaborations

“I’m Legit,” featuring Ciara “Hell Yeah,” featuring Parker “I Endorse These Strippers,” featuring Tyga

T HE P INKPRINT (Released December 15, 2014)

Minaj released her fourth album, The Pinkprint , on December 15, 2014. The promo single, “Lookin Ass” came out on February 12, followed by two more singles: “Chi-Raq“ on April 7, and “Yasss Bish” on May 3. The lead single, “Pills N Potions,” debuted on May 21, followed by “Anaconda,” her highest- charting single to date, on August 4, “Only” on October 28, and “Bed of Lies” on November 16. Fans who pre-ordered the album received the extra track “All Things Go,” released December 3. “Truffle Butter,”“The Night Is Still Young,” and “Trini Dem Girls” came out in that order as the fifth through seventh singles. The album was certified Gold in Brazil, Sweden, and the U.S., and Silver in the UK.

Scan here to listen to Nicki Minaj’s hit song “I AmYour Leader.”

Collaborations

“Chi-Raq,” featuring Lil Herb “Yasss Bish,” featuring Soulja Boy “Only,” featuring Lil Wayne, Drake, and Chris Brown “Bed of Lies,” featuring Skylar Grey

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Q UEEN (Released August 10, 2018) Minaj’s latest album release marks the height of her femininity and feminism. She boldly showcases her glorious form on the cover, depicted as an Egyptian goddess or queen. Its styling, reminiscent of Cleopatra, provides a visual hint of the album’s powerful, strong female messages. Collaborations “Majesty,” featuring Eminem and Labrinth “Rich Sex,” featuring Lil Wayne “Thought I Knew You,” featuring The Weeknd “Coco Chanel,” featuring Foxy Brown “Inspirations Outro,” featuring Hip Hop N More

Scan here to watch the music video for Nicki Minaj’s hit song, “Bed of Lies” ft. Skylar Grey.

Nicki Minaj performs on NBC’s Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza, New York.

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Mixtapes

Along with all of her chart-topping studio album releases, Nicki Minaj also has released three mixtapes. Her debut release was the mixtape Playtime Is Over , released on July 5, 2007. Her follow-up mixtape, Sucka Free , came out in 2008 on Be Records. Her third mixtape was released by a division of her current record label called Young Money Entertainment. BeamMe Up Scotty came out on April 18, 2009, and included many notable guest appearances, including Busta Rhymes, Drake, and Lil Wayne.

Scan here to watch the music video for “Bed” ft. Ariana Grande.

Nicki Minaj has collaborated with rap star Drake many times.

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