Nicki Minaj has never invited another female rapper to record a guest verse on any of her four albums. That, coupled with her seemingly endless feud with Cardi B, earned her a (probably unfair) reputation as a woman who didn’t help other women; a Queen who brooked no rivals. That narrative has flipped over the last two years, especially after she gave a boost to Megan Thee Stallion’s breakout single “Hot Girl Summer”. Now the Pink Friday MC has co-signed the rising star Doja Cat, hopping on a remix of her recent Hot Pink hit “Say So”.
This passing of the pink torch makes a poetic kind of sense, as no other artist in 2020 has been so obviously influenced by Nicki Minaj as Doja Cat. It goes beyond the way she’s styled herself as a dual-threat singer/rapper — you can hear it in the original “Say So” rhyme schemes, and her Barbie-esque inflection on lines like “Realer than anybody you had, and pretty/ All of the body-ody, the ass and titties.”
But Nicki Minaj is here to lend a hand, not step aside, and she launches into the Dr. Luke production with energy and gusto. Minaj brings her whole toolkit, showing off her much-improved singing as well as her pugnacious rhymes. She stunts and struts, slings punchlines and sex, in a regal performance that will remind everyone who’s currently occupying the throne. Stream “Say So (Remix)” below.
It’s a treat to hear Minaj recording new material, especially since her private life has recently been so tumultuous. In January, her brother was sentenced 25 years to life for sexually assaulting his stepdaughter. Shortly afterwards, Minaj’s husband was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender. Throughout, she’s been feuding with her ex Meek Mill both online and in person. In February, she took a shot at Meek with her new song “Yikes”.
As for Doja Cat, “Say So” became her first song to reach the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Earlier this year she contributed “Boss Bitch” to the Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey soundtrack.