Throughout her reign in the 2010s, Nicki Minaj was criticized for seemingly not supporting other women in the world of hip-hop. The self-proclaimed Queen of Rap basked in the glory of being the highest-selling female rapper of all time and expanded her empire into clothing, perfume, and even wine. But after the release of her 2018 album Queen, Minaj took a significant step back from the spotlight to focus on her family — a hiatus she acknowledged in her 2021 track “Fractions”: “I fell back, I had a baby, you know, I did the mother thing, I did the wife thing.”
Afro-Puerto Rican rapper BIA launched her career in 2014 on the T.I.-produced reality show Sisterhood of Hip-Hop, signing with Williams’ record label and releasing her debut mixtape #CholaSeason that same year. She went on to collaborate with artists like J Balvin and Kali Uchis and earn kudos from the likes of Rihanna. BIA’s latest collab, a remix of her hit 2020 song “Whole Lotta Money,” sees the Los Angeles-based femcee join forces with one of her own influences: Nicki Minaj herself.
At the same time Minaj started to pump the brakes on her career, a new crop of young women in hip-hop emerged, some of which were once influenced by Minaj herself. Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Saweetie, and others rose to prominence in the vacuum that Minaj had left, starting with the four-year break between her The Pinkprint and Queen albums.
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