Rihanna and Nicki Minaj burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s, quickly establishing themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Rihanna boasts the Guinness World Record for being the richest female music artist, while Minaj holds the title of the richest female rapper, with both singers currently shining in their respective careers.
Their friendship began to flourish early on, with the two artists collaborating musically for the first time in 2010. Since then, they have consistently supported each other, celebrating their individual successes. A double date three years ago served as a testament to the enduring strength of their friendship.
Rihanna’s “Raining Men”Signified Their First Collaboration
Their first collaboration came with Rihanna’s track “Raining Men,”which featured Nicki Minaj. This marked the beginning of a strong bond between the two artists. “Raining Men”was the third single released from Rihanna’s fifth studio album, Loud, on December 7, 2010, and it reached number 48 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Before the release of the song, Rihanna expressed her admiration for Minaj during an interview with MTV on October 12, stating:
“I’m really amazed that she can write like that. [Nicki] not only raps but she can write songs too. It was really easy actually. We were going back and forth with the texts on how we were going to get to do it because we were in two different places and had two opposite schedules.”
Additionally, Rihanna previously praised Minaj on Capital FM, sharing her eagerness to collaborate once again:
“You know, I worked with her before on [2009’s] Rated R and she was just writing me some really good ballads, and I couldn’t wait to work with her again and finally have her on my record.”
Nicki Minaj’s Debut Album Features Rihanna in 2011
After their collaboration on “Raining Men,”Nicki Minaj sought to feature Rihanna on her debut studio album, Pink Friday. This desire culminated in the song “Fly,”which was released on August 30, 2011.
Two months later, the “Bang Bang”rapper referred to “Fly”as “one of my absolute faves”from her debut album in a Facebook post. She shared:
“I wanted to work with Rihanna for a long time. I’m very proud of her accomplishments; especially since she was born on an island like me.”
Minaj explained the song’s meaning, stating:
“This song is a female empowerment song. But then again, it’s not specific to just women. It speaks about flying, soaring high in the face of every single solitary adversity that comes your way.”
She also touched on the media’s attempts to constrain her identity in the track, expressing how she felt empowered to “redefine”herself.
Upon its release, “Fly”climbed to the 19th position on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The music video was released on YouTube a day prior to the song’s official drop, quickly amassing over 195 million views.
On November 30, J.R. Rotem, a producer of Pink Friday, spoke to MTV about how Nicki Minaj had “manifested”a collaboration with Rihanna. Rotem reached out to Rihanna on Nicki’s behalf, recounting:
“Near the tail end of her project, I came into the studio and I had some tracks [for her]. That was one of the ones I was excited about. When I played it for her, she knew instantly: ‘Yes, this is the record.’ She connected with it immediately. I could just tell she was excited by it, which excited me.”
Minaj and Rihanna’s Family Reunion in 2021
Throughout the years, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna have maintained a close friendship, mainly staying out of the social media spotlight until May 2021 when they began following each other on Instagram.
A few months later, Minaj shared moments from a double date with her husband, Kenneth Petty, and their child, Baba Bear, alongside Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky. This public outing was a significant moment for fans, reinforcing their strong bond.
Rihanna’s Name Mentioned in Nicki-Megan Feud in February 2024
In February 2024, following the release of Megan Thee Stallion’s track “Hiss,”Minaj made comments involving Rihanna’s name. Responding to Megan’s diss that referenced her husband Kenneth Petty’s status as a registered sex offender, Nicki accused her of attempting to have “a Rihanna moment”during an interaction with her fans on X.
This reference was related to a past shooting incident involving Tory Lanez, alluding to Rihanna’s experience with domestic violence at the hands of Chris Brown.
The remark caused an uproar on social media, with many users claiming that Minaj had overstepped. There was speculation that this comment could impact her friendship with Rihanna.
However, later that same month, when Minaj wished Rihanna a happy birthday, it quieted any speculation regarding their relationship.
Despite Riri not releasing new music since her 2016 album ANTI, she has announced an upcoming headlining tour set for 2025. Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj, who had planned to release a deluxe edition of Pink Friday 2 this month, has revealed that a new album, Pink Friday 3, is currently in production.
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