20 of the Best Nicki Minaj Songs

It’s been a rapid road to the top for Nicki Minaj. The Queens, N.Y. native stepped on the scene as the First Lady of Young Money in 2009, with her “High as a Kite” track. Thanks to a verse from Weezy, the buzz around the former MySpace star was circulating just as the streets yearned for a rising female MC. She continued to deliver with a combination of playful banter and sexually-charged rhymes on 2009’s Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape -- which seemingly changed the game for Nicki. The club favorite “I Get Crazy” was just the beginning of her radio reign as she consistently delivered hits.

The "Anaconda" rhymer is the first female rapper to have four songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart simultaneously. She’s a 10-time BET Award winner (not to mention her additional seven BET Hip-Hop Awards nods), plus she’s also been nominated for a Grammy Award 10 times. It’s as if Nicki sneezes on a track then it’s a major hit. Think we're exaggerating? Let’s take a look at her track record. From the gate, she spread her rhymes over a host of songs before her debut album even dropped. Remember her epic verse on Yo Gotti’s “5 Star Bitch” remix, or Mariah Carey’s “Up Out My Face” or maybe even Robin Thicke’s “Shakin It 4 Daddy”? By the time Pink Friday dropped in 2010 -- just a year after signing her major label deal -- “Right Thru Me” was already dominating the airwaves and the charts.

Nicki was everywhere and showed no signs of retreat. She followed-up her sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, led by the Euro-pop hit “Starships,” which added another smash hit to her plethora of chart-toppers. With 2014's The Pinkprint, Nicki revealed yet another layer of talent, flexing her vocal chops on lead single “Pills N Potion” and baring her vulnerable side on tracks like “All Things Go.” In less than a 10-year span, the Head Barbz in Charge has not only managed to dominate on the music forefront but has also built a mighty empire with her own Myx wine brand, a clothing line and several fragrances. She’s also an actress too, starring in the April 15 release of Barbershop: The Next Cut.

But even with all of her endeavors, Nicki has continued to hit her lyrical exercises like no other. Sure, she has great featured verses alongside other artists, but she shines even brighter on her own records. Check out 20 Best Nicki Minaj Songs below.