Not only has Nicki Minaj's pure rap talent contributed to her mega-success, but so has her stage presence and overall aesthetic. Minaj has a way of weaving wackiness and camp with saucy and sexy behavior. The woman is a range of personality, and one way she expresses that range is through her bold, memorable music videos.
At the time of publishing this piece, Minaj is planning to drop her next studio album – Pink Friday 2 – very soon (a release date is currently set for December 8, 2023). We're eager to see the visuals she cooks up this time around. But until then, we're counting down our Top 10 favorite Nicki Minaj music videos of all time.
Don't worry: there's a catalogue of old and new Minaj tracks within this list. Whether you prefer her music videos from the early Pink Friday days or her more modern visuals from the Queen era, we hope this countdown reminds you that Nicki Minaj is one hell of an artistic influence. To us, her style is everything.
10. "Beez in the Trap"
"Beez in the Trap" may be just another music video set in a club, but it's very well done and DID manage to snag a Best Hip-Hop Video nomination at the 2012 MTV VMAs. The visual was filmed in Miami and directed by Benny Boom. 2 Chainz makes a big cameo, as well.
We wonder if the barbed wire surrounding Nicki in some of the shots is a reference to her "barbz" fanbase? In any case, we feel those shots are a visual metaphor for how sharp and twisty Nicki's bars are. Also – you'll notice Minaj wears an animal print outfit when she stands next to 2 Chainz. It's a look she continues throughout a variety of her music videos.
9. "Barbie Dreams"
It's amazing the magic Nicki can make with just solid backgrounds, a rainbow of outfits, and some puppets. The design for "Barbie Dreams" may be simple, but in no way does it feel undercooked. In fact, its minimalism helps draw attention to the rhymes Nicki spits: about prominent male artists and athletes. (It's all in good fun, though, as most of the names she mentions are collaborators or friends.)
The video was directed by Hype Williams, who also directed the next visual on our list. Fun fact: the Muppets featured in "Barbie Dreams" all represent male rappers. They are (in order) 50 Cent, Meek Mill, 6ix9ine, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, and Quavo.
8. "Stupid Hoe"
The music video for "Stupid Hoe" looks like a modern art museum with a sugar rush. We'll admit: "Stupid Hoe" may not be our favorite Nicki song because of the low replay value (some people get REALLY annoyed by this track), but the visual for this thing is criminally underrated. Between Minaj's colorful makeup looks, her stunning facial expressions, blown-out cartoon-ish eyes, and those fast-paced shots that strobe like crazy, we feel this clip deserves way more love than it's received.
Upon its release, "Stupid Hoe" set a record by accumulating 4.8 million views during its first 24 hours of being uploaded to Vevo. That record was then broken by Rihanna's "Where Have You Been," which garnered 4.9 million, and later by Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" – which amassed more than 8 million views in 24 hours. You've got to admit: "Stupid Hoe" is so entertaining, wild, and hyper, that it's impossible to feel bored while watching it.
7. "Pound the Alarm"
A music video that is pure carnival! Filmed in Minaj's home of Trinidad, "Pound the Alarm" has our favorite lady rapper sporting feathery attire as she dances alongside a horde of hyped-up partiers. Nicki and her gang of girls literally all look like beautiful peacocks, and we can't get enough of the vibrant visuals.
Director Benny Boom, who filmed Minaj's "Beez in the Trap" and "Right by My Side" videos, also directed the "Pound the Alarm" video. Minaj is seen onstage holding a concert with Trinidadian artists: Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, and Fay-Ann Lyons. Many Trinidadian carnival characters appear in the video – such as Dame Lorraine, Blue Devil, Jab Jab, Moko Jumbies (people walking on stilts), and others.
6. "Ganja Burn"
Nicki Minaj gave us sultry Dune energy when she dropped the music video for "Ganja Burn" in 2018. She gives off sandy monarch vibes with opening titles about a generous queen, goddess-like costuming and shots, and an army of burly dudes defending her. The tone of the reggae-inspired song feels warm and wispy, and the production design of this video perfectly represents what you hear in your eardrums.
"Ganja Burn" was directed by Turkish-Welsh duo Mert and Marcus, composed of Mert Alaş and Marcus Piggott, who previously directed Minaj's video for "Regret in Your Tears" (2017). The aesthetics of this video match the theme of the album cover art for Queen (2018), which was also designed by Mert and Marcus.
5. "Super Freaky Girl"
Before Nicki and Ice Spice could conjure up the song and video for "Barbie World" (as heard in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie), Minaj created her own version of Barbie Land in "Super Freaky Girl." This song was meant to be something of Minaj's comeback, and the poppy aesthetics in this visual helped to make fans realize she'd returned. There's a plethora of pink, a cameo by Alexander Ludwig, and even some flamethrower action.
The video is partly a nod to Desperate Housewives, as the setting in the video is similar to Wisteria Lane. Minaj also makes a Rick James homage when she sports glasses and a guitar in her Barbie box. All this plastic, fantastic action helped "Super Freaky Girl" rake in a Video of the Year nomination at the 2023 VMAs.
4. "Chun-Li"
Starting off with black and white clips with sensual narration by Minaj, the video for "Chun-Li" takes the braggadocious bop and gives it a whole new level of artistic sophistication. We feel like we're watching a shadowy, superhero-infused Takashi Miike film whenever we press play on this thing. Nicki proudly sports Chun-Li buns, as well as a light-up suit and glittery lipstick. Her looks in this thing are LEGENDARY.
"Chun-Li" was directed by Steven Klein through Good Company Pictures. Despite criticism from Cosmopolitan and Teen Vogue that the visual perpetuates Asian stereotypes, the video went on to win the Best Hip-Hop Video award at the 2018 VMAs and led to a show-stopping performance on SNL. Whatever side you're on in the cultural appropriation debate around this video, we will say we appreciate how much it shows Miss King Kong rockin' her kingdom.
3. "Starships"
This video easily makes us want to "go to the beach-each" with Nicki. "Starships" was released back in 2012 as part of Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded rollout. In the visual, she is beamed out into a gorgeous Hawaii setting from a flying saucer.
The concept is simple, as it just shoes Minaj partying with locals on the island. But what makes the video exemplary is the well-composed shots, the costume design and variety of amazing wigs Nicki wears, and of course, her energy. You can tell she was having fun while filming this. This is one of those neon-filled music videos that makes us miss the early 2010s so much. With all those ocean waves and lava blasts, "Starships" easily won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video in September 2012.
2. "Super Bass"
"Super Bass" is what launched Nicki into the mainstream. So of course, the music video for the song is full of eye candy. From the pink wig-clad background dancers and their fun choreography to ethereal pool and glow-in-the-dark sets, "Super Bass" perfectly captures the essence of early 2010s style. In fact, we think Nicki may have partly influenced the aesthetic of the era through this visual alone.
After "Super Bass," Minaj became something of an MTV darling. This video won the 2011 MTV VMA for Best Hip-Hop Video back in 2011, and was also nominated for Best Female Video. It was also highly acclaimed by critics, with Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly stating there is plenty of "eye candy" for both men and women, and Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun saying the video "looks like a comic book come to life." We would give anything to be wearing that uniform of white tank tops, denim short shorts, different colored bras, and different colored work boots. But only if we can dance alongside Nicki!
1. "Anaconda"
Nicki Minaj broke the entire internet and created a cultural reset when she dropped "Anaconda" in 2014. This raunchy, booty-licious banger was released as part of The Pinkprint. The erotic jungle-themed visual was directed by Colin Tilley and shot in Los Angeles. We personally believe this visual is what made twerking cool, as "Anaconda" broke the 24-hour streaming record on Vevo by accumulating 19.6 million views in its first day of release. (By doing so, it smashed the record previously held by Miley Cyrus for "Wrecking Ball" in 2013.)
There are so many iconic shots and settings in this thing, we're not sure if we can get into them all. Besides the opening rainforest cuts, we also get eye-pleasing aesthetics of Nicki wearing a pink bra and dancing with a girl crew in a white atmosphere, Nicki lifting tiny weights in a "jungle gym," some sexy kitchen action from our fearless Barbie, and shots of her giving the one-and-only Drizzy a lap dance. The masterful choreography throughout this song is what sells it. Lots of intricate formations, energy from Nicki and the background dancers, and of course, butt-shaking.
Some people, like NBC host Al Roker, called this video "vile" and "desperate" when it was released. Others – such as Billboard – have named it one of the greatest videos of the 2010s. Despite all the controversey "Anaconda" caused when it was dropped, it won the VMA for Best Hip-Hop Video, and went on to gain a billion views on YouTube: being the first female rap solo song to do so.
READ NEXT: Top 10 Nicki Minaj Songs
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Article Image: Nicki Minaj poses for the camera while wearing a colorful cotton ball dress and a beehive hairdo in a 2011 photoshoot. (Christopher Macsurak [CC BY 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)
