Nicki Minaj unleashed her highly anticipated Queen on Friday (Aug. 10). The album’s release coincided with the launch of Minaj’s new station on Beats 1 with Queen Radio. One of the standout tracks from the album, “Barbie Dreams,” finds Nicki playfully jabbing at her rap contemporaries, even though she’s collaborated with many of them in the past.
The tune rightly pays homage to The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 classic “Just Playing (Dreams).” A plethora of rappers — including DJ Khaled, ex-boyfriend Meek Mill, 50 Cent, Young Thug, Swae Lee, Lil Uzi Vert, Fetty Wap, Quavo, Future, YG, 6ix9ine, Lil Wayne, Eminem and many more — all feel the wrath of Nicki’s lethal pen.
Minaj quickly took to social media to defuse any brewing controversy, letting fans know that the track was directed at individuals that she genuinely has love for. “I only mentioned people in #BarbieDreams that I f-k wit. This isn’t a diss. Yikes. This is culture, this is BIGGIE!!!!! New York!!!! This is FUN. Light hearted fun FUN,” she wrote.
Here are all the rappers Nicki addresses by name on “Barbie Dreams” below.
Lil Wayne & Dave East
“A hand full of Weezy, sprinkle of Dave East”
Minaj confesses that she’s hoping to find the right guy to have children with in the future. The perfect match, in her opinion, would be someone who’s a mix of Lil Wayne and Harlem’s Dave East. The Queens native has yet to collaborate with her fellow New Yorker, but her deep ties to the 504 legend are well-documented. Weezy discovered her on The Come Up DVD back in 2008. Wayne eventually inked Nicki to a deal with Young Money in Aug. 2009, and she then blossomed into a full-blown superstar as The First Lady of Young Money.
Lil Wayne posted a congratulatory message regarding Queen‘s release and called it “one of the best albums yet.” He later reacted to “Barbie Dreams.” “I really wish the song was a dedication to me,” he said.
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) August 12, 2018
Rae Sremmurd
“Man, I ain’t got no type, like Jxmmi and Swae Lees.”
Minaj shouts out both members of Rae Sremmurd and references their 2014 SremmLife banger “No Type.” She brought the energetic duo along as supporting acts on her 2015 Pinkprint Tour, putting the superstar pair’s antics on an arena stage night-after-night for the world to witness. She also offered up a sultry assist on Swae and Jxmmi’s “Throw Sum Mo” alongside a burgeoning Young Thug. She later put her own spin on “Black Beatles” and “No Flex Zone” for successful remixes. Swae Lee manages to steal the show with his signature falsetto on his lone Queen cameo for the Metro Boomin-produced “Chun Swae.”
50 Cent
“I tried to fuck 50 for a powerful hour/ But all that n—a wanna do is talk Power for hours/ B-beat the pussy up, make sure it’s a K-O/ Step your banks up like you’re moving that ya-yo.”
Two of the most prominent Queens natives to grace the mic have carried the torch of rap with decorated runs in each of the past two decades. 50 Cent is all for a good troll, as he took aim at his rap compatriots in a similar fashion on 1999’s “How to Rob” and Eminem’s “Love Me.” Shortly after getting wind of “Barbie Dreams,” the Power star showed Minaj respect for her bold array of shots taken on the track.
South Side stand up the bitch @nickiminaj is really a problem. Out here killing shit –get the strap #lecheminduroi #Queen pic.twitter.com/gF8pL2BiAO
— 50cent (@50cent) August 10, 2018
Quavo
“Somebody go and make sure Karrueche okay though/ I heard she think I’m tryna give the coochie to Quavo.”
Minaj and the Migos rapper have established a solid rapport in recent years. She seems to be on good terms with Quavo after the drama that came about by when female rap titans in Nicki and Cardi B came together on “Motorsport.” These bars reveal that the Young Money MC had this track in the stash for a while, as Quavo was linked to Karrueche back in 2017. She has since moved on and is dating former New York Giants star Victor Cruz.
“All these Bow Wow Challenge n—s lying and shit.”
The Bow Wow Challenge took off last year when Shad Moss was caught trying to fool his followers into thinking he was boarding a private jet, when in reality, he was flying commercial. Memes flooded social media as the hip-hop culture was sent into a frenzy at Bow Wow’s expense once again. Nicki originally teamed up with Bow back in 2009 for “Kiss My A.S.S.” on his Half Man, Half Dog 2 mixtape.
“Man, these Fetty Wap n—s stay eyeing my shit.”
Fetty Wap was diagnosed with Glaucoma at a young age in both of his eyes, but unfortunately, doctors were unable to save the vision in his left eye. The New Jersey-bred rapper linked with Minaj at the tail-end of 2016 for the underrated “Like A Star.” Rumors of the pair dating were quickly squashed shortly after their collaboration dropped, as Minaj had just broken off her relationship with Meek Mill.
Drake
“Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me s–t/ But I don’t know if the pussy wet or if he crying and s–t.”
Drake and Minaj rose through the ranks of hip-hop together under Lil Wayne’s guidance as signees to his Young Money Entertainment label. The record-breaking generational mascots changed the rap landscape as we know it by dominating the charts as musical goliaths for much of the decade. The 6 God has fired off multiple unsuccessful attempts to court Minaj to be the First Lady of OVO, with Drizzy remaining pitted in the 35-year-old’s friend zone.
The “Super Bass” artist pokes fun at Drake’s strong emotional side. He’s crafted multiple anthems distraught over the women in his life with tracks such as “Marvin’s Room,” “I’m Upset,” “Just Hold On We’re Going Home” and “Emotionless.”
Global Digital Artist Ranking:
#1. Drake
#2. Nicki Minaj (+2) pic.twitter.com/ZZQBStI9lQ— Nicki Charts (@chartsnm) August 11, 2018
Meek Mill
“Meek still be in my DMs, I be having to duck him/ I used to pray for times like this/ Face ass when I f–k him.”
After nearly two years of dating, Nicki Minaj cut the cord with Meek Mill back in January of 2017. Minaj exposes the Philly rapper on “Barbie Dreams,” claiming he’s still trying his hand at lure his ex back into his life since he was freed on bail in April. For all of the light-hearted jabs, the 31-year-old arguably takes the brunt of Roman’s lyrical hurricane. Nicki also mocks Meek Mill’s intense “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro).” Meek later posted a photo of himself to Instagram in jaw-dropping awe in response to the shocking viral diss.
Lil Uzi Vert
“Man, Uzi is my baby, he ain’t takin’ a L/ But he took it literally when I said, ‘Go to hell!'”
Minaj jokes about Lil Uzi Vert’s satanic vibe. Uzi’s eclectic personality and genre-blending music has the youth championing him as their next savior. The Philly rapper has quickly turned into one of hip-hop’s bright stars at just 24-years-old. Minaj hopped on the remix to Uzi’s 2017 hit “The Way Life Goes,” powering the track to peak at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 to close out the year.
While shooting the tune’s visual, Minaj shared that working with the “Sauce It Up” rapper is reminiscent of her mentor Lil Wayne. “He just reminds me so much of Tunechi so every time I see him, I’m always like, ‘aww, my little baby,’ because he just gives me the Lil Tunechi vibe. And so because of that, I love him,” she confessed.
Young Thug
“Used to f–k with Young Thug, I ain’t addressin’ this s–t/ C-caught him in my dressing room, stealin’ dresses and s–t.”
Thugger enlisted Minaj for an assist on “Anybody” from his Hear No Evil EP which released earlier in 2018 ahead of his anticipated Slime Language mixtape. Minaj boldly accuses Thug of stealing dresses from her dressing room. The ATLien famously donned a dress on his acclaimed Jeffery album cover. He’s become a fashion icon in rap, starring in campaigns with Calvin Klein and YEEZY Season 3. A disappointed Thugger replied to Minaj on Twitter.
—— I love this person ♥? https://t.co/zvs3sj9gZ9
— Chun-Li (@NICKIMINAJ) August 10, 2018
“Shoutout Desiigner ’cause he made it out of special ed.”
Minaj insults Desiigner’s intelligence, joking that he finally made it out of special education classes. The Brooklyn native’s speech is nearly inaudible at times throughout his energetic rants that fueled his 2016 rise. Minaj’s lashing out could be a response to Desiigner’s comments crowning Cardi B over her during an interview with Genius from earlier this year.
“Cardi B got some fire. I heard Nicki’s ‘Chun-Li.’ I heard ‘Barbie Tingz.’ It ain’t fucking with Cardi B’s s–t,” he said. “I love Nicki’s records. I like it, but it ain’t fucking with Cardi B.”
“Young M.A and Lady Luck, get the strap for this pussy, uh.”
The “Chun-Li” rapper remixed Young M.A’s “OOOUUU” banger for “The Pinkprint Freestyle” during Sept. of 2016. Minaj later linked up with the emerging Young M.A. backstage at Power 99’s Powerhouse concert the following month. She even brought her out on stage during her headlining set. The Brooklyn resident gave her stamp of approval to the shout-out on Instagram Friday afternoon.
“I been a five-star bitch, man, word to Gotti.”
Yo Gotti and Minaj’s unlikely rapport has resulted in a pair of chart-smashing records the last two years. The duo has an eye for the strip club anthem formula, as “Down in the DM” and “Rake it Up” both landed in the top 13 of the Billboard Hot 100 at some point. Here, Minaj references the Memphis rapper’s “5-Star” track, which Nicki appeared on the 2012 remix to alongside Gucci Mane and Trina.
“I’ma do that n—a Future dirty, word to Scottie”
Minaj decides to throw some dirt on her upcoming tourmate and “Sir” collaborator. Back in 2016, Future was linked to having an affair with Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen’s wife, Larsa. When tabloids ran with the story in 2017, the turmoil nearly ended the NBA Hall-of-Famer’s marriage. The Pippens ended up calling off the divorce in Nov. 2017 and remain together today. The ATLien possibly shaded Scottie and confirmed his scandalous relationship with Larsa on 2017’s “Rent Money.” “I make the blogs with ya bitch cause I’m ruthless,” he raps. “I just slam-dunked your bitch, Hall-of-Fame.”
YG & The Game
“YG and The Game with the hammer yellin’, ‘Gang! Gang!’/ This ain’t what I meant when I said a gang bang”
Minaj’s world tour of clowning makes its way to the West Coast, namedropping famed Compton MCs The Game and YG. She puts her own sensual spin on the double entendre of “gang bang.” The 35-year-old recently appeared on YG’s loaded “Big Bank” single with Big Sean and 2 Chainz. The track powered the Def Jam artist’s Stay Dangerous album and went gold in July. The Game starred in Nicki’s intoxicating “Pills N Potions” video, where he played the role of Minaj’s love interest back in 2014.
6ix9ine
“Tekashi want a ménage, I said ‘Treyway.'”
6ix9ine found himself thrown into the mess as well. Minaj teamed up with the controversial rapper last month for the freaky “FEFE,” which currently sits at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Tekashi his highest-charting record to date. The Murda Beatz-produced banger’s visual has amassed over 151 million views since its release on July 22.
The 22-year-old is slated to join Minaj as a supporting act on her NICKIHNDRXX Tour kicking off in Baltimore next month (Sept. 21). Nicki may need to find a replacement for the artist born Daniel Hernandez, as the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has recommended a one- to three-year sentence for violating the terms of his 2015 plea deal.
“Had to cancel DJ Khaled, boy, we ain’t speakin’/ Ain’t no fat n—a tellin’ me what he ain’t eatin'”
Not many artists are on Minaj’s canceled list, but DJ Khaled has found himself in some rare company. The Queen artist admits she’s not on speaking terms with the Miami native and even mocks his weight issues. Prior to their falling out, she hopped on six DJ Khaled tracks in total as their relationship grew through Lil Wayne and Drake’s strong ties to the 42-year-old. Khaled awkwardly proposed to Nicki on MTV in 2013, which went on to actually be a publicity stunt in promotion of his forthcoming seventh LP. The We The Best CEO seemed to not take issue with the teasing, he even shot her a congratulatory message regarding her new album on Friday (Aug. 10).
@nickiminaj congrats on the new album bless up pic.twitter.com/kY81hI8Ifs
— DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) August 10, 2018
Kanye West
“Curved him and went the Kim and Kanye way”
Kanye West played an integral role in Minaj’s rise when invited her to flex her lyrical prowess on My Beautiful Dark Twist Fantasy‘s star-laden “Monster.” On the mammoth track’s seventh anniversary, Minaj recalled the phone conversation she had with Yeezy, where she had to convince him to leave the prolific “Monster” verse, even though he was worried it would overshadow his magnum opus.
The pair still enjoys a close friendship to this day, which has now extended to West’s wife, Kim Kardashian. Minaj invited Kim to be one of the special guests on Thursday night’s (Aug. 9) debut episode of her Beats 1 Queen Radio show. West also used a voicemail from Minaj as the last sound fans’ hear to finish off his touching ye album closer “Violent Crimes.”
“He was a mentor to me very early on,” Minaj said on Queen Radio. “No matter how big you get in your field, you always look up to your mentors, and you always have respect for those people who put you on, who helped you. He put me on one of the biggest songs of my career still to this day, and I will never forget that.”
Judge me all you want but my queens were together last night and it makes my heart so happy @KimKardashian @NICKIMINAJ pic.twitter.com/UH6u09LMGs
— Sasha Fierce (@SashaDanielleC) August 10, 2018
“Em, cop the Barbie Dreamhouse, then you can play the part/ I-I ain’t tryna bust it open in the trailer park.”
Lastly, Minaj mentions Eminem by playing off his stereotypical trailer park persona that was brought to the big screen with 8 Mile. Slim Shady co-signed Nicki with an assist from his alter-ego on Pink Friday standout “Roman’s Revenge” back in 2010. Eight years later, the duo reconnects to reclaim their throne on “Majesty,” where the Detroit MC exudes a more rapid flow than implemented on “Rap God.”
Minaj has always remained highly complimentary of Em throughout the decade, as the pair have exchanged shout-outs and showed respect to one another on various tracks. She sent fans into a frenzy when she confirmed that she was dating Eminem in an Instagram comment during May of this year. TMZ quickly followed up to find out that Nicki was indeed kidding and the two are not romantically engaged.