อ้างอิงจาก:

SOURCE: MTV NEWS


It is here: As promised, the top-five vote-getters in our poll for "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010" will be revealed this week. These are the artists you guys voted for over the past month, and we can't express enough how overwhelmed we were by your participation in this project. More than 200,000 votes came in, and they were tallied as of midnight Friday. Keep in mind, the unveiling of the names this week are the top five, but in no particular order. The winner of the "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010," as voted on by the MTV News audience, will be revealed Sunday (July 25) at noon on the "Sucker Free Summit."

Chosen One: Nicki Minaj

Rising in the Ranks: Nicki Minaj went from working at Red Lobster to being the red-hot current face of female hip-hop in less time than it takes to complete college. She's as much an iconic figure for her standout fashion and beauty as she is for tearing up the mic alongside your favorite MCs. Her rabid following has bought into Minaj's entire package. The hype is backed by true talent, and she's unique and feisty. And while every photo you see in the press personifies her glamorous life as a Young Money superstar, Minaj is no different from every other MC who has ascended the heights of their genre. The native of New York's Jamaica, Queens, neighborhood started at the bottom and had to grind her way to the top.

First discovered by Lil Wayne on the street-DVD series On the Come Up, Nicki couldn't get any love from DJs in her hometown, so she moved to Atlanta. It was there she recorded some verses for Weezy's Gangsta Grillz: Dedication 3 mixtape — singing and rapping on songs such as "Still I Rise" with the rest of Wayne's then-mostly unknown crop of new talent, including Drake. Nicki also aligned herself with Gucci Mane, adding heavily to her street credibility and profile.

While her sexy image was our first impression of Nicki (who can forget that bathing-suit photo in which she paid homage to Lil' Kim?), Minaj really found her own lane during the spring of last year with the Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape, which she put together with Atlanta's DJ Holiday. Nick showed us she has boundless personality on the mic, bringing forth her Barbie persona and all the charismatic outfits, rhyme flows and vocal inflections that go along with it. Records from the tape — "Kill the DJ," "I Get Crazy" with Lil Wayne and "Itty Bitty Piggy" — bubbled on the streets for months, allowing Nicki to hit the club circuit with her own shows.

In the summer of last year, Nick was spotlighted on the Young Money Presents: The America's Most Wanted Music Festival, and by the fall, seemingly all the guys in music wanted to get with her. Minaj's career went to the next level when she started turning in show-stealing cameos, which have carried well into this year. Diddy, Robin Thicke, Ludacris, Sean Garrett, Usher, Jadakiss, Trey Songz, Gucci Mane, Sean Kingston and, of course, her Young Money family all know that she's developed into one of the most versatile performers in hip-hop — and she still hasn't released her debut album, which is due late this year.

Early Insight: "With [my debut] album, I think it's more important that people get accustomed to seeing a female rapper again," Nicki said. "People don't even know what a female rapper does. We're so not used to seeing it. We don't get nominated. I need to work [the people] up to accepting a female rapper again and accepting my style and all of that — then the album will come."

Blistering Ballistics: " Now all these bitches wanna try and be my bestie/ But I take a left and leave 'em hangin' like a teste/ Trash talk to 'em, then I put 'em in a Hefty/ Runnin' down the court/ I'm dunkin' on 'em, Lisa Leslie/ It's goin' down, basement/ 'Friday the 13th,' guess who's playin' Jason?/ Tuck yourself in, you better hold on to ya teddy/ It's 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' and guess who's playin' Freddy?" — from Ludacris' "My Chick Bad"

Forecast: Nicki, who is also a member of the Diddy-led all-star Dream Team, didn't get an overwhelming response for her debut official single, "Massive Attack," but the misstep did nothing to hurt her popularity. Her follow-up, "Your Love," is already a #1 hit (with no video yet!). It was a leaked track that the fans loved so much, program directors on radio were forced to add it. Minaj is working on her yet-untitled first album with Young Money and Swizz Beatz. If she continues to attack her own tracks with the fervor she does on her guest appearances, the LP should be a hands-down winner.

MTV News will be rolling out the top-five candidates for "Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010" all week — with the winner being revealed on MTV2's "Sucker Free Summit"
here the List Of Hottest Artsit Of Summers 2010

10.Trey Songz
9.B.O.B.
8.Florence & The Machine
7.Mumford And Sons
6.Taylor Swift
5.Eminem
4.Bruno Mars
3.Rihanna & Lady Gaga
2.Katy Perry
1.Nicki Minaj

อ้างอิงจาก:

Source - Rap-Up

After a major record label war bid, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had signed a 360-deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing.[1]

Sessions for the album began in 2009 with a tentative release in the second quarter of 2010. Nicki Minaj stated in an MTV interview that "Married In The Club" was set to be the lead single from the album and was slated for a November 2009 release.[2] Plans for the single were cancelled and Minaj explained in a February 2010 interview with MTV that she had scrapped the previous material and began recording again from scratch. Minaj explained, "I have songs that where I am now, they aren't a great representation of me to where I'm at musically. I wanna start from scratch but I do have my single and it'll be out." Minaj had also confirmed the lead single to be "Massive Attack", but Minaj stated via Ustream that the single will not be featured on the album and that the only song on her album that people have heard is "Your Love".[3]

In an interview with V103’s Greg Street, Minaj stated the great importance of the album to her and all females in hip-hop. She stated; “They won’t look to sign other female rappers because they’ll say, ‘Her buzz was so crazy and if she couldn’t do it, then no one can do it.’ And I don’t want that to happen, so I’m doing this as well for all the girls. I hope that with the success of the album—because I know it will be successful, I believe it will be successful—I hope that this opens doors for all of the girls everywhere. Even as far as I’ve come right now, it’s a testament in my mind,” she said. “So I hope the female rappers will understand how big it is, just for our culture, that the album does well.”[4]

Concept
On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel for her fans that the albums name would be Pink Friday. She discussed her choice stating “To carry on a great tradition of Black Friday, we are going to switch it up this year in honor of the Nicki Minaj album and call that day Pink Friday, and call my album Pink Friday,!”[5] A deluxe edition of the album has also been confirmed.[6] Minaj discussed with MTV how the album cover for her debut will shape up and only revealed that it will be "very fetch." Minaj remained quiet on the details, but she did speak about what makes an eye-catching cover:

“ "A good album cover is something that tells your own personal truth," said Minaj, citing Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die cover as one of her favorites. "Something that's not just trying to catch someone's attention, but rather ... kind of feels like a part of your soul, a part of your creative expression."[7] ”

Recording and production
On July 8, 2010, hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz confirmed his collaboration with Minaj for the album. According to Beatz, he and Minaj had recorded at least three songs during their sessions.[8] In an interview with Hot 93.7, Nicki Minaj confirmed that the song "Catch Me", produced by Beatz, will appear on the album and described the song as "moody" and "mellow futuristic".[9]

Minaj also confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Black Eyed Peas member and record producer will.i.am contributed production to the album. In the same interview, Minaj described the album as emotional. Minaj said, “The album is much more emotional than you anticipate, which is a great thing. And I know women are gonna connect to the album so much. I felt like for so many years I was the girl who did the catchy little raps, and it’s time for me now to tell my story, and in telling my story, I’m really telling every girl’s story. We all go through the same thing. So the album is gonna feel very personal to every female.”[10]

Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West is also confirmed for the album.[11] In an interview with Interview Minaj stated that she would be toning down her sex appeal on the album, stating: “I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness,” she tells Interview magazine. “I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.”[12] Minaj has also stated that she likes to work with unknown talent. Minaj and her team set up an e-mail account for aspiring producers to submit their demos to, and post announcements via twitter. It is unknown if submissions will make the final album.[13]

While discussing the progress of her debut album with MTV, Minaj discussed a song she described as a "standout" in the entire album.[14] The song "Right Thru Me" is confirmed for the album with Minaj stating, "It's not gonna come right now. It'll come closer to when the album drops, but it's a really, really pretty song. Everyone's gonna like it. It's just really insightful but in a very conversational kind of way."[14]

Producer Bangladesh also contributed to the album.[15]

Promotion
On her Twitter Minaj stated that if she reached one-million followers she would dedicate a Ustream to her fans. On August 3, Minaj went on Ustream to call fans who emailed her their phone numbers and to reveal the albums title.[5] On June 17, 2010, promotional photos for the album were leaked online, depicting Minaj in a neon-orange wig dressed as a ninja.[16] It is unknown if the photoshoot will be included in the final album artwork. On July 8, 2010, Minaj announced via Twitter that the album will be released on November 23, 2010.[17]

Singles
"Massive Attack" was released as the album's lead single on April 13, 2010 through digital distribution. It charted at number 75 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was a distinct change in Minaj's previous work on mixtapes and features, thus receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics, commending lyrical content and distinctiveness, and critiquing that it did not fit her "Barbie" persona well. The song bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at 22, and peaked at 65 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Your Love" was released as the album's second US single on June 1, 2010 and as the first single in the United Kingdom on July 2, 2010. Initially, the song had never been planned for release, but due to abounding airplay it was mastered and used as the follow up to Massive Attack. The song has so far peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, 5 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and topped the Rap Songs chart for six consecutive weeks. Minaj became the first female artist to top the Rap Songs chart unaccompanied since 2002. It also charted in Canada and the UK. "Right Thru Me", the album's third single, was released September 24, 2010[18] and will officially impact urban radio on October 5, 2010.[19]

Other songs
"Check It Out", with will.i.am, was released on September 3, 2010 via digital download. It was released to US radio stations on September 14.[20] It is a joint single, but has not been confirmed for inclusion on Pink Friday.[21] The song samples "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. The song was performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show alongside will.i.am.[22]

อ้างอิงจาก:

As featured artist
Year Song Peak chart positions Album
US
[9] US
R&B
[10] US
Rap
[11] AUS
[6] CAN
[12] NZ
[13] UK
2010 "Up Out My Face" (Remix) (Mariah Carey featuring Nicki Minaj) 100 39 — — — — — Angels Advocate
"My Chick Bad" (Ludacris featuring Nicki Minaj) 11 2 2 — — — — Battle of the Sexes
"Lil Freak" (Usher featuring Nicki Minaj) 40 8 — — — — 109 Raymond v. Raymond
"Get It All" (Sean Garrett featuring Nicki Minaj) — 83 — — — — — The Inkwell
"Woohoo" (Christina Aguilera featuring Nicki Minaj) 79 — — — 46 — 148 Bionic
"Bottoms Up" (Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj) 13 3 — — 62 — — Passion, Pain & Pleasure
"Letting Go (Dutty Love)" (Sean Kingston featuring Nicki Minaj) 36 51 — 73 35 25 — —
"2012 (It Ain't the End)" (Jay Sean featuring Nicki Minaj) 41 — — 40 40 12 — Freeze Time
"Monster" (Kanye West and Jay-Z featuring Rick Ross, Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj)[14] — 69 18 — — — — Watch the Throne
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

[edit] Other charted songs
Year Song Peak chart positions Album
US
[15] US
R&B
[16] US
Rap
[17] CAN
[18]
2009 "I Get Crazy" (featuring Lil Wayne) — 37 20 — Beam Me Up Scotty
2010 "Up All Night" (Drake featuring Nicki Minaj) 49 62 24 80 Thank Me Later
"Knockout" (Lil Wayne featuring Nicki Minaj) 44 — — — Rebirth
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

[edit] Music videos
Year Song Artist(s) Director(s)
2007
"Click Clack" Nicki Minaj Jordan Tower Films[citation needed]
"The Jump Off 2007" Nicki Minaj Jordan Tower Films[citation needed]
"Warning" Nicki Minaj Jordan Tower Films[citation needed]
"Failure" Nicki Minaj with Gucci Mane Hood Affairs[citation needed]
2008 "Higher Than a Kite" Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Wayne Jordan Towers Films[citation needed]
2009 "Itty Bitty Piggy" Nicki Minaj Hood Affairs[citation needed]
"5 Star Chick (Remix)" Yo Gotti featuring Gucci Mane, Trina & Nicki Minaj Unknown
"BedRock" Young Money featuring Lloyd Dayo and Lil Wayne[19]
2010 "Up Out My Face (Remix)" Mariah Carey featuring Nicki Minaj Nick Cannon[20]
"My Chick Bad" Ludacris featuring Nicki Minaj TAJ[21]
"My Chick Bad (Remix)" Ludacris featuring Nicki Minaj, Eve, Trina and Diamond TAJ[22]
"Roger That" Young Money David Rousseau[23]
"Lil Freak" Usher featuring Nicki Minaj TAJ[24]
"Massive Attack" Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett Hype Williams[25]
"Get Low 4 Me (Remix)"[citation needed] Lalo The Don featuring Nicki Minaj and Barbee Unknown
"Lookin' at Me"[citation needed] Pearl Future featuring Nicki Minaj Unknown
"Knockout" Lil Wayne featuring Nicki Minaj David Rousseau[26]
"Hello Good Morning (Remix)" Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Rick Ross & Nicki Minaj Hype Williams[27]
"Get It All" Sean Garrett featuring Nicki Minaj Gil Green[28]
"All I Do Is Win (Remix)" DJ Khaled featuring T-Pain, Diddy, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross,
Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Fat Joe & Swizz Beatz Gil Green[29]
"Your Love" Nicki Minaj Lil X[30]
"Letting Go (Dutty Love)" Sean Kingston featuring Nicki Minaj Lil X[31]
"Bottoms Up" Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj Anthony Mandler[32]
"2012 (It Ain't the End)" Jay Sean featuring Nicki Minaj Erik White[33]

[edit] Other appearances
Year Song Other performer(s) Album
2008 "*ucci *ucci"[34] Enur, Chopper City Boyz Raggatronic
2009 "Lollipop Luxury"[35] Jeffree Star Beauty Killer
"Ponytail"[36] Mýa Beauty & the Streets Vol. 1
"Grindin' Making Money"[37] Birdman, Lil' Kim Priceless
"Sex in Crazy Places"[38] Gucci Mane, Bobby V, Trina The State vs. Radric Davis
"Shakin' It 4 Daddy"[39] Robin Thicke Sex Therapy
2010 "What's Wrong with Them"[40] Lil Wayne I Am Not a Human Being
"YM Salute"[40] Lil Wayne, Lil Twist, Lil Chuckee, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz
"Haterade"[41] Gucci Mane, Pharrell &2Pac The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted