All 16 Pop Culture Refs In "Pinkprint Freestyle"

Nicki Minaj delighted fans by releasing a new track on September 4th, and "The Pinkprint Freestyle" delivers. The track is 6 minutes long, and one thing fans might notice is that Nicki Minaj makes a ton of pop culture references in "The Pinkprint Freestyle." All Minaj's verses will surely send lots of people to Genius, though that isn't foolproof; Minaj complained that the lyrics posted had already contained an error by the fifth line.

The song's title references Minaj's 2014 album, The Pinkprint. Over the course of the track, Minaj shifts from section to section and from accent to accent, and proclaims her reign over the rap world, as she should. She also makes many references to pop culture, using them as clever metaphors in addition to referencing her friends, mentors, and competition in the rap world. Minaj hasn't released all that much new music recently, though she notably featured in Ariana Grande's "Side to Side," which they performed at the VMAs. "Pinkprint Freestyle" is worth the wait."

The song includes a shoutout to her fans, and Minaj has, as usual, used her fans to promote her track, which led to it trending. She's a pro at staying on top of pop culture, which she proves with these 15 references.

1. Lil' Wayne

Minaj gives a shout out to Lil' Wayne, her mentor, in the intro to the track. While she does this in a lot of her songs, it's especially relevant in light of Lil' Wayne's emotional tweets and seeming retirement.

2. Jay Z

Minaj raps that she introduced herself to rapper Young M.A. (whose track she's rapping over in "Pinkprint Freestyle") as a female Jay Z.

3. Meek Mill

For her, it's a reference to her boyfriend, but to the rest of us, the "super old PA case" is Meek Mill's buzzy trial, where Minaj testified.

4. TD Jakes

When Minaj says she's "ballin like TD Jakes," she's referring to the entrepreneurial megachurch minister, who is both ballin' and baldin.'

5. Harambe

Harambe, as you are surely aware, is the much memed gorilla who was shot at the Cincinnati Zoo while attacking a child. The deceased gorilla become the source of many irreverent jokes, including Minaj's contribution: "I'm draggin' these hoes like Harambe did the kid."

6. MYX Fusions Moscato

When she says, "But if you thirsty, I own a sangria," she's referring to her alcohol brand: MYX Fusions Moscato.

7. Foxy Brown

Minaj names drop her rap influence, specifying that she's not talking about the Foxy Brown character played by Pam Grier.

8. Bentley Mulsanne

Minaj makes reference to the Bentley Mulsanne a couple times in the track.

9. Michael Jordan

Minaj raps that she "come[s] back like Jordan in his flu game," referencing Michael Jordan's 1997 NBA win while very sick with the flu.

10. The ESPYS

Minaj says, "They know I ball like the n****s at the ESPYS," referring to ESPN's athletic awards.

11. Chanel

Minaj gives a shoutout to one of her favorite brands, asking her assistant Sinceré to get her Chanel bags.

12. The Wizard of Oz

Minaj references the children's classic when she says "me Dorothy and you Toto," basically saying that compared to her, you're a dog.

13. Aubry “Big Juice” Delaine

When the track references "Juice," it's referring to the song's producer.

14. Shabba Ranks

The Jamaican artist's song “Ting-A-Ling” is sampled in the middle of Minaj's track.

15. M.I.A.

In the last section of the son, Minaj sings lyrics from rapper M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes." M.I.A. herself tweeted in support of Minaj's freestyle.

If you are feeling out of the loop, I recommend you give Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint Freestyle" a listen; it's a pop culture education, and it's a super fun track.