Nicki Minaj Makes History With Her New No. 1 Album

Nicki Minaj is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week. The rapper owns the ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. with her long-awaited new release, Pink Friday 2. The set instantly opens atop the tally, and it helps the superstar make history on the competitive and important list.

According to Billboard, Minaj is now the first female rapper to claim a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 in more than one decade. That’s a specific feat, but one that shows not only how popular Minaj is, but how long she’s been notably famous and successful.

Minaj first hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with her debut album Pink Friday. That set worked its way to the summit on the roster in 2010. Now, she’s returned to the peak spot in the 2020s, marking her first trip to the throne this decade.

In between Pink Friday and its sequel, Minaj has conquered the Billboard 200 just one other time. In 2012, her sophomore set Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded also hit No. 1. Several other collections, including her albums Queen and The Pinkprint, have stalled one rung shy of ruling over the tally.

Not many female rappers have hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and even fewer have done so more than once, so it’s not entirely shocking that Minaj is the first artist fitting that description to manage this feat, but it’s still impressive nonetheless.

Before this week, Minaj and Foxy Brown were tied for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 among female rappers, as both had claimed a pair of rulers. Brown’s two leaders both peaked in the ‘90s, though, and she hasn’t made her way to the highest of highs on the tally since then.

Pink Friday 2 opens at No. 1 with 228,000 equivalent album units. That sum includes 92,000 pure purchases, but the title really succeeded best on streaming platforms. The songs featured on the new project earned nearly 170 million plays on Spotify and other sites, and all those listens helped the title shoot straight to the top spot.