Nicki Minaj abandons new album, pauses music amid Roc Nation dispute

Nicki Minaj announced on social media Wednesday that she is abandoning plans for a new album and stepping away from music, blaming Jay-Z and executives at Roc Nation in a string of posts on X formerly known as Twitter. In a post that she pinned to her account, Minaj wrote, "Ok Im not going to put out the album anymore. No more music. Hope youre happy now JAYZ. Bye, Barbz. Love you for life," signaling an abrupt halt to a project fans had been expecting in March 2026.

Minaj opened the posts by saying Roc Nation executives had approached her seeking a "tour album" and a return to touring, a request she said she declined. "They came BEGGING the QUEEN for a tour album I said NOPE," she wrote, tagging Jay-Z. She also renewed public accusations that Roc Nation has worked to undermine her career, asserting the company used blacklists, social media bots and backchannel deals to limit her opportunities, and that she was not properly compensated after Tidal was sold in 2021. In other posts, Minaj asserted she is owed between $100 million and $200 million related to her stake in Tidal.

The rapper also targeted Desiree Perez, the chief executive of Roc Nation, alleging misconduct and...