After spending a decade as the queen of hip-hop, Nicki Minaj has apparently decided to abdicate her throne and take a stab at being a family woman. The “Megatron” rapper sent a tweet to that effect earlier today after previously congratulating Lizzo on going No. 1 and praising Rapsody and Missy Elliott‘s new projects.
https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1169676721865412608
“I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” she wrote. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, ‘X’ in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE.” The announcement comes a little over year since the release of her most recent album, Queen.
Where Nicki’s announcement would have once left a huge void in hip-hop for female representation, today, there are dozens of new female rappers experiencing levels of success even Nicki herself never achieved. Many of the new female rappers taking over the game now count Nicki as one of their biggest inspirations. In recent months, Nicki even made efforts to pass the torch after begrudgingly doing so unofficially in late 2017 with her appearance on Migos’ “Motorsport” alongside eventual rival Cardi B. This year, Nicki not only praised other female rappers for carrying on her legacy, but also appeared with Megan Thee Stallion on “Hot Girl Summer.” She also represented for New York hip-hop with a guest verse on Pop Smoke’s burgeoning hit “Welcome To The Party.”