A Guide To Nicki Minaj's Best Bars Of All Time

Since the early aughts, Nicki Minaj has proven time and again that she can spit mad bars. Amidst the haters trolling through comment sections and Twitter feeds in an attempt to spoil her much-anticipated homecoming, the Queens-bred rapper stepped off her throne to prove she's still an industry icon. From flexing her skills on wax with the recent dual release of "Barbie Tingz" and "Chun-Li" to stuntin' courtside at Andre Ingram's Lakers debut, Minaj has reaffirmed her position at the top still at the top. 

Stopping by Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe on April 12, the 35-year-old rapper was surprisingly open about her current position in the industry, waxing poetic about her dedication to writing her own bars and the true labor of love that is her new, yet-to-be-named followup to 2014's The Pinkprint.

"I really make music. I really write my own music, and have been my writing my own music since the day I stepped in the game. And I never stopped. And I co-produce. I think when people see the documentary they will understand," said Minaj, referring to both a current documentary that she has in the works and Safaree's recent claim that he co-wrote all of her best bars. "Because Jimmy [Iovine] was like 'People need to see this, Nick. People don't know this about you, and they should know.'"

Alongside her dedication to writing her own rhymes, Minaj is a perfectionist when it comes to the finished product. "The quality of this album is at such an all-time high that if I have do it again, just to make the little final touches on the album, then I'll do that. Because what's most important is that people get quality music," said the self-professed Queen of Rap.

"And for the record, I rewrite things all the time. Somebody came to my studio the other day, and I asked Juice, my engineer, 'I need a masters. What version is it, Juice?' He goes 'Version 16.' And the person sitting there said 'Version 16?! What the fuck...' Yeah, because I'm a perfectionist. When I write something, it's never done until the moment it comes out; the moment you hear it. And you can ask everybody. You can ask Lil Uzi [Vert]; you can ask Yo Gotti; you can ask Diplo. I rewrite all the time, because that's just what Nicki Minaj do, ya dig? I love perfection."

Just because she's sharing a category with Cardi B's allegedly ghostwritten bars and Bhad Bhabie's uncomfortable swagger for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, doesn't mean Minaj is not in her prime...Optimus. 

Nicki Minaj teamed up with Queen Bey to deliver a swagged-out, bravado-heavy proclamation of female dominance. Flaunting her commercial prowess and flow, Minaj switches up the typical AB/AB couplet style with internal rhyme--all within the same bar. 

"I'm still gettin' plaques, from my records that's urban/Ain't gotta rely on top 40/I am a rap legend, just go ask the kings of rap/Who is the queen and things of that/Nature, look at my finger, that is a glacier, hits like a laser"

"Freaks" deserves an honorable mention on any Minaj top bar compilation list, on the sole basis that she somehow found a way to compare her private parts to Simba's father from The Lion King. 

"When I put it in his mouth I couldn't believe it, He looked me in my eyes and said he wanna breed it/Passa Passa, you ain't got no wins in mi casa/Big fat pussy; Mufasa/Hit up Green Acres, hit up Kings Plaza/Some of them say them gully, some of them say them Gaza"

"Froze" isn't the first time that Nicki Minaj hopped on her ex-beau's track and out-rapped him line. While Lil Uzi Vert proved to be a welcome addition to the usual Minaj vs Meek who-can-go-harder exchange, it's Minaj's bars that stay in your head long after the final snap of the beat. 

"Pussy wet, Swiffer jet, come through on that bigger jet/We land in them new ports, no babe not cigarettes/Clear ports, air force, sweats on with a big diamond/Make niggas stare at my hand even though I am not mimin'/Different type of money, you on a different type of broke/Any of you bitches say Nicki, you on a different type of coke"

Regardless of whatever venom haters spit about Minaj's rap ability, no one can come for her tried-and-true ability to absolutely murder features. Hopping on B.o.B's "Out of My Mind," the Queens-bred rapper threw her voice in typical theatrical style to switch up the delivery and match B.o.B's fast flow, all while slipping in a shout out to his 2010 hit "Airplanes." 

"You gon’ be the priest, and I’m a be the preacher / You can be the he-man, I’m a be the she-ra / You can be the Grim, I’m a be the Reaper / We can pretend that airplanes in the night skies / Are like shooting stars? / Well, you gon’ really need a wish right now / When my goons come through and start shooting stars”

Minaj absolutely snapped on Lil Wayne's "Mercy." In fact, her verses are arguably the highlight of Dedication 4. Between throwing political shade and slyly shouting out the then-well-publicized bath salts craze sweeping the streets of Florida, Minaj's bars prove to be a standout addition to the track, line after line.

"I'm a Republican voting for Mitt Romney/You lazy bitches is fucking up the economy/Out in Miami I be chilling with a zombie/Diablo Alejandro dimelo Gandhi."

Nicki Minaj's verse on Kanye West's "Monster" is arguably the hardest that the Grammy-nominated rapper has ever hit it, as her addition to the track seriously helped raise her profile in the industry. Speaking with Sway on Sirius XM in 2013, Yeezy even declared Minaj's addition as the "best verse on best hip-hop album of all time."

"Hotter than a Middle Eastern climate, violent/Tony Matterhorn, "Dutty Wine" it, wylin'/Nicki on them titties when I sign it/That's how these niggas so one-track-minded/But really really I don't give a F-U-C-K/"Forget Barbie, fuck Nicki 'cause she's fake"/"She on a diet," but my pockets eating cheesecake/And I'll say, bride of Chucky, it's Child's Play"

Big Sean knew exactly what he was doing when he called in one of the most famous rear-ends in the industry for a feature on "Dance (A$$)." While Sean successfully spins metaphors around his favorite female body part, it's Minaj who delivers standout bars.

"If he got a mandingo, then I buy him a dashiki/And bust this pussy open in the islands of Waikiki/Kiss my ass and my anus, ’cause it’s finally famous."

A certified banger, Yo Gotti's "Down In The DM" is the ultimate anthem for Instagram thirst traps and social media creepin'. Hopping on the hit, Minaj managed to both call out viral fuck boys and reference her infamous 2015 MTV Video Music Awards verbal body slam of pop princess Miley Cyrus all in one breath.

"He said, 'Kylie, wuss good?' I said, 'Miley, wuss good?'/I said, 'Could you pay my bills, like O'Reilly? Wuss good?'/I just sit back and observe, all these niggas that I done curved/If it go down in your DM, then baby boy, you lucky/Cause 99.9%, of these fuck boys can't fuck me."

If there's one thing that Nicki Minaj has perfected in her nearly decade-long tenure as a certified industry heavyweight it's how to balance bravado with loyalty. Consistently reminding listeners that her self-professed title as the queen of rap isn't up for grabs, Minaj also manages to continually shout out the Young Money Cash Money trifecta of herself, Weezy, and Drake. On "Barbie Tingz," Minaj puts other femcees on blast for copying her fierce flow while also giving big ups to her longtime mentor. 

"All they do is copy looks, steal music too/Want to see what bitches do when they lose the blue-print/I mean the pinkprint, ho, let it sink in/I spoke to Jay the other day, he's still the kingpin/He's still the only nigga that I woulda signed to/If I ain't sign to Wayne's perfectly designed crew."

Long before Minaj possessed the clout that she currently boasts as a top member of YMCM, she was already comfortable enough in her talent behind the mic to demolish critics on Pink Friday's "Did It On Em." 

"All these bitches is my sons And I'mma go and get some bibs for 'em/A couple formulas, little pretty lids on 'em/If I had a dick, I would pull it out and piss on 'em/Let me shake it off/I just signed a couple deals I might break you off/And we ain't making up I don't need a mediator/Just let them bums blow steam – radiator.

There is arguably no better cross-section of Drake and Nicki Minaj's talents on wax than "Make Me Proud" off the OVO rapper's Take Care. Fusing pop and hip-hop, the duo effortlessly oscillate between singing and spitting while still managing to pull through with clever wordplay and on-the-nose references. 

"He asked my sign, I said a Sag’/I’m a star: sheriff badge/What's the point if I’m guarding?/Double-D up, hoes: Dolly Parton."

It's no secret that Minaj's initial response to Remy Ma's scathing "shETHER" diss track was lackluster at best. Still, Nicki recovered her pride with a fire feature on 2 Chainz' "Realize," by putting Remy on blast for failing to clear the title with Nas. Another point worth mentioning to Ma? The fact that Nick broke Aretha Franklin's previously-held record as the female artist with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100.

"I've been winning 8 years consistently, at least respect it/Papoose wrote a Ether record/But I broke Aretha record/See this is chess, not checkers/You can not check the checkers/Did Nas clear that "Ether" record?/Nah, but I broke Aretha record."

Never say that Nicki Minaj doesn't know her way around a slick shut-down. On "Shanghai," she slaps on haters who came for her crown without the racks to back up their claims.

"All of these bitches in pocket, I’m ‘bout to make a deposit/Tell ‘em to go ‘head and gossip, as long as your house is the size of my closet/Anybody I call, they picks up, even if they was gettin’ they dick sucked/These niggas don’t make a mix-up, tell ‘em niggas go step they bricks up."

Slipping on Beyonce's icy "Flawless" remix, Minaj immediately pops on the track with an off-the-cuff reference to the murky circumstances of Michael Jackson's death before delving into a verse that quickly morphs into a feminist-anthem. An unbeatable duo, Bey and Minaj link up to serve up both hip-hop and R&B realness. 

"It's every hood nigga dream, fantasizing about Nicki and Bey/Curvalicious, pussy served delicious/Mayday mayday, earth to bitches/Slap these hoes on they ass like we birthing bitches, uh/The queen of rap, slayin with queen Bey/If you ain't on the team, you playin' for team D."

With slick lines wrapped around horn bleats and muted percussion, Minaj delivers barely-contained aggression without losing her cool on "Chun-Li," shelving staccato flow for a nod-friendly bop.

"I went and copped the chopsticks, put it in my bun just to pop shit/I'm always in the top shit, box seats, bitch, fuck the gossip/How many of them coulda did it with finesse?/Now everybody like, 'She really is the best'/You play checkers, couldn't beat me playin' chess."