Nicki Minaj Essentials

Nicki Minaj gave female MCs a lifeline when they were on the brink of extinction, leading to a breakthrough for a number of other artists such as Angel Haze and Azealia Banks. The Queens femcee was vaulted onto hip-hop’s A-list following a streak of star-making guest appearances like Kanye West’s “Monster” and Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” in 2010. At the same time, her debut, Pink Friday, made her pop royalty as well, spawning “Your Love” and “Super Bass” and selling over two million copies. Since then, she’s released another best-selling album and her empire has expanded beyond music: She’s released a Pink Friday fragrance and became a judge on American Idol for Season 13.