Bring on the crown emojis: Nicki Minaj releases freestyle take on “Black Beatles”
Because it isn’t a pop-cultural phenomenon until Nicki Minaj raps a few verses over it, this morning The PinkPrint rapper and queen of the guest spot released ”Black Barbies,” a new song re-working Rae Sremmurd, Gucci Mane, and Mike WiLL Made-It’s “Black Beatles,” a.k.a. the song heard in the background of all of those “mannequin challenge” videos on social media.
The song’s association with said viral stunt has buoyed it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, an achievement Minaj trumpeted in the Instagram post announcing her version of the song. “Why? Cuz 2 Lil black kids got the NUMBER 1 RECORD IN THE COUNTRY & I’m soooooo happy for Mike Will,” she writes. Not that the ever-witty Nicki is all sunshine and rainbows on this track: In the lyrics, she jabs at everything from PETA to El Chapo to Donald Trump, as well as shutting down a would-be competitor with the line, “picked up my phone, ‘cause I had to call bullshit.”
You can hear “Black Barbies,” via Minaj’s Soundcloud page, below.