Today (March 3), Nicki Minaj blesses us with her first official drop of the year. Titled “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” the booming cut borrows from Lumidee’s turn of the century classic “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” and is full of the boastful bars that the Young Money alum is known for.

“Only on them C’s if it’s breeze, Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Chinese on my sleeve, these wannabe Chun-Li’s, anyway, nǐ hǎo, who the f**k told b**ches they was me now? I knew these b**ches was slow, I ain’t know these b**ches senile, married a shooter case you n**gas tried to breathe loud…”

Just prior to the release of her latest track, Nicki took to social media to send a message to hip hop artists and critics. “Ghostwriters all around the world are scrambling,” she said. “Just watch. Nicki still on hiatus. This b**ch right here, though? She outside.”

Back in 2022, the NYC veteran liberated a wealth of notable singles, including “Do We Have A Problem?” and “Bussin” with Lil Baby, “We Go Up” with Fivio Foreign, and “Super Freaky Girl,” the latter spawning a massive remix with JT, BIA, Katie Got Bandz, Akbar V, and Maliibu Miitch. She also contributed to songs like Coi Leray’s “Blick Blick,” Yung Bleu’s “Love In The Way,” and YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “I Admit.”

It’s been five years since Nicki Minaj released her fourth studio LP, Queen, a 19-song body of work with a wealth of features from Lil Wayne, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Swae Lee, Future, and Foxy Brown. The project peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned Nicki a platinum certification. With the new music, it’s hopeful that an official follow-up is near. In the meantime, you can press play on “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” below.