THE PINKPRINT FREESTYLE - NICKI MINAJ

“Young ma, it’s the female Jay. I’m a brand according to what retail say”

Minaj clarified the line on Twitter as her introducing herself to Young M.A as the “female Jay Z.” She purposely pronounced her name wrong so it sounds like “young ma,” positioning herself as the OG

This plays off the idea that Pinkprint is an inspiration for aspiring female rappers. She explained in an interview:
“Jay had his Blueprint albums & that’s what I feel like this album’s gonna be. I really feel like this album will be like a Blueprint for female rappers to come.”

Nicki’s business empire includes Myx Fusions Moscato, her Pink Print Air Jordans, Dre Beats Pink Pill, $18M share in Tidal, a production company, a label, a partnership with Fendi amongst a series of other endorsements and partnerships.

“Ya my tours be selling out on presale day”

Nicki has embarked on four separate (and successful) world tours for each of her records. The Pink Friday Tour Australian leg was sold out in 5 minutes, with similar results in England and back home in America.

In 2015/2016 Pinkprint World Tour, was a commercial smash. Data from Forbes showed it to be her most successful tour, with secondary tickets (tickets bought then resold via Ebay or other means) fetching 24% more than her previous tours, signalling stratospheric demand.

“Plus I got the title: Queen, stream, press replay”

Playing on the words “title” and “tidal,” Nicki shows off her status as both rap royalty & part owner of the Tidal streaming company. She is the queen of streams. Also a play on tidal waves & streams which are bodies of water.

“Testify for my nigga to the DA face. One time for that super old PA case”

On December 10, 2015 Nicki testified on behalf of Meek Mill at his probation hearing. Meek had broken the rules of his probation by traveling for work without gaining proper consent from his P.O.

Nicki told the judge she could look after Meek better than his parole officer because:

“She’s not going to be the one sleeping alone if he goes to jail. I am.”

Nicki shades the judicial system by referring to the old Pennsylvania (PA) case that led to Meek’s 8 years of parole.

“I'm still schoolin' bitches like GA State. And I'ma still ball, call me T.D. Jakes”

Georgia State University students are primarily female, at 59%. Nicki also plays on the near homophone “ball” and “bald,” referring to Minister T.D. Jakes, who is bald and rich out his ass.

“Bars for years, niggas thought I did a bid”

Nicki signed to Young Money in 2009 & in the past 11 years positioned herself as one of the top rappers of all time. Her 2014 album The Pinkprint featured more singing than her previous albums. This may be a reminder that she SPITS.

A “bid” is a jail term, traditionally served behind bars.

“I’m dragging these hoes like Harambe did the kid”

Nicki roasts her fellow female rappers throughout this freestyle and proclaims it herself here, using the term “dragging,” a common synonym for insulting someone.

To complete this lyric Nicki references an incident that happened at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2016 when a young boy fell into an enclosure where Harambe, a gorilla, was being kept. Harambe dragged the boy around the enclosure’s moat, leading to zoo officials killing the gorilla.

“I call my pussy liquor, I ain't talkin bout a swig. But if you thirsty I own a sangria”

Nicki is playing off of the similar sounds between the word liquor and the phrase lick her. If this is what she calls it men already know what they have to do in order to please her.

Ironically, she also owns a Sangria-flavoured beverage courtesy of her MYX Fusions brand. Even if you’re not quite in Nicki’s league, you can still enjoy her liquor. This is a play on the colloquialism “thirsty” which means to be desperate.

“Shout our to Fox Brown, I don’t mean Pam Grier”

Nicki considers female rapper Foxy Brown to be one of her biggest influences & talked about listening to Brown growing up in an interview:

“I really loved her as a female rapper. I was really interested in her mind and her aura”

Before the big 2012 Hot 97 Summer Jam vs Nicki Minaj debacle where Lil Wayne cancelled Young Money’s performance due to Hot 97 host Peter Rosenberg dissing Nicki’s song “Starships”, Nicki intended to bring out Foxy Brown as a guest performer during her headlining set.

To complete the reference, Nicki name-drops actress Pam Grier, who played the fictional character Foxy Brown in the 1974 blaxploitation film Foxy Brown. Foxy Brown the rapper also got her stage name from Pam Grier.

“Bats eyelashes, blank stare”

“He be like ‘you came?’ I be like ‘YOU came?’ He say my ride game smoother than the Muslanne”

She refers to “riding” and compares it to the comfort of the Bentley Mulsanne, a luxury vehicle that costs $300k+ in the US. Her skill is such that both partners climax simultaneously.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan Nicki expressed the importance of climax:

“I demand that I climax. I think women should demand that… We (as women) always have orgasm interventions.... I’m a pleaser but it’s fifty-fifty."

Nicki has also made it known she hates to cuddle after

“Every time they count me out I be like, ‘You sane?’”

“You sane?” serves a homophone. She questions the sanity of anyone doubting her ability, and compares herself to Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time.

“Bitch I come back like Jordan in his flu game. Every time I shoot it, it be all net”

Reference to the 5th Game of the NBA 1997 Finals when Michael Jordan had a severe case of the flu & hydration problems yet still scored 38 points to help the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz 90-88.

“I give him ostrich, that mean all neck. Anything he need, I got on deck & go to sleep playin' with his ballsack”

“All neck” refers to deep-throating during oral sex, and plays on the length of the Ostrich neck

Nicki has everything her man needs “on deck,” meaning it’s available and ready for him whenever he needs it. It usually refers to drugs, though in the case of Nicki’s then boyfriend, Meek Mill, with his probation, it’s more likely to be other methods of escapism.

Hahahah... Aaaaah! Rrrrrr...
They wanna know my recipe

A call back to her adlib on “Feeling Myself,” a track that made it clear copying Nicki’s “recipe” is impossible:

“I’m the big kahuna, go let them whores know. Just on this song alone, bitch is on her fourth flow”

As one of the most successful rappers of all time, it’s no stretch to say the game is playing catch up with her. All the streaming farms & payola in the world still won’t allow new female rappers to amass her stats. Labels are running themselves in ground trying to make a Nicki.

“They know I ball like the niggas at the ESE-PYs”

The ESPYS is an award ceremony that recognizes the achievements & accomplishments of athletes & sports teams. Nicki is comparing her reign in rap to athletes like basketball player Lebron James who have received ESPY awards

“Strung out on the pussy so I call her Crystal Methanine. Shorty tryna give me brain like telepathy”

Nicki alters “Methamphetamine” to fit a 4 syllable end rhyme with “at the ES-PY’s/Telepathy.” Crystal is also a female name & form of the drug, which can be incredibly addictive

Her sex game is so good it’s got men strung out, as if on drugs. It induces her man to give her oral sex, or “brain.” Telepathy is an extrasensory method of communication usually said to be conducted by the mind. This makes it a form of ESP, linking back to her “ESPY” line.

“Ayo Sinceré, get Chanel bags. Got a bitch lookin' like Chanel ads”

Sinceré Armani was Nicki’s Stylist. Though Nicki doesn’t have a deal with Chanel, the amount of Chanel bags she’s photographed with gives off the impression that she’s advertising for the French design house.

This line could be in specific reference to an Instagram pic that Nicki posted in June 2016 where she is rocking a Chanel bag. She captioned the pic:

“Etienne came thru & slayed my make up & hair. Sinceré slayed everything else.”

“Chillin' out in dem Beverly Hill pads”

In April 2016, TMZ reported Nicki and boyfriend Meek Mill had moved into Beverly Hills, renting a huge property for $30,000/month. Nicki already had a condo in New York and a condo on Miami at this point.

“I gave bitches time but they still mad”

It was nearly 2 years since Nicki released The Pinkprint. In that time she went on a huge world tour but rarely released new music giving her competition a chance to catch up. She used a similar line in her “Boss Ass Bitch” remix.

“Si, está loco. If my bitch don't like you, yo tampoco. Me Dorothy and you Toto”

Yet they haven’t been able to catch up, hence “si, está loco,” which means “yes, this is crazy.” Her reign on top is a huge achievement that to this day cannot be achieved by another female rapper.

“Yo tampoco” means “me either.” If her friends don’t mess with you, neither will she, positioning herself as the head honcho of rap again. “Toto” was the dog (or bitch) in The Wizard of Oz, owned by main character Dorothy.

“Now put some marshmallows in my cocoa. [Sips] Mmm..Tastes good..Haha”

Nicki’s competition are relegated to the role of her servant, preparing her hot beverages. This line is Nicki’s favorite from the first part of the freestyle. She admits that the lyric is corny and random—

She has used these “servitude” type lyrics before like on Itty Bitty Piggy and Getting Paid where she says the other rap girls can “pick her fruit out” and “make her sandwiches”.

“Yo, don't ever talk about Nicki in the past tense unless I fly pass that ass in a fast Bent”

Nicki took a break from recording music after The Pinkprint to partake in a world tour. While it may seem she’s only just returning to the world of music, she never left.

The “fast Bent'” is a Bentley, likely her pink Continental GT revealed in 2014.

“Fuck outta here you dumb bitch. You know I'm pretty & I'm witty & I’m dumb rich”

An interpolation of “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story, but instead of feeling pretty, witty, and gay, she feels pretty, witty, & rich. Dumb rich, as opposed to her competition, who are just dumb

“You throw shade but I sun bitch & now you know what I'ma say, you my son, bitch”

Another Nicki Minaj “son” line. Throwing shade is a subtle form of dissing, which she has been accused of. She utilises the homophone sun/son to explain anyone dissing her is lyrically dismantled.

“Shade” is also created by sunlight, and Nicki’s star shines so bright in the game it’s impossible for anyone else to shine. She used a similar lyric on “Baddest Bitch” from her mixtape days

“Been around the world and I still can’t find another girl who can steal my shine”

End of thread.