Image via Complex Original
This past week, Nicki Minaj hopped on not one but three new songs: Big Sean’s “Dance (Ass) Remix,” Rick Ross’s “You The Boss,” and Willow Smith’s latest single “Fireball.” Like Ludacris and Busta Rhymes before her, Nicki’s become a guest-spot juggernaut. Her boy Drake might be the king of hooks, but Nicki's features always seem to upgrade hot songs into certified bangers. Sure, Young Money's first lady brings the heat on her solo joints, but she seems to have a special fervor for stunting on other people's records. No wonder she was getting 50K for a verse with no album out—and just imagine what she charges now! Her latest flurry of guest appearances got us thinking about all those great cameos, so it seemed like the right time to rank Nicki Minaj’s 10 Best Guest Verses.
Written by Julian Pereira (@Broadway_Jay)
10. DJ Khaled f/ Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Nicki Minaj, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Swizz Beatz & T-Pain "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" (2010)
Producer: DJ Nasty/LVM/Birdman III
Album: N/A
Label: We The Best/Terror Squad/E1
Best Line: "You can talk slick all the way down to Welfare/Ask the IRS, bitch I'm paying for your healthcare."
Half the rappers in the game showed up for DJ Khaled's “All I Do Is Win (Remix),” but as usual, Nicki's verse stood out from the crowd. Touching on everything from her whip game to her tax bracket, she proved that she could shine against the toughest competition. In the space of just eight bars, Nicki showed her versatility, and even paid respect to her heritage by shouting out Trinidad. WIth this verse Minaj made it known that anyone in her lane—male or female—was getting plowed over.
9. Gucci Mane f/ Shawty Lo, Yo Gotti, Waka Flocka Flame & Nicki Minaj "Mi Casa, Tu Casa (Remix)" (2010)
Producer: Drumma Boy
Album: Trending Topics
Label: 1017 Brick Squad/Warner Bros Records
Best Line: "Money in my Polly Pocket/What you copping?/Keep that work inside my Pippi Longstocking, bitch."
This song runs more than eight minutes long, so Gucci Mane knew he'd better save the best for last. Nicki stepped into that spot and didn't disappoint. Going light on the antics and heavy on the punchlines, she settled into the Drumma Boy-produced pocket and let off bar after bar, effortlessly out-rapping all of her collaborators.
8. Usher f/ Nicki Minaj "Lil Freak" (2010)
Producer: Blac Elvis/Polow da Don
Album: Raymond v. Raymond
Label: LaFace
Best Line: "I keep a couple hoes/Like Santa, I keep a vixen/Got that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Dixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen."
On “Lil Freak,” Nicki plays the role of Usher's trusted nightclub accomplice, recruiting females and testing them out before they get to meet Mr. Raymond. Minaj has never hidden her appreciation for the female form—from their bountiful backsides to their tig ol' biddies—so she seemed extra convincing when talking about how many hoes she has.
7. Diddy-Dirty Money f/ Rick Ross & Nicki Minaj "Hello Good Morning (Remix)" (2010)
Producer: Danja
Album: N/A
Label: Bad Boy
Best Line: "What the fuck I look like bitch? I run this town/I ain't coming out for less than a hundred thou."
Nicki's vivacious rhymes are a perfect complement to Ricky Rozay's more laid-back flow, adding an extra jolt of energy to this Diddy-Dirty Money banger. Minaj admits that she might have been a little full of herself when she burst onto the scene—not that shows any signs of humility now. In fact, she boasts that she won't even leave the crib for less than six figures. Maybe this feature was a costly one, but the verse sounds like money well spent.
6. David Guetta f/ Flo Rida & Nicki Minaj "Where Them Girls At" (2010)
Producer: David Guetta/Sandy Vee
Album: Nothing But The Beat
Label: EMI/Virgin
Best Line: "Coming through the club, all the girls in the back of me/This ain't football, why the fuck they trying to tackle me?"
Nicki's known for unorthodox rhyme schemes, witty wordplay, and an endless array of alter-egos. But her verse on “Where Them Girls At” is a masterful display of the edgy, unpredictable flows that make her guest appearances so coveted. She breaks up her spurts of rapid-fire rhyming by repeating catchy phrases that fall perfectly in sync with the beat. Her energetic guest spot helped Guetta's single reach No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
5. Beyoncé & Lil Wayne f/ Nicki Minaj "Sweet Dreams" (2009)
Producer: Jim Jonsin/Wayne Wilkins/Rico Love/Beyoncé Knowles
Album: No Ceilings
Label: YMCM
Best Line: "Get gassed, then get at me, Texaco/Shoot yourself in the leg bitch, Plaxico."
Nicki played on the “Sweet Dreams” theme of this Beyoncé remix by throwing stray shots at rival femcees and laying all competition to rest. Where lesser rappers would be happy just catchng the beat, Nicki bobs and weaves like a champ, exploiting the pocket two different ways on one verse. In the beginning, she spits quick couplets—pausing slightly before each set. Then she flips into a more fluid rhyme scheme toward the end the verse. This lengthy mixtape feature proved that Nicki had skills galore, and by keeping her animation to a minimum, she made each dart that much more poignant.
4. Drake f/ Nicki Minaj "Up All Night" (2010)
Producer: Boi-1da/Matthew Burnett
Album: Thank Me Later
Label: YMCM/Universal Motown
Best Line: "Which bitch you know made a million off a mixtape?"
Drizzy said get 'em, so she got 'em. The chemistry between Drake and Nicki is undeniable on this one. Barb's bars are perfectly suited to Drizzy's anthem about stunting into the wee hours of the morning. Nicki's trademark brashness and braggadocio are on full display, as is her hunger to prove herself the best female rapper in the game. Despite being on a diet, she sounds like she's ready to devour all the rap bitches on the menu, and then pop bottles to wash them down.
3. Ludacris f/ Nicki Minaj "My Chick Bad" (2010)
Producer: The Legendary Traxster
Album: Battle Of The Sexes
Label: Disturbing Tha Peace/Def Jam
Best Line: "Tuck yourself in you better hold on to your teddy/It’s Nightmare on Elm Street and guess who’s playing Freddy."
Nicki's sex appeal and her legendary backside have been the subject of countless celebrity gossip stories and teenage wet-dreams, so when Luda was looking for somebody to jump on “My Chick Bad” his choice couldn't have been more obvious. But instead of boasting about her flawless Barbie persona, Nicki went in the complete opposite direction on this verse, likening herself to Freddie Kruger and pretending to be on the run from an insane asylum. Her outsiode-the-box approach paid off; “My Chick Bad” skyrocketed to the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Rap Songs chart.
2. Trey Songz f/ Nicki Minaj "Bottoms Up" (2010)
Producer: Kane Beatz
Album: Passion, Pain & Pleasure
Label: Songbook/Atlantic
Best Line: "If a bitch tries to get cute, I'm going to snuff her/Throw a lot of money at her, then yell, 'Fuck her.'"
Nicki's guest verse on Trigger Trey's “Bottoms Up” is easily one of the best features of 2010, and a huge reason why this smash single peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her rhymes are like a roller-coaster ride: Nicki opens with a perfectly delivered double-time flow before switching it up and slowing down to keep listeners off balance.
Juggling multiple personalites on one track, Nicki plays the part of a needy fly-girl asking Mr. Steal-Your-Girl for everything from Coke & Henny to a bottle of Rosé to keys to the Benz. But then she switches alter egos and lets the world know that she and her crew ain't nothing to fuck with—only to end it all with yet another beverage request. No wonder Trey says a couple bottles ain't enough.
1. Kanye West f/ Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj "Monster" (2010)
Producer: Kanye West
Album: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
Best Line: "Just killed another career, it's a mild day."
Jay-Z and Kanye West may be rap kings, but on this song even they had to watch the queen conquer. Spitting couplet after couplet about everything from the Middle Eastern climate to Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Nicki delivers a manically energetic verse with enough different characters for a Broadway musical.
This song isn't significant just because Nicki destroyed this verse (she's destroyed plenty). It's significant because it proved she could steal the show from even the biggest names in hip hop. "Besides Ye, they can't stand beside me," she boasts, but after this song dropped everybody was buzzing about how Nicki stole the show. Displaying massive talent and showmanship, she stepped into the spotlight, wowing fans, and silencing detractors. In other words, it was just a mild day.
