The self-proclaimed “Queen of Rap” from Queens, New York, Nicki Minaj has been blazing trails since she dropped her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, in 2007. A chameleonic, larger-than-life performer, she’s able to slip into whatever persona her verses require, pairing blistering delivery with crackling lyricism and polychromatic costumes. She tapped big names like Kanye West, Eminem, and Beyoncé for her debut album, 2010’s Pink Friday, and for her later efforts, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and The Pinkprint. Minaj fuses pop anthems, ballsy hip-hop, and EDM bass drops to create an electric style that’s earned her scores of songs on Billboard’s Hot 100. Not only did she break her own record when she had seven songs land on the chart simultaneously, but she’s the only female rapper to ever have 14 songs land in the Top 10.
Minaj has become the female rapper with the most chart-topping albums in history
New releases to look forward to in the coming months, from Mitski, Drake, Sufjan Stevens, Taylor Swift, and more.
New releases to look forward to in the coming months, from Mitski, Drake, Sufjan Stevens, Taylor Swift, and more.
Including punchline aficionados Danny Brown and Nicki Minaj, roastmasters Cam’ron and Cardi B, surrealist oddballs Kool Keith and RXK Nephew, and many more.
The hip-hop records that rearranged our brains, including classics by DMX, MF DOOM, Missy Elliott, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, A Tribe Called Quest, and more
Publishing companies like Primary Wave and Hipgnosis are making old hits new again. And again. And again.
From Bon Iver to J Dilla to Beyoncé, these are the musicians who made the biggest impact across Pitchfork’s lifetime so far.
From Doja Cat duets to angsty anthems to hot girl bangers, we take the temperature on 12 of this year’s contenders.
Hashtag rap! Kanye rants! Terrifying stan pile-ons! For better and worse, Twitter has forever altered the music landscape.
The records that made the decade, starring Kendrick Lamar, Grimes, Bon Iver, Solange, Lana Del Rey, and many more
The defining tracks of the decade, starring Robyn, Drake, Vampire Weekend, Daft Punk, SZA, and many more
Highlights included an audacious set from Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish’s refreshing weirdness, the pop dominance of Ariana Grande, and more
From Father John Misty’s surreal Twitter musings to DJ Khaled’s Snapchat exuberance to Nicki Minaj’s flawless Instagram selfies, these are the musicians that keep us hopelessly glued to our screens.
Pitchfork ranks the best (worst?) of 2015's musical memes, all in 140 characters or less.