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Nicki Minaj's latest album, Pink Friday 2, has been met with mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, with some praising her comeback and others slamming her for taking shots at other female rappers.
One of the most vocal critics of the album is Charlamagne Tha God, who hosts the popular radio show The Breakfast Club. He said that Nicki deserved a better rollout for her album, which he claimed was poorly promoted by her label.
"I hate that this album didn't have a bigger rollout. We knew it was coming out, but it's Nicki Minaj," he said on Friday (December 8). "Whoever she's signed to...Nicki needed and deserved a bigger rollout. She got records on this album. Why wouldn't a single come out? Why wouldn't a big video come out?"
He added: "The label in general should have had a bigger plan for a Nicki Minaj album. I am sick of big artists dropping and there's no rollout. [...] Labels have to stop relying on artists and their social media followings to get the word out."
Charlamagne also commented on the controversial track "FTCU", where Nicki appears to diss Megan Thee Stallion, who she collaborated with on the hit song "Hot Girl Summer" in 2019. Nicki raps: "Stay in your Tory lane, bitch, I'm not Iggy," referring to Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting Megan in the foot last year, and Iggy Azalea, who had a feud with Megan over a leaked song.
Charlamagne said that he didn't understand why Nicki would go after Megan, who he said was "one of the hottest artists in the game right now". He also said that he didn't think Nicki needed to beef with anyone, since she was already a legend in the rap industry.
"I don't get it. I don't get why Nicki would do that. I don't get why Nicki would even care about any of these other women in rap, because Nicki is Nicki," he said. "Nicki is a legend. Nicki is an icon. Nicki has nothing to prove to anybody."
Nicki has not responded to Charlamagne's remarks, but she has been active on social media, thanking her fans for their support and celebrating the success of her album, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. She also shared a video of herself dancing to "FTCU", seemingly unfazed by the backlash.
Nicki's fans, known as the Barbz, have also defended her against the critics, saying that she was simply expressing herself and reclaiming her throne as the queen of rap.
"Nicki Minaj is the best female rapper of all time and she proved it with Pink Friday 2. She can rap circles around anyone and she doesn't need to kiss ass or be fake to anyone. She's a boss and a legend and y'all are just mad," one fan tweeted.
"Nicki Minaj is not obsessed with Megan or anyone else. She's just telling the truth and exposing the fake and the frauds. She's not here to make friends, she's here to make history. Pink Friday 2 is a masterpiece and y'all can't handle it," another said.
