Jamie Foxx Wanted Nicki Minaj's First Single For Himself, Says Sean Garrett

From what we’ve seen of Nicki Minaj—the Barbie braggadocio and hot pink obsession—it’s hard to think her upcoming single “Massive Attack,” was originally sought after by a man. But the song’s writer and producer, Sean Garrett, says Jamie Foxx was pleading for it.

“I say this because I love Jamie, but he actually wanted Nicki Minaj’s first single. He really, really wanted that record,” Garrett told VIBE, mentioning that Foxx heard the record before it reached Minaj. “He was very persistent. Superstars don’t ever like to be told 'no.' I didn’t necessarily feel good about telling him 'no' either, but out of respect for him and our friendship I wanted to make sure that I did give him something else that was great.“

Garrett—who is currently working on Foxx’s fourth album, tentatively titled Body—further explained why the song would have set the Academy Award winner back. “As much as I love Jamie, I know that wasn’t the record for him. But you know when artists hear something that’s a hit, they don’t care what it sound like. They want it. I didn’t want to put Jamie out there looking crazy,” he continued.

“Jamie is a little bit more adult contemporary. As a producer, you have to give artists what’s best for them, so I always have to keep into perspective who Jamie is and not give him something that’s not in his lane. It could be a hot record, but it’s still got to fit his swag or the fans aren’t going to believe it. Jamie Foxx, 'Massive Attack'? C’mon, nah.”

While Garrett held out on Foxx, he revealed that he had another female in mind for the record before Minaj. “I can’t tell you who I really did the record for. But I will tell you that I definitely had somebody in mind like a Nicki. Somebody that had the personality to handle a record that big,” he says. “Only Nicki and one other person in my eyes could’ve done this record and at the end of the day I made an executive call and saw that it was better suited for her. And the shit is incredible.”

Sean Garrett is preparing to film the video to his lead single, “Get It All,” featuring Nicki Minaj, next week. —Tracy Garraud