The numbers are in, and Nicki Minaj’s fourth studio album Queen has reportedly debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 charts, selling a total of 185,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. Billboard announced the tally on Aug. 19, confirming that Travis Scott’s Astroworld beat out Nicki’s album, sitting at the top for a second week in a row. To say the least, Nicki did not seem pleased and vented about her frustrations with the Billboard charting system, Travis Scott, Kylie Jenner, and Spotify.
Minaj initially took issue with the fact that Travis seemingly boosted his album sales by incorporating tour and merch sales into his final number. She suggested that Billboard would not allow her to do the same. “Travis sold over 50K of these. With no requirement of redeeming the album,” she tweeted. “With no dates for a tour, etc. I spoke to him. He knows he doesn’t have the #1 album this week.”
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
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
The “Barbie Dreams” artist then took it a step further, seemingly attributing Scott’s second-week success to the rapper’s girlfriend Kylie Jenner and their 6-month-old daughter Stormi Webster. “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,” Minaj wrote, referencing an previous Instagram post Jenner shared, which said: “me and storm ready for tour .”
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
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
Trav, Kylie, and Stormi weren’t the only people that Nicki had problems with however. The rapper also accused Spotify of sabotaging her first-week sales to “teach her a lesson.” Not to mention, she also dragged her Young Money teammate Drake into the mix. “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,” she alleged. “Even tho they’ve been giving away my music for free for years & I am one of the top Spotify artists of all time.”
She added: “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.”
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 women get systematically blackballed out of their positions in an office building & can’t fight back?????
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
Twitter erupted in chaos shortly after Nicki’s rant. The Barbz immediately jumped to their fierce leader’s defense, commending her for standing up for herself and other women in the business. Critics, buy contrast, slammed the rapper for seeming bitter and accusing an infant of ruining her first-week sales.
Nevertheless, Minaj hopped on Twitter once more to assure fans that she was not bitter or even upset. “People are calling me thinking I’m huffing & puffing. Omg y’all this is sarcasm/dry humor. Yikes,” she said. “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.”
Nicki teased that she would fill in the blanks on Queen Radio this Tuesday (Aug. 22). Stay tuned.
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 ?
— BEAM ME UP SCOTTY MIXTAPE OUT NOW‼️??♥️ (@NICKIMINAJ) August 19, 2018
READ MORE: Nicki Minaj’s ‘Queen’ And The Hypocrisy Of Her Feminism