Whether good, bad, ugly, or somewhere in between, 2019 brought with it some of modern Pop culture’s most memorable moments.
Now, as the year draws to a close, TGJ is reflecting on 31 moments that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop landscape as we know it.
Next, we’ll look back on how 2019 was the year ‘Moment 4 Life’ rapper Nicki Minaj prioritized her personal life after a decade of dominating the female Rap game.
More inside:
From the underwhelming commercial performance of her fourth studio album, ‘Queen,’ to a highly publicized rivalry with Cardi B, her brother’s legal woes, and more, 2018 was unquestionably the most controversial year of Nicki Minaj‘s career to date (as we reported here). And, while 2019 was much less so for the Rap diva, it still brought with it no shortage of jaw-dropping headlines.
In addition to kicking the year off with reports of putting the final touches on her fifth studio effort (as we reported here), Minaj embarked on a tour in support of its predecessor. Despite acclaim from concertgoers, the European jaunt was riddled with bad press due to a slew of technical difficulties and cancellations.
As if those mishaps weren’t enough, the Grammy nominee’s year was also rocked by the commercial failure of highly touted comeback single, ‘Megatron’ (as we reported here), as well as clashes and fallouts with BET (as we reported here), Joe Budden (as we reported here), Rick Ross (as we reported here), her longtime management team (click here to read more), and more.
The wave of negative press is what some believe led the rapstress to announce her sudden retirement at just 36-years-old.
Garnering mixed reactions from fans, affectionately called #Barbz, the announcement was barely two months old before it was confirmed she had jumped the broom with beau Kenneth Petty.
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A roller coaster of a year indeed, Nicki – despite a retirement announcement – kept busy with business ventures including her successful ‘Queen’ radio show and a collaboration with Fendi. Moreover, music moves never slowed as she still managed to extend her reign in Hot 100 history books by way of a slew of singles she’s featured on. With a whopping 106 entries to her credit (as of time reported), she stands as the female act with the most career placements on the tally.
To commemorate the latter achievement, she is set to be presented the Game Changer Award at Billboard’s 2019 Women in Music ceremony on December 12. A great way to end the year if you ask us.
Regardless if 2020 brings motherhood or new music, one thing’s for sure: all eyes and ears will be on Onika.