Nicki Minaj's Wordplay in Pink Friday 2

The Barb or the Bard? Let us appreciate the Queen of Rap's pen game. A Nicki Minaj double entendre knows no bounds and her verses will be the literature studied in 31st Century school anthologies - Shakespeare is quaking.

(This is a later added disclaimer: I am not a fan Nicki Minaj's recent flare-up of questionable behaviour, let's stay playful Nicki!)

At the risk of sounding like Genius lyrics notes for aliens, allow me to break down some of the best lines from her most recent album...

E! News

Barbie Dangerous:

Old hits, they still swingin'

Minaj's older 'hits' are still popular. The word 'hits', with swinging, also emulates boxing - she is still beating other rap artists in relevancy and sales.

They love the flow, they still streamin'

Flow is a rapper's rhythmic pattern and describes the movement of water. Streaming is listening to music on the internet but again, describes the movement of water. Minaj implies she achieves streams with flowing and continuous ease.

B*tches Jack and I'm still queenin'

The deck of cards motif in the song Barbie Dangerous is invoked here to say other rap b*tches are a Jack card whereas Nicki is the Queen, a higher value card in card games. The line also calls other rap b*tches jack sh*t, slang for 'nothing' whilst Nicki remains on top 'queenin'.

Red Ruby Da Sleeze

'Dorito - b*tches be mad that they nachos'

Minaj calls b*tches basic - a nacho is a more basic form of a Dorito.

However, nachos (especially in an American accent) also becomes a homophone for 'not chose'. Nicki appears to reference fellow rapper and collaborator, Ice Spice. (There is an Ice Spice lyric in which she claims there are chosen ones in music and many artists are 'not chose').

This line can be read as a diss at Megan Thee Stallion as rumours of a Megan and Nicki fall-out have been circulating. The meaning of the line can be interpreted as 'Dorito b*tches' are 'not chose' as Megan was in a Dorito commercial at the Superbowl (credit to Genius for this juicy information), making her the aforementioned 'Dorito b*tch'.

Pink Friday Girls

Red cups like double D's

Chanel bags everywhere, that's double C's.

Minaj says her red bra cups are size double D (DD). She is also wanting to fill her red Solo cups (the ones Americans tend to drink from at parties) with double shots, because 'double D's' sounds like 'double deez' (put doubles in these cups).

Nicki rhymes this by continuing the double letter theme, with 'double C's', describing the Chanel logo. Double - also emphasises that there are a large amount of Chanel bags 'everywhere' around her.

Billboard

Sorry if this read like it's your first day on Earth! This is just the tip of Minaj's lyrical talent iceberg.