The Nicki-Cardi Effect: How Rap’s Reigning Queens Are Helping Support Regional Hits and Rising Stars

As hip-hop moves further away from an era when female rappers seemingly have to be affiliated with a crew of men to secure legitimacy and launch their own careers, the genre’s reigning queens are helping a rising class of female rappers reach new levels of commercial success.

While there is merit to the argument that remixes are getting less creatively ambitious, they still have a certain gravity about them — especially when an established artist is joining forces with a burgeoning star. Perhaps the most tangible form of a co-sign, the remix has cemented itself as a savvy way for rappers with regional hits to bring those songs to the forefront of the national, and international, consciousness, while less established artists can prove that their hits have a life outside of TikTok trends and challenges.

Of course, there is also a benefit for the more established stars in this equation. Artists who have already cemented themselves in hip-hop’s current pantheon can reach young and more niche fans through these remixes, while also keeping their name afloat in the streets and on the charts, depending on the nature of the song. Remixes have also become part of the promotional campaign for imminent album releases from prominent artists; in anticipation for their proper lead singles, artists will hop on hot songs to keep their name in the conversation and set the stage for their own takeover. In Nicki’s case, her recent wave of remix aims to lay the foundation for her forthcoming Pink Friday 2 album cycle. For Cardi, while details on her sophomore record remain scarce, her string of remixes has allowed her to remain in the musical conversation despite not releasing a single of her own since last year’s “Hot S—t” (with Kanye West & Lil Durk).

But for those rising artists, being stamped by either proven hitmaker brings with it the attention of massive, devoted fanbases and A-list star power. In fact, Nicki/Cardi remixes are a reflection of the highly collaborative nature of contemporary female rap. From Monaleo and Flo Milli’s “We Not Humping (Remix)” to Gloss Up, K Carbon, Slimeroni, Aleza, & Lola Brooke’s “Shabooya,” female rap is thriving thanks in large part to the abundance of such crossover collaborations.

Below, Billboard breaks down the numbers behind these recent remixes, and examines the effect Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have on songs that they lend their voices and pens to: