After declaring that she has decided to “retire and have my family”, Nicki Minaj has promised her fans that she will discuss the decision on Queen Radio, her Apple Music Beats 1 show.
The rapper shared the unexpected news on Twitter on September 5. “I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” Minaj wrote. “I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, in the box-cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE”.
https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1169676721865412608
Her fans were shocked by the announcement. “miss onika,” one wrote, using Minaj’s real name. “if this is a joke it AIN’T funny.” “Nicki stop this ain’t funny I’m not prepared for this rn,” another added.
miss onika…if this is a joke it AIN’T funny pic.twitter.com/XPTuhqQcJI
— addy ♡ (@btsthingshehe) September 5, 2019
nicki stop this ain’t funny I’m not prepared for this rn pic.twitter.com/vsCuHzAVAd
— Dom (@domcorona_) September 5, 2019
After a fan asked her to “just address this retirement thing”, Minaj reassured them that she was “still right here” and “still madly in love with you guys & you know that”.
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“In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be,” she said in a tweet posted September 6. “I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe.”
I’m still right here. Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be. I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe ♥️? https://t.co/eS0oHipwtg
— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) September 6, 2019
See other fan reactions to Minaj’s initial tweet below.
Onika I swear if u don’t say sike I- pic.twitter.com/zXm12vPPdh
— Bella Smallz (@Bella__Smallz) September 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/stormitingz/status/1169676954506842112
about to look up the word “retire” hopefully it means dropping an album tomorrow, wish me luck ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2JCgmbEBjz
— Dom (@domcorona_) September 5, 2019
DONT FUCKING PLAY WITH ME ONIKA. pic.twitter.com/wZVypy7MiP
— | KingOutt | (@OutmanAboubakr) September 5, 2019
So album dropping at midnight? ?
— Kingsley (@kingsleyyy) September 5, 2019
The surprise news follows Minaj teasing the imminent arrival of the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Queen’. During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the star said: “You’re the first to find out… of course there’s a new album.”
Minaj released a new single called ‘Megatron’ in June – her first solo single since the release of ‘Queen’. The song centred on a reference to Transformers antagonist Megatron, while the video starred her boyfriend Kenneth Petty.
Meanwhile, the rapper recently pulled out of a planned performance in Saudi Arabia following a backlash from human rights activists. She was due to headline the Jeddah World Festival but withdrew after the Human Rights Foundation said playing in the country contradicted her support of women’s rights and the LGBTQ community.