With a barrage of features to her name, Nicki Minaj had amassed a legion of fans long before she dropped her debut, Pink Friday, on Monday (November 22). Among those admirers is one of hip-hop's biggest stars: 50 Cent.
When MTV News visited the set of Jeremih's "Down on Me" video, which features 50, the rapper weighed in on Nicki's musical appeal and her rap lineage.
"She's the only female around, period," Fif said. "She has a lane that's been closed that she just busted open on her own, and she's an amazing talent. A lot of artists, I personally am not excited by, but her, particularly, she impressed me on that 'Bottoms Up' remix," he added, referring to Trey Songz's smash, one of a number of memorable Nicki cameos this year.
While exhorting the virtues of his fellow Queens native, 50 also pointed out that he "loves" Lil' Kim, Minaj's rival. Back in 2003, 50 collaborated with Lil' Kim on "Magic Stick," off her La Bella Mafia LP.
"Lil' Kim is dope as well," Jeremih added. "I think Nicki, it's not that many female lyricists out that can do what she does. She makes me want to ride to her — you can't ride to every female rapper. I think she makes it easy for us fellas to ride to. And I think she's sexy and has a personality like no other."
From the start of Minaj's meteoric rise, fans and critics, alike, have compared her to Lil' Kim. But Fif told us he also sees similarities between Nicki and another lady rapper, Foxy Brown.
"I understand why people make the comparison between her and Kim, because of the wigs, the hair," 50 said, drawing laughs from Jeremih. "But I kind of see similarities in her and Foxy's career. Foxy was in the Firm and down with Jay-Z, the way Nicki was in Young Money, and down with Gucci [Mane]. I see that the same way they kind of came in with the support of two crews, like Foxy did."
Although Foxy has said she applauds Minaj, a recent freestyle by Foxy over dancehall singer Gyptian's "Hold You" (which Minaj originally blistered), contains what sounds like a thinly veiled shot at the pink-wigged femcee.
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