Nicki Minaj Aims To Edge Out Travis Scott For #1 By Retroactively Adding “Fefe” To Queen

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Nicki Minaj Aims To Edge Out Travis Scott For #1 By Retroactively Adding “Fefe” To Queen

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Travis Scott’s Astroworld debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week, finally dethroning Drake’s Scorpion and its five-week reign of terror. But next week, Scott will have to duke it out with Nicki Minaj, who released her new album Queen on Friday. According to Billboard, industry forecasters predict that both Astroworld and Queen will earn around 160,000 equivalent album units in the week ending 8/16, leaving the two albums neck-and-neck.

If Queen does beat out Astroworld, it’ll make Nicki the first-ever female rap artist with three #1 albums. Nicki really wants that to happen; her last album, 2014’s The Pinkprint, debuted and peaked at #2, shut out by one Taylor Swift. And to help make that happen, Complex reports, she’s apparently decided to goose her streaming numbers by retroactively adding “Fefe,” her recent hit single with the controversial SoundCloud rap star Tekashi 6ix9ine, to the album.

“We added ‘FEFE,'” Minaj said during an interview with TIDAL on Tuesday. “Shout-out to my baby Tekashi. I love him. Because of streaming, we can update the albums.” The song was originally billed as a 6ix9ine track featuring Nicki Minaj. (In 2015, Tekashi 6ix9ine pled guilty to three felony counts of “use of a child in a sexual performance.” He could still face a prison sentence.) Queen’s numbers will also be bolstered by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer for her upcoming tour and merchandise/album bundles sold through her official online shop, including a 48-hour discount to buy Queen for $5.

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