We can all agree by now that there’s no other female rapper who enjoys mothering more than Nicki Minaj. When the Queens, NY diva hit the mainstream, she captured the attention of soon-to-be Barbz with her quick-fire lyricism, animated alter egos and eye-catching looks. Raking in major features and co-signs early in her career, Minaj entered a male-dominated industry as the It Girl of the time and solidified her spot on the Mt. Rushmore of lyrical greats.
With over 133 Billboard Hot 100 hits and counting, tens of billions of streams and a plethora of accolades under her belt, the MC continues to pave the way for new generations of female rappers to thrive and receive the praise they deserve. With her success, she birthed the careers of and inspired rap’s hottest newcomers. So, there could be some truth in Queen Sleaze’s iconic metaphor: “All these b**ches is my sons.”
Minaj’s years of maternal manifestations came to fruition in September 2020 when she gave birth to her son, known to the world as Papa Bear. Speaking on being a new mom, the artist told James Corden in 2022, “I think motherhood has made me see more good in people, see more good in the universe. It makes you a little bit more of a forgiving person.”
Though motherhood has given her a new perspective, the Grammy-nominated star has always had motherly instincts and hasn’t been afraid to express it in her raps. Below are 13 of the talent’s best lyrics about having sons.
1. Did It On ‘em: “All these b**ches is my sons / And I’ma go and get some bibs for ’em / A couple formulas, little pretty lids on ’em / If I had a d**k, I would pull it out and piss on ’em.”
2. “All these b**ches is my sons and I ain’t talking ‘bout Phoenix.”
Whenever you think of lyrics that encapsulate Minaj’s love — and hate — for her analogous children, there’s a 99 percent chance that you’re reciting the first four lines of “Did It On ‘em.” The ferocious third track of her debut album coined a popular diss for rappers everywhere to address their mini-mes. She ensures that she establishes parent-child boundaries with all of her metaphorical sons, asserting her dominance as a force in the rap game.
3. No Flex Zone (Remix): “B**ches is my sons and they causin’ contractions / Ain’t pushing out, I’ma give them to the clinic.”
The process of birth can be tedious, but Mother Minaj handles it well. Just like a mom delivering a newborn baby, she mentions her children “causin’ contractions,” which brings her discomfort and unnecessary stress. Instead of being stressed out by her sons, she instead turns the responsibility over to others. She enforces boundaries to keep the parent-child dynamic alive, as a true mother would.
4. Danny Glover (Remix): “To raise a child, it might take a village / But I wouldn’t know ’cause these b**ches my sons; yes, they was, and they still is.”
When it comes to her sons, Minaj opts for a hands-off approach to parenting, preferring not to be bothered with the responsibilities of raising them. As her burgeoning career demands attention, she finds herself pushing her newborns away, neglecting maternal duties and maintaining a noticeable distance.
5. Dead Wrong: “‘Cause my flow tighter than them virgin b**ches / You know them As-salamu alaykum, them Persian b**ches / And if you miss me, I’m swervin’ sixes/ Goddamn, ain’t even pregnant, but I’m birthin’ b**ches.”
Though “Did It On Em” is widely regarded as Minaj’s introduction to motherhood, real Barbz fans know that she’s been penning odes to her future sons since the earliest days of her career. The 2008 cover of The Notorious B.I.G.’s namesake track finds The Queen shouting out her offspring, confirming that their aesthetics are hereditary.
6. Seeing Green: “I D&G the wallet, my money tall and brolic / Big-ass backyards, just so Papa Bear can frolic.”
The beauty of Minaj’s artistry is her ability to foreshadow some of her major milestones and life events. “Ten years from now, I will have two children, unless my husband wants three,” she told Cosmopolitan in 2015, as she envisioned her future marriage. “I will be into my fitness a lot more, I will stop yo-yo dieting, and I’ll be a housewife with careers that I can run from home. I want to be able to cook for my children, bake cookies for them, and watch them grow up. I just want to be mommy. Take them to school, go to the parent-teacher conference, help them with their homework, and put their work on the refrigerator.”
Despite treating her metaphorical children with tough love, or lack thereof, Minaj can be a doting mom — especially with her Papa Bear. “Seeing Green” finds her taking a loving approach to mothering, sharing her desires to provide a happy and healthy life for her biological son. While all of Minaj’s sons aren’t fortunate enough to receive her constant attention, Papa Bear gets to experience all of his mommy’s love and affection in excess.
7. Stupid H**: “H**s so busted, h**s is so crusty / These b**ches is my sons and I don’t want custody.”
Minaj’s jittery “Stupid H**” track finds the rapper throwing shade at her haters and mini-mes as she expresses disdain for other women whom she perceives as unimpressive and unworthy. Nicki asserts her parental authority over her children by picking and choosing when she wants to claim them. The track is a cheeky expression of confidence that also boasts a few funny quotables — cue the Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston love triangle.
8. I Endorse These Strippers: “You my son, son, prodigal, and you adopted, not even biological.”
Beyond treating them as her dependent sons, Minaj undermines the legitimacy of fellow female rappers by portraying them as either adopted, fatherless or lacking in merit in her rhymes. In addition to her nonexistent maternal warmth, she lyrically abuses her offspring, consistently reminding them of their perceived inadequacies. She doubles down on her dominance by affirming her children of their inferiority and openly calling into question the legitimacy of her peers.
9. Born Stunna (Remix): “Out in Tokyo they calling me Nicki-san / Everywhere you go, they calling you Nicki’s son.”
Minaj’s love for Japan and Harajuku culture played a major part in the early days of her career. On the “Born Stunna (Remix),” the star cleverly injects Japanese culture into her wordplay. Referring to herself as “Nicki-san,” she confirms that she’s used to getting recognition, as “san” is an honorific and sign of respect in Japanese. On the flip side of this double entendre, Minaj’s competition can’t say that they receive the same admiration. Instead, people are always reminded of the championed rapper and speak volumes about her impact.
10. Only: “Worried ‘bout if my butt fake, worried ‘bout y’all n**gas, us straight / These girls are my sons / ‘Jon & Kate Plus 8.’”
Taking a moment to address all the lukewarm tea surrounding her name on “Only,” Minaj warns her haters to focus on themselves rather than her body choices. With a savvy nod to the TLC reality show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” she coolly declares these girls as her metaphorical children, doubling down on her rap supremacy and slyly teasing the doubters.
11. I’m Legit: “Yes, yes, I am ill, I go in for the kill / H**s is my sons, birth control, I am on the pill.”
Minaj raps with pure confidence as she bigs up her lyrical prowess and supremacy in the rap game. She cleverly minimizes other women in the industry to her “sons,” which indicates that she controls the power dynamic. Referencing birth control hilariously suggests that Minaj’s nonstop success has set the bar high for future female rappers, but also prevents them from surpassing her. It’s safe to assume that The Queen is pro-choice when it comes to her figurative offspring.
12. Give It All To Me: “I’m like, ‘Who’s up?’ Girls is used up / These b**ches is my sons, I tied my tubes up!”
Parenting is never an easy task, especially when your children are ungrateful and badly behaved. Although Minaj consistently vows to never birth any more “sons,” she can’t help that her womb is prolific — the newborns just keep on coming! Octomom. Jon and Kate are somewhere shaking in their boots.