Nicki Minaj Details Exactly How She Decides Her Collaborators

Sometimes, it takes weeks or months for Nicki to decide if she wants to hop on a song.

BYAron A.May 03, 20231.6K Views

Nicki Minaj delivered a flurry of collaborations in recent times as fans await the release of her follow-up Queen. She recently teamed up with Ice Spice on the “Princess Diana (Remix)” and this week, unveiled the video for Kim Petras’ “Alone.” Throughout her career, guest appearances have helped her solidify her spot as one of the GOATs. Her versatility and ability to out-bar her collaborators have made her one of the most sought-after features in the industry these days.

With a wide range of guest appearances on her resumé, we have to wonder what her process is like when choosing the right song. “I sleep on it. For weeks usually. Sometimes months. Normally don’t play it after the first day. I let the universe decide. Then 1 day out of the blue I tell Juice to pull it up. That means it came back to me on its own. I lay a few references w/different flows, then sleep on it some more. Then… boom! I’ve made a decision. Written & recorded. Then we wait…for the barbz to give the nod of approval I guess,” she said.

Nicki Minaj Details Creative Process

(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Although plenty of artists look at features as a quick cash grab, fans praised Nicki for prioritizing her craft above all else. Nicki explained that she often listens to the song as a fan before deciding if she wants to hop on the song. “The verse has to elevate the song or it shouldn’t be on the song. Also, not every song should have a rap verse on it,” she said. She added that actually rapping on different songs requires a passion for the craft, especially when experimenting with various genres.

“Also rap has to rlly be your passion in order to adapt to diff songs, genres, beats, tempos, etc. you can’t go on the court and play the same exact defense with every team…some you’ll have to pull back, some you’ll need to attack harder,” she added. This bit of advice seems like it could be valuable for the artists that are coming under her. Nicki recently announced the launch of her own record label, Heavy On It, as well as her partnership with Ice Spice. Check out Nicki’s tweets below.

The Tweets

Comments
Link Copied to Clipboard!

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.