Dancehall

Nicki Minaj Launches Own Record Label, Skeng Among First Signees

Nicki Minaj announced that she officially owns her own label and has signed dancehall artist Skeng among other new signees

Skeng Nicki Minaj
Skeng, Nicki Minaj

Skeng is among Nicki Minaj’s first signee on her new label.

Nicki Minaj is now the first female rapper to own a record label. She announced the career-changing moment on Friday and confirmed that she now owns her own record label, has hired one of the industry’s best A&R, and has signed four new rising artists. The Trinidad-born rapper also revealed that she signed four artists – Ghanaian artists Nana Fofie, Jamaican artist Skeng, Bronx rapper London Hill, and Rico Danna to her label.

The Queens rapper made the big announcement on her show, Queen Radio, while celebrating the release of her song, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which broke several records as it became the No. 1 song across all platforms within hours after its release.

“I’m not gonna announce the name but I have a record label now,” Minaj announced on her Queen Radio app minutes after she told fans to pop up on the app for an announcement.

“Because I believe so strongly in loyalty and because I spent my whole life giving you others that turned around and sh*t on me

The announcement comes a little over a year since Nicki Minaj first told fans that she was getting ready to announce her record label in January 2022.

Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj names Wendy Goldstein as the President of hew new label

Fans thought Minaj was announcing new music, but she had more in mind as she also revealed other details about the label, which includes that Wendy Goldstein as president of her label, which is an imprint of Republic Records. Goldstein has more than 30 years of experience in hip hop, having started at Epic Records in 1993 and later moved on as A&R at Geffen Records owned by Universal Music, where she signed artists like The Roots, Common, GZA, Mos Def, and The Bloodhound Gang.

While as co-president of Republic Records, she has also worked with superstars like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, John Legend, and others. London Hill, who was featured on Nicki Minaj and Skeng’s “Likkle Miss” remix (The Fine 9), also reacted to the big reveal on Friday night.

“I Told Ya I Was Cooking Just Wait On Me Yall Love Yall xoxooo,” she said.

Last October, Nicki Minaj appeared in a video with Rico Danna where she teased, “Big things coming” as she supported the artist’s song “Yeah Yeah.”

“Big things about to come…he got the Queen’s co-sign,” Minaj said.

Nana Fofie also appeared in the studio with Minaj as she did her Queen Radio broadcast. Fans also reacted to Nicki Minaj launching her own label and possibly being on the road to becoming the first female rapper billionaire.

“I’m Ngl I think #QueenRadio & @NICKIMINAJ label is going to live on way past her. Become an entity of its own! Whenever the queen spends her time curating something she leaves a *pink* imprint and takes up her well-deserved space in music culture,” one fan said.

“Nicki Minaj make history as being the first artist to debut in the 2010s rapper to create their own label. She also makes history as being the first female rapper to have a label,” another fan said.

Skeng has not yet reacted to Nicki Minaj announcement, but he recently shoot a music video with her in Trinidad while she was visiting her birth country for carnival.