Hip-Hop artist Nicki Minaj released her third studio album, The Pinkprint, ten years ago this month. To commemorate the anniversary, Minaj released a special edition with additional tracks. By far the most introspective album of the 41 year old Trinidadian rapper’s career at this point, the 16 track album was a departure from the pop-driven sound of Minaj’s second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, instead, she wanted to go back to her hip hop roots and present another facet of herself.
Writer Kim Osorio, in her 2014 article for NPR Music, “On ‘The Pinkprint,’ Nicki Minaj Speaks The Language Of Love”, writes, “With The Pinkprint, Nicki gives listeners the right dose of everything she’s got to offer.Here the YMCMB queen offers the most honest, introspective version of the real person who exists underneath the wigs, the makeup and the red carpet wardrobes.” At the time, Minaj had become something of an emblem for the resurgence of female rap at the start of the 2010s. Seen as a protege for fellow hip hop artist Lil Wayne, Minaj became a powerhouse in rap and hip hop while simultaneously creating a lane in the pop genre as well.
The Pinkprint doesn’t completely deviate from the aforementioned formula but rather prioritizes hip hop sounds and lyrical storyscapes while subtly mixing pop music sensibilities. Singles include, “Pills N Potions”, “Bed Of Lies”, “Truffle Butter”, and the well known hits, “The Night Is Still Young” “Feelin’ Myself”, and “Anaconda”. According to data from Billboard, The Pinkprint debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 244,000 copies in its first week. The album found its way onto several year-end lists: #14 on Complex magazine’s The 50 Best Albums of 2014, #3 on Rolling Stone’s The 40 Best Rap Albums of 2014, and #33 on Spin magazine’s The 40 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2014.
Minaj’s position in the popular culture zeitgeist continued to thrive. She broke into acting with her film debut in the 2014 film The Other Woman. She had had collaborations with fellow artists Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Usher, Ciara, and DJ Khaled. She headlined the successful Pinkprint Tour from March – August 2015 and garnered an array of accolades, including her sixth consecutive Best Female Hip Hop artist at the BET Awards, 5 Grammy Award nominations, and a MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip Hop Video for “Anaconda”.
Today, Nicki Minaj is the best selling rapper of the 2010’s and is the female rapper with the most song entries on the Hot 100. The Pinkprint remains a seminal work in her illustrious catalog.
