Nicki Minaj hosted her Queen Radio show on Amp on Friday March 3, 2023, the live and interactive radio app from Amazon. During the show, Nicki announced that she will be launching her very own record label, with Paddy Dukes as her A&R and more details to be shared in the next Queen Radio. She also discussed her brand new single “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,”and brought artist and songwriterTate Kobang on the show to reveal that he wrote the hook as well as artist Nana Fofie, who she plans to work with on her label.
Fans with iOS who missed Queen Radio live can go to the Amp app to check out a replay of the episode now here.
Confessions From Nicki:
On revealing that she’s launching her own record label:
Nicki: “There’s a big announcement coming…Well, I have a record label now. And because I believe so strongly in loyalty, and because I’ve spend my whole life giving to others that turn around and s– on me…Paddy Duke is the first A&R on my label.”
“I’m not going to tell you guys the name of the label yet, right. But I’ll tell you guys that on the next show. We’ll do a next show pretty soon.”
On how Lil Wayne helped support her and how she wants to do the same for artists:
“Y’all know how I do stuff for people. That’s not even signed to me. Imagine what I’m going to do to the ones that signed.”
“When I came in this game I didn’t have no paperwork with Lil Wayne. But he had us on tour, he had us in a studio, he was getting on my mixtapes. So I understand the importance of having somebody else doing the heavy lifting for you. I understand why people are coming out and they’re so, you know, microwaveable and they’re here today and gone tomorrow, because there’s no structure. There’s no real person that believes in them. That’s like, ‘nah, I’m gonna make it my business to see you shine’. That’s why I never wanted to do a label before because I said to myself …unless I’m ready to really put these artists on I’m not gonna ruin anyone’s life.”
On the diversity that the label will have:
“…Don’t think my label is just rap, or black, or anything. We got some other genres of music.”
On working with Tate Kobang on “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” who wrote the hook and is featured on the track:
“Tate is one of the very best hook writers of the new generation. I almost didn’t want to tell people that, you know, I was affiliated with him because I don’t want that to affect his business. But he’s an artist and that’s him on that hook. He wrote that hook.”
On finding out about artists like Nana Fofie and Davido:
“I ended up finding out about her because she was doing mashups on YouTube. And that’s how I found out about Davido. Because I thought they were her songs and then the Nigerians came on my comments after and said ‘that’s Davido!’. I said, ‘okay, Nigeria.’”
In conversation with Nana:
I’ve been obsessed with you for a very long time…And I always promised you when I started…but I didn’t want to, you know, lock you into anything and if I wasn’t ready to do what I needed to do with you, what I think you deserve…you have one of the most beautiful singing voice. One of those effortless, warm voices.”
