Nicki Minaj has established a new US chart record by releasing 121 singles in the past 12 years.
The latest single from the artist, Super Freaky Girl, premiered at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first solo female rapper to accomplish this achievement in a quarter century.
The last time this occurred was in 1998 when Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill debuted at number one.
Last week, Super Freaky Girl was streamed 21 million times, per Billboard.
It also topped the downloads chart with 89,000 purchases, the best sales week of any song so far in 2022.
Minaj tweeted to her fans after the charts were out, “You did it!”
Additionally, Super Freaky Girl marks the star’s first number one as a solo artist and her third overall.
In 2020, she topped the charts with Trollz, a collaboration with 6ix9ine, and as a featured artist on Doja Cat’s TikTok song Say So.
Before this, Minaj’s best solo success was 2014’s Anaconda, which peaked at number two.
Cardi B is the only other solo female rapper to have topped the singles chart since 1998. Both of her number ones, Up and Bodak Yellow, debuted in lower positions before ascending to the top.
Minaj brags about her sexual skills in Super Freaky Chick, much like the “extremely freaky girl” described by Rick James in his 1981 funk song Super Freak.
Super Freak, a seminal hip-hop album, has been sampled over thirty times by musicians such as Jay-Z, Gucci Mane, and MC Young.
This is the first time the song has hit number one. In 1990, MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This, which was based on the instrumental, reached number eight, while the original reached number sixteen.
Dr. Luke, the hitmaker who was accused of sexual assault and emotional abuse by his former protégé Kesha in a widely publicized lawsuit, produced Minaj’s rendition.
The performer has vehemently rejected the allegations and sued Kesha for defamation, while his attorneys have won multiple rounds in the continuing legal struggle.
Since the charges surfaced, however, other bands have declined to collaborate with him.
Minaj will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Awards this weekend, where she will also co-host and perform.
She had to cancel a London appearance earlier this year because she was swarmed by admirers.
