Nicki Minaj’s Team Called “Pink Friday 2” Promo Budget “Extremely Low”

Behind the rollout for Pink Friday 2 was a much bigger fight over money than fans ever saw. New evidence filed in an ongoing lawsuit shows Nicki Minaj’s team believed Republic Records’ $250,000 allowance for a week of promotion in New York was nowhere near enough to cover what the campaign would actually cost.

According to TMZ, a Nov. 29, 2023 email from a member of Minaj’s team called the allowance “extremely low” and estimated that the week would cost at least twice as much. The message reportedly warned that hotels and transportation alone could consume the full amount.

The internal budget discussion included $18,000 for six days of photography and videography, along with $4,200 for tailoring during the same period. Travel was another concern. One email questioned whether Minaj’s son would be traveling with her and said her usual flight rider already cost more than $2,000 per leg, making a $10,000 travel allowance difficult to work with.

Those emails are now evidence in a lawsuit brought by 24/7 Productions, the live events company that worked on Minaj’s 2023 Jingle Ball appearances and the New York promotion surrounding Pink Friday 2.

24/7 Productions sued Minaj and Pink Friday Productions in March, claiming it advanced more than $275,000 for expenses tied to the work and was never reimbursed. The company says Minaj’s team approved the budgets beforehand and that it handled production and logistics connected to the appearances. The case remains active in New York Supreme Court.

Minaj has pushed back on being held personally responsible. In July, she asked the court to dismiss her from the case individually, arguing that the agreement at issue was between 24/7 Productions and Pink Friday Productions LLC. She argues that any alleged debt belongs to the company, not her personally.

The new emails do not establish who ultimately owes the disputed money, but they offer a rare look at the expectations surrounding a major album rollout. Pink Friday 2 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in December 2023, and its accompanying tour later became the highest-grossing tour by a woman in Rap at the time.