Watch Nicki Minaj & Stephen Colbert Have a Hilarious Rap Battle on ‘The Late Show’

For the latest stop on her Pink Friday 2 promo run, Nicki Minaj returned to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday (Dec. 20) to chat about her new album and trade freestyle bars with the Emmy-winning host.

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“I’ll do the beat, you just be entertained,” Minaj quipped as Colbert clumsily attempted to make a lunchroom beat on his desk. “That’s not the beat I taught you last time I was here!”

Five years ago, when she was promoting her Queen album, Minaj showed Colbert how to make a simple beat and freestyle to it. Evidently, the Late Show host has spent the past half-decade honing his skills, because his retorts to Minaj’s bars shocked even the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper herself.

In a flow and rhythm taken from Pink Friday 2 breakout hit “FTCU” — lovingly renamed “F–k the Colbert Up” — Nicki spits, “High heels on for Stevie/ If I marry Stevie, he ain’t ever gon’ leave me.” In response, Colbert raps, “High heels or not, Nicki / You better hope you never meet my wife, Evie!” The hilarious comeback shocked Minaj into a few moments of silence before she and the audience broke out into uncontrollable laughter.

On the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated Dec. 23, 2023), “FTCU” was one of 14 Pink Friday 2 tracks to appear on the ranking — the most of any female rapper in history. Over on the Billboard 200, Pink Friday 2 became Minaj’s third No. 1 LP, making her the female rapper with the most chart-topping efforts. The new album is both the Queen of Rap’s long-awaited fifth studio album and the sequel to Pink Friday, her Billboard 200-topping 2010 debut album. The ever-expanding 24-track set sports collaborations with Drake, J. Cole, Lil Uzi Vert and more. Recent singles including “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” “Last Time I Saw You” and the Hot 100-topping “Super Freaky Girl” also appear on the tracklist.

During her interview with Colbert, Minaj revealed that she’s “still working” on the album. “I put more songs that entire week,” she said in reference to late-stage additions such as the 50 Cent-assisted “Beep Beep.” “My entire label looked like they were about to have heart attacks!”

With the promise of more new music, it looks like Minaj is prepping for an extended stay in Gag City — the A.I. kingdom her fans created in anticipation of Pink Friday 2. According to Minaj, who presumably is the head of state in Gag City, everyone is entitled to “a free mansion, free car and free canned goods” in her kingdom.

The “Super Bass” rapper’s conversation with Colbert also touched on her 3-year-old son, affectionately nicknamed Papa Bear. Minaj spilled about being a first-time mom, watching her son grow right before her eyes and, in turn, growing as a person herself. “My life was so selfish before he came here,” she gushed to the comedian. “Since this little human came onto Planet Earth, I can’t do anything without thinking about him first. There’s this thing that happens every day when I see his face, which is more than anything money could buy in the world. So, I’m really happy I pushed him out!”

Check out Nicki Minaj and Stephen Colbert’s hilarious rap battle above, and more clips from her interview below: