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Nicki Minaj has achieved her first No. 1 hit on the gospel charts, proving that her musical talents have no limits. Earlier in December, the Queen of rap released Pink Friday 2, her first studio album in five years. Nicki Minaj featured a variety of big names in the music industry, including gospel singer Tasha Cobbs-Leonard. The songstress featured on the track Blessings, which popped up near the end of the album. A few weeks after Nicki Minaj’s gospel song was released, the track hit the number one spot on the Gospel Songs Chart, making it the first time Nicki has topped this specific chart.
Nicki Minaj Achieves Her First No.1 Gospel Hit
In a surprising turn of events, Nicki Minaj recently accomplished a milestone that no one saw coming. Nicki Minaj scored her first No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart. The 41-year-old achieved the feat with her song Blessings, featuring superstar Cobbs-Leonard, even though the song wasn’t released as a single. According to a report from Billboard, the song garnered 3.1 million official U.S. streams in the December 8-14 tracking week. Additionally, Blessings sold 3,000 downloads and arrived at the top of both Gospel Streaming Songs and Gospel Digital Song Sales. What’s more, the track marked Cobbs-Leonard’s fifth time reaching the very top of the Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Nicki Minaj and Tasha Cobbs-Leonard’s First Collaboration
Blessings isn’t Nicki Minaj’s first gospel song. In 2017, the Grammy Award Winner and Cobbs-Leonard collaborated on the song I’m Getting Ready, making Nicki Minaj’s first gospel feature. While the song did well, despite not topping the charts, it received a lot of criticism, considering Nicki Minaj’s reputation. However, Cobbs-Leonard defended her collaboration with the rapper, giving reasons for her choice. Speaking to Essence in 2020, the 42-year-old explained that off the stage, Nicki Minaj had a great relationship with God.
According to the singer, her assignment with the song was for a particular audience, and Nicki Minaj exposed that audience in her way to the God she loved. Given Cobbs-Leonard’s revelation, it was not surprising to see the duo jump on another track together.