The Queen of Rap is taking her Pop icon status to the next level as she has snagged a multi-year, global partnership with Maxim betting arm MaximBet as Creative Director and a global ambassador.
Nicki Minaj is the latest among hip hop artists venturing outside of the music industry as they build out streams of income from endorsements and merchandise and the companies they represent.
In a release, Maxim said it’s expected that Minaj’s appointment to MaximBet will “illustrate the lifestyle components of the brand while vastly broadening its audience, including inviting more women into the fold.”
The magazine is an international men’s magazine launched in the UK in 1995 and has been based in New York City since 1997. The magazine is well-known for its publicity of actors, singers, and female models at the peak of their careers. The magazine, which is in print, has also transcended the digital divide with 4 million monthly online readers and 9 million print readers.
According to Maxim, Nicki Minaj is being appointed as Creative Director for the magazine as well as a special advisor to the MaximBet Board of Directors, and she will also be involved with its iGaming rollout.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of a collaboration,” Nicki Minaj said in a statement on Monday. “Merging business savvy power moves with my natural, creative, sexy, fun and fashion-forward expression is just so spot-on as it relates to this partnership. I’m ready to fully step into my potential as a young, influential Queen, and owner and open doors for others to dream big. Get ready for the sexy parties and remember: scared money don’t make NO MONEY!!!! HA!!! Place your bets!!!! Let’s GO!!!” she said.
In the meantime, MaximBet has a market presence in Colorado and 11 other U.S. states, with an additional presence in Ontario, Canada.
The company’s CEO Daniel Graetzer said that MaximBet is the only true lifestyle sports betting brand offering “money can’t buy” experiences.
“Nicki is best known around the world as a mega superstar, but we know her as a brilliant businesswoman,” Graetzer said. “Her role as a strategic advisor to MaximBet will be invaluable to us. She’s built one of the most powerful brands in the world, her own, and she’s applying that same savvy and creativity to our lifestyle sports betting brand. I couldn’t be more excited to be working with her — she is creative, smart, passionate and bold. There is no one better suited to helping us take this form of entertainment mainstream.”
As for Nicki Minaj, she forms a line of artists who have been named Creative Directors for other companies. These include Kanye West, who is rumored to be taking over Louis Vuitton after the passing of Virgil Abloh, and Cardi B, who was recently named Creative Director for Playboy.
Cardi’s role was so successful that Playboy’s parent company, PLBY Group, said its year-over-year revenue grew by 63 percent and is now $69.4 million, thanks in part to Cardi B.
