Nicky Minaj, recognized as the “Queen of Rap,” has entered the metaverse with the debut of her virtual store in celebration of the launch of her latest album, “Pink Friday 2.”
The virtual storefront, dubbed “Nicki Minaj’s Gag City” and hosted on the Roblox metaverse platform, offers visitors the opportunity to discover and purchase Nicki-inspired digital collectibles and emotes. The virtual emotes draw inspiration from dance sequences featured in her hit music videos — including Anaconda, Starships, and Super Bass.
The digital collectibles draw influence from Nicki’s latest album, incorporating elements such as clothing and hairstyles showcased in its visuals. Among them is also an Anaconda Shoulder pet that visitors can collect for free.
The virtual space also incorporates a photography feature, allowing users to capture selfies in iconic scenes from Nicki’s music videos for sharing.
Released on Friday, December 8, coinciding with the rapper’s 41st birthday, Nicki Minaj’s latest album marks her return after a five-year hiatus. In honor of the occasion, fans crafted an AI-generated city named “Gag City,” an ethereal landscape immersed in Minaj’s signature bubblegum pink, similarly mirroring the virtual landscape offered by the Roblox platform.
While this marks Nicki Minaj’s inaugural foray into the metaverse, she joins the growing cohort of artists in the music industry embracing Web3 technologies to augment fan engagement and allure to newer audiences.
Noteworthy examples include American rapper Armani White, who conducted a live performance in the metaverse via the VRROOM platform in November. Similarly, rapper Lil Durk introduced his inaugural Web3 project, NXTG3NZ, in March, featuring a collection of NFT sneakers linked to physical counterparts.
