Nicki Minaj has gone on a social media rant after missing out on the coveted US number one spot. Photo / AP
Nicki Minaj narrowly missed out on scoring the coveted US number one spot for her new album Queen — and she doesn't seem to be taking it very well.
The star has gone on an extended social media rant, throwing under the bus everyone from the rapper who beat her to streaming giant Spotify to Kylie Jenner's baby Stormi.
Minaj's newly released fourth album Queen was locked in a weeklong chart battle with rapper Travis Scott's Astroworld. In the end, Scott won out — moving 205,000 albums to Minaj's 185,000, according to Billboard.
Those sales are nothing to be sniffed at, but the chart defeat appears to have rattled Minaj, who's placed blame at her "loss" on a variety of sources.
First, she went for Scott's 'bundles' — clothing, concert tickets and other merchandise sold via his official store, and bundled with sales of his album — which were promoted on Instagram by his partner Kylie Jenner.
"Travis sold over 50K of these," Minaj said, sharing a screenshot of Jenner spruiking hoodies that could be purchased in an album bundle. "With no requirement of redeeming the album! With no dates for a tour, etc. I spoke to him. He knows he doesn't have the #1 album this week. I love my fans for the #1 album in AMERICA!"
Travis sold over 50K of these. With no requirement of redeeming the album! With no dates for a tour, etc. I spoke to him. He knows he doesn’t have the #1 album this week. I love my fans for the #1 album in AMERICA! I’ll explain on #QueenRadio 4 albums in, #1 in 86 countries ♥️ pic.twitter.com/CiYEuczgm3
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Minaj then reminded fans her debut album — released back in 2010 — sold 400,000 copies in its first week, and that Queen's opening week would have been better had she not "lost out on 12 hours of sales".
My first album sold 400K. No one is doing that with debut albums now. So I’m so grateful. I lost out on 12 hours of sales and did 200K in one week after I was supposedly cancelled. I bit my tongue last #QueenRadio but I won’t On Tuesday. I love you guys so much
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Minaj again claimed she'd spoken to Scott about selling official merchandise with his album, demanding that Billboard change its chart rules to reflect this. Minaj's own album was sold with a variety of merchandise/album bundles, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer.
I looked at the numbers the Carters, Kanye, Nas, etc recently did. Travis sold 200K in his first week of clothes alone. I spoke to him last night & he said he’s been selling clothes b4 the music. Billboard says they’ll change the rules cuz of this, so it should be changed now!
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
From there, she called out Jenner and her six-month old baby girl Stormi, for apparently intimating fans could meet them if they bought albums bundled with tickets to his tour.
Minaj insisted she wasn't mad though — she was "actually laughing," particularly because Queen "broke the record of being number 1 in 86 countries".
I put my blood sweat & tears in writing a dope album only for Travis Scott to have Kylie Jenner post a tour pass telling ppl to come see her & Stormi. lol. Im actually laughing. #Queen broke the record of being number 1 in 86 countries. Thank Jesus & thank you to my fans.
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
It's unclear which countries Minaj is referring to; Queen debuted at number five in the UK and eight here in New Zealand.
From there, Minaj turned her attention to Spotify, blaming the streaming giant for a lack of promotion — punishment, she claims, for debuting her new music on her 'Queen Radio' Apple Music special.
Spotify put drake’s face on every playlist but told me they’d have to teach me a lesson for playing my music 10 mins early on #QueenRadio. Even tho they’ve been giving away my music for free for years & I am one of the top Spotify artists of all time.
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Spotify had to teach me a lesson but rewarded the man who has had an Apple radio show the longest; inadvertently helping the Apple platform the most. Oh I can’t wait for #QueenRadio on Tuesday. They took away my promotion they had promised for the 1st cpl days b/c of this. #Queen
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Do you know how many people subscribe to my Spotify page?????
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
And just to reiterate, Nicki Minaj is definitely not mad. She's laughing, actually.
People are calling me thinking I’m huffing & puffing. Omg y’all this is sarcasm/dry humor. Yikes. I’m having the most iconNIC time. Come let me kiss you. 😩😘😘😘 Who’s coming to the secret show? When people call me & hear me crackin up laughing they seem so puzzled. Loosen up 😅
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Minaj's extended defence of her album's position — and the fact she dragged a six-month-old baby into the beef — has been the source of much talk online, particularly given a seating plan for tomorrow's MTV VMA Awards shows Minaj will be sat mere seats away from Scott and Jenner:
She really said people buying tickets to the Astroworld tour to see Kylie and stormi.......LMAOOOOO
— VanJess stan acct (@MeloYelIo) August 19, 2018
Nicki Minaj really believes the sole reason Travis Scott outsold her is because Kylie posted a link to his website captioned “me and Stormi ready for tour” pic.twitter.com/15kiINKqFo
— You send emojis (@kehann_) August 19, 2018
It comes just days after Minaj tweeted and deleted a post defending her collaboration with rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, who in 2015 pleaded guilty to using a 13-year-old child in a sexual performance when he was 18 years old. Responding to media criticism of her choice of collaborator — including a Pitchfork piece titled 'Nicki Minaj, 6ix9ine, and the Alarming Normalisation of Predatory Behaviour' — the rapper tweeted screenshots of an earlier Pitchfork article praising Lady Gaga's 2013 collaboration with alleged sex offender R. Kelly, Do What U Want.
Some were quick to point out that it's a duet Gaga has since distanced herself from:
Don't expect this to be the last Minaj has to say on the issue — she also told fans she's just penned a new freestyle rap to be recorded and released very soon.