How Princess Diana Inspired Nicki Minaj's Album Queen
While it may not be obvious to compare New York rapper Nicki Minaj to British royal Princess Diana, the "Anaconda" rapper revealed that she used the historical woman from across the pond as inspiration for her 2018 album, "Queen."
The rapper's Barb fanbase has long dubbed Minaj as the queen of rap, but her fourth studio album, "Queen," was meant to solidify her legacy as such. Within the tracklist, Minaj positioned herself as the ultimate boss and she even clowned other male rappers with the song, "Barbie Dreams." The multi-hyphenate explained to Elle in 2018 how she veered away from the omnipresent trap songs that dominated the charts at the time when she was creating the album. "I feel like true icons shift music, uplift music, switch music, have the balls to take a chance," she posited to the publication.
While much of the sound for "Queen" was inspired by Notorious B.I.G.-era hip-hop, it turns out that Minaj was also influenced by beloved figure Princess Diana in an interesting way.
Nicki Minaj was drawn to Princess Diana's strength
In the leadup to her 2018 album, "Queen," Nicki Minaj explained how the People's Princess served as a source of inspiration due to her attitude and strength as a woman. Months before her album was released in August 2018, the rapper posted a clip to her Instagram in May from the bombshell 1995 BBC interview of Princess Diana interview after her separation from then-Prince (now King) Charles. In the clip, the ex-princess discussed how the royal institution viewed her "as a threat of some kind."
"I think every strong woman in history has had to walk down a similar path," Princess Diana answered as to why the royals were intimidated by her. "It's the strength that causes confusion and fear. 'Why is she strong? Where did she get it from? Where is she taking it? Where is she going to use it? Why do the public still support her?'"
Minaj — who long insisted that the powers-that-be perpetuated a 'Nicki Hate Train' against her — related to the Princess's sentiment. "God bless this woman's legacy & every woman who's ever felt like this," the rapper wrote in her caption, dubbing the Spencer-born royal as "#QueenDiana."
On her "Queen Radio" show in 2020 (via the Independent), Minaj once commended Prince Harry for leaving the royal family and related the situation to the death of his mother. "What happened with Princess Diana, we don't need a redo, a rerun, you feel me," she stated. "Everybody knows I love Princess Diana."
Nicki hopped on Ice Spice's 'Princess Diana' for history-making hit
Up-and-coming rapper Ice Spice created a whole song inspired by Princess Diana's graciousness. The viral rapper released the track, titled "Princess Diana," in January of this year, comparing herself to the former Princess of Wales. "Callin' my phone, but they know I don't answer (Why?) / In the hood I'm like Princess Diana (Grrah)," Spice raps in the first verse.
The "Munch (Feelin U)" rapper explained to Billboard in May how the song's concept originated from her fans online likening her to the British royal. "I saw all of my supporters being like, 'She's the People's Princess! She's Princess Diana!'" she recounted. "At first, I was confused ... But [then] I was like, 'F*** it, she's iconic.'"
Yes, so iconic that Nicki Minaj herself hopped on the "Princess Diana" remix that unexpectedly dropped in April. "When we come out, it look like Princess Diana on the street," Minaj ad-libs at the beginning of the historic Billboard hit for female rappers. The remix even made it into Forbes headlines for being more successful than its following 13 tracks on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart combined.
The "Barbie Tingz" rapper actually met Princess Diana's nephew and niece — Louis Spencer and Lady Kitty Spencer — while on her 2015 tour in London. Minaj joked on her Instagram how Louis "said he wants to marry [her]" and they took "wedding photos" together. Of course, the rapper is married to husband Kenneth Petty, but we would pay money to see Minaj's version of a royal wedding.