As an MC, you’re lucky if you get one song that becomes part of the cultural lexicon. The really fortunate ones achieve this feat with just one verse. Nicki Minaj is one of those chosen few as her “Monster” verse continues to be a thing six years after she ate everyone’s lunch on the Kanye West posse cut. Even Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown has an affinity for it and showed her skills on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Skip to around the 4:30 mark if you want to see her flawlessly execute Minaj’s verse and avoid seeing the young stars spray silly string at each other. Although, why would you want to do that? Anyway, as soon as it’s revealed that she has this secret weapon at her disposal, Fallon asks her to spit and The Roots cue up the baseline and drum pattern. At that point, the 12-year-old’s British accent gets chucked out of the window in favor for a Queens-infused dialect.
What’s even more impressive is that she did it while her fellow cast members tried to throw her off by spraying her with more string. She never misses a beat–literally–and spits the verse like a seasoned vet. Not bad for someone who’s been thrust into the spotlight at the speed of the Mach 5.
There’s really no need to be surprised she’s musically inclined. The girl’s name is Bobby Brown after all.