Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj is coming out with a new album this spring along with a music video release and a rumored new alter ego.

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Commonly known for her debut album “Pink Friday,” with hits like “Super Bass” and “Did It On’em,” Minaj now prepares to release her fifth studio album. 

Minaj was asked on an instagram live about the personality for her new altar ego. “I’ma listen and I’ma figure something out so that this new personality can have their own whole vibe,”  Minaj said. 

Minaj has been known in the past to support her albums with a well-developed character, dedicated to adding another level of depth to her music. Several of her previous alter ego’s include Cookie, Roman Zolanski and Chun-Li, named after the iconic female Street Fighter character. 

An article in Music Times said, “After dropping her much-anticipated collaboration with Lil Baby, Nicki Minaj’s ‘Do We Have A Problem?’ amassed almost 2.5 million views on Youtube, not more than 24 hours after it was released.”

In Minaj’s new music video, directed by Benny Boom for “Do We Have A Problem,” the rap icon takes a different approach by starting the video off with a scripted storyline that might play into the personality of her new alter ego.

The first cutscene begins with Minaj in an interrogation room questioning a criminal source with her partner. After this, the video shows Minaj and her partner showing up to an auction, which is where we are introduced to Lil’ Baby’s character and a mysterious rich man with security and a questionable connection to Minaj, or as her partner refers to her, “Agent Nick.”

After his verse comes the second cutscene where it is revealed that Minaj’s character had been working with the dark horse her partner is trying to catch. Soon after this we get the third cutscene of her with Lil’ Baby in Cuba, counting money as they prepare to meet with agent Nick’s partner. 

After he makes the connections, and around the 8:25 mark, the music begins from her second song, “Bussin” which is played over snippets of the lethal scenes presented earlier in the video. Minaj’s nine-minute video provides a detailed storyline that guides fans to her vision for the songs as well as promotes her two new tracks all in one go.

Minaj has always been focused on music for the people. On a podcast called “DJ Buck & Friends,” she is asked how she stays relevant and on the top of her game after being in the industry for over a decade. “Never take for granted how in tune your audience is,” Minaj said in response.

She further elaborated by saying, “That X factor with me, was the genuine… genuine authentic relationship that I built with my fanbase at an early stage in my career.” 

I give “Do We Have A Problem?” and “Bussin” a solid 8.5, Minaj has been in the industry for a long time and she knows how to please her fans with complex ideas and cutting lyrics.