Nicki Minaj burst onto the Hip Hop scene with the kind of street cred and hard-hitting bars that hadn’t been seen for quite some time. In the early 2000s, her mixtapes flooded the underground market, gaining the attention of major media outlets. By 2009, she signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, which rounded out an emerging rap movement alongside Drake.
After proving her place as a lyricist and intriguing personality, Minaj took things a step further. She visually branched out into wearing colorful hair and eclectic costumes, giving pop artists like Lady Gaga and Sia a run for their money. Her sound also ventured into the genre, juxtaposing gritty rap beats found in the earlier moments of her career. This diversity made Minaj an icon and eventually earned the star endorsements with Pepsi, adidas, OPI, and MAC Cosmetics.
The Trinidad-born, Queens-raised MC was destined for greatness from a young age. Graduating from the esteemed LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Minaj used her drama background in music; her raps were often adorned with imaginative voice acting, cadence and inflection emphasis, and even sweet singing.
Today, she is a wife, mother and mogul with a list of accolades that runs as long as a CVS receipt. Whether we’re talking Roman Zolanski, Harajuku Barbie, or Chun-Li, every Minaj era and alter-ego broke the mold for women in Hip Hop and challenged the idea of what superstardom can look like.
Barbz, are you ready? Here is REVOLT’s ranking of Nicki Minaj albums.
5. Pink Friday 2
For her fifth studio album, the rap queen revisited her debut LP and delivered a sequel. Pink Friday 2 made history when it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, which solidified Minaj as the first female rapper to have three albums top the chart.
The Rick James-inspired "Super Freaky Girl," Caribbean-influenced "Red Ruby Da Sleeze," appearance by Lil Uzi Vert on "Everybody" and viral hit "FTCU" from the 2023 LP have kept the Barbz living in Gag City.
4. Queen
On Aug. 10, 2018, Minaj dropped her fourth studio album, Queen. The offering, which ended her four-year hiatus after The Pinkprint, was platinum-certified a year after its release. Lead single “Chun-Li” climbed the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 10. Ultimately, the smash was certified platinum as well.
While reviews were mixed, fans felt that Queen marked a pivotal moment for Minaj and cemented her place as a timeless act. Other singles included "Bed" featuring Ariana Grande, The Notorious B.I.G.-influenced "Barbie Dreams" and the up-tempo "Good Form," which featured Lil Wayne on its remix.
3. Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded
After receiving primarily positive reviews for her debut album, Minaj pushed the envelope and went even more mainstream with her second drop. Released in 2012, Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded’ s first half featured more traditional Hip Hop, while the latter portion was heavily pop-influenced. Landing at No. 1 one on the Billboard 200, the 19-track project sold 253,000 copies in its first week. This success marked the award-winning artist’s second No. 1 album in the country and her first release to debut at the top of the chart.
Notable singles from Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded included "Starships," "Beez In The Trap" and "Pound The Alarm."
2. Pink Friday
With 375,000 copies sold in its first week, Minaj’s first studio album debuted in the second spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Eventually, Pink Friday reached No. 1 and was certified three-times platinum. It was also nominated for Best Rap Album and earned Minaj nods for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance for the single "Moment 4 Life" at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012.
Breakout singles from the project included “Your Love,” “Did It On’em” and “Super Bass.”
1. The Pinkprint
Minaj leveled up and co-executive produced her third studio album, The Pinkprint, which was released in December 2014. The classic offering sounded more like a traditional rap album. The versatile artist also traded in her pink bob for jet black inches and soft makeup in the video for “Anaconda,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has over 1.1 billion views on YouTube.
The Pinkprint peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, was certified two-times platinum and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
Other memorable hits from the famous offering included "Pills N Potions," "Only" featuring Chris Brown, Drake and Lil Wayne, and "Feeling Myself" featuring Beyoncé.