Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne’s “Banned From NO” hits No. 1 on the Rap Digital Song Sales chart but is … More
Nicki Minaj makes a somewhat surprising return to the No. 1 spot on a single Billboard ranking this week. The celebrated rapper joined her longtime friend and collaborator Lil Wayne on a remix of his track “Banned From NO,” taken from his new album Tha Carter VI. Once Minaj hopped on the updated version of what was originally a solo cut, it became a strong seller.
Thanks to her massive and dedicated fanbase, the tune leads one tally — though it narrowly misses out on ruling another list, edged out by a fellow female powerhouse who was once seen as a true rival.
Nicki Minaj Loses No. 1 to Mariah Carey
“Banned From NO” opens in the runner-up space on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart this frame. It just misses giving both Minaj and Wayne another chart-topper, as “Type Dangerous,” Mariah Carey’s new single, starts at No. 1.
Minaj and Carey served as judges on American Idol together during the twelfth season of the reality series, which began in January 2013. It was the only time the two sat on the judging panel simultaneously.
The season was marked by numerous on-air spats between the two stars. They traded barbs both on camera and in the press for years afterward, and there was clearly tension between them. More than a decade has passed since that very public feud, and while they almost never mention each other anymore, it appears they still find themselves in competition on the charts from time to time.
Mariah Carey Still Trails Nicki Minaj
Carey may win the race to No. 1 this frame on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart, but Minaj remains far more successful overall. As “Type Dangerous” arrives, it becomes Carey’s third No. 1 and her seventh top 10 on the list of the bestselling R&B, hip-hop, or rap tracks in America.
Minaj, by comparison, has earned 27 No. 1s. As “Banned From NO” debuts, it becomes her one-hundred-and-sixth top 10 smash. To put their chart histories into perspective: Minaj has more No. 1s on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales ranking than Carey has total appearances, as “Type Dangerous” is just her twenty-sixth showing.
Nicki Minaj Does Hit No. 1 on Other Charts
“Banned From NO” does manage to open atop the Rap Digital Song Sales chart, a list for which “Type Dangerous” was not eligible. It also enters the all-genre Digital Song Sales ranking at No. 5 — just one space below Carey’s new tune. According to Luminate, the tracks were separated by fewer than 100 purchases.
