Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century Podcast: Nicki Minaj (No. 13) & Eminem (No. 12)

On this week’s (Sept. 6) episode of the Biggest Pop Stars of the twenty first Century podcast, we check out a pair of rap savants: mixtape phenom turned Queen of Rap Nicki Minaj, and polarizing famous person turned dependable veteran hitmaker Eminem.

First, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Hip-Hop author Michael Saponara and Branded Producer and Social Manger (and No. 1 Barb on employees) Meghan Mahar to speak about how Nicki Minaj paved her personal lane in hip-hop and pop music during the last 15+ years. We set the scene of how inhospitable the mainstream was to feminine rappers within the late ’00s, and element how Nicki was nonetheless capable of develop into ubiquitous within the period’s high 40 — each because the main girl on her personal data and a scene-stealing visitor on numerous different artists’ — and the way her legacy was confirmed within the early 2020s with a pair chart milestones and a rising tide of youthful rappers and pop stars citing her as a formative affect.

Then, sizzling off their newest episode of Billboard Unfiltered, we now have Deputy Editorial Director Damien Scott and Deputy Director of R&B/Hip-Hop Carl Lamarre dropping by (at 49:30) to recap the unforgettable profession of Nicki’s “Roman’s Revenge” collaborator Eminem. We keep in mind simply how instantly earth-shifting Em’s influence felt upon his debut on the flip of the century, and the way his impossibly packed 2002 stays one of many peak years any artist of any style has had in our lifetime — and one it proved shortly unattainable for him to actually observe up. We then cowl the considerably rockier remainder of the last decade to return for Eminem, and the way he was capable of reaffirm his standing in rap and pop on the flip of the 2010s and efficiently transition into veteran hitmaker standing, which he holds to today.

Hearken to our newest under, make amends for our previous episodes right here, and be sure you subscribe to Billboard‘s Biggest Pop Stars of the twenty first Century collection wherever you get your podcasts! (New episodes will likely be revealed each Friday, following the publishing of our new Biggest Pop Star rankings for that week.)