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Colombia's Karol G is a best-selling, chart-topping, award-winning vocalist known for her soulful mix of reggaeton, pop, and dance-oriented R&B. Her many collaborative singles appearances with other urbano stars -- including Nicky Jam, Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Maluma, and Pitbull -- regularly placed inside the Top 100, while their accompanying videos garnered hundreds of millions of views. Though she issued her first single at 16 in 2007, she struggled for the next decade to establish herself in reggaeton because it was a male-dominated genre. It took ten years, more than a billion YouTube views, and hundreds of millions of music streams before she could release her debut LP, Unstoppable, in 2017. Two years later, her profile rose to the level of a bona fide star thanks to chart-topping singles such as "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj, "China" with Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, and J Balvin, and "Ocean," the title track from her number 22 sophomore long-player. In 2020 Karol G was a nearly constant presence on the charts with many collaborations -- including "Enjoy Yourself" with Pop Smoke and "Follow" with Anuel AA -- and solo singles such as "Ay, Dios Mío!" and "Bichota." In March 2021, she issued her third long-player, the chart-topping KG0516. Her fourth set, 2023's Mañana Será Bonito, took her to even greater heights, winning multiple Grammys into 2024.

Born Carolina Giraldo Rivera in Medellín, Colombia, in 1991, Karol G was interested in music from a young age, influenced by her father, a working musician. After high school, she studied music at the University of Antioquia. Her first break came in 2010 when she competed on Colombia's version of The X Factor, El Factor X. Two years later, her profile was raised even higher after duetting with Colombian reggaeton singer Reykon on the single "301." In 2013, Karol G released her first solo single, "Amor de Dos," featuring Nicky Jam. Several more well-received singles followed including "Ricos Besos," "Manyana," and "Ya No Te Creo." In 2016, she delivered the Daniel Echavarria-produced single "Casi Nada." The following year, "Ahora Me Llama," a collaborative single with Bad Bunny, became a hit. It was featured on her debut full-length, Unstoppable, which was released in October 2017, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

She returned in early 2018 with the saucy single "Mi Cama." Another track, "Punto G," followed in 2019 and took home the year's award for Best Song at the Premio ASCAP ceremony and was nominated for three Billboard Latin Music Awards. In April 2020, Karol G and Anuel AA released the collaborative single and video "Follow." Recorded while the pair quarantined in Miami, the video rang up 20 million views in its first four days. Another song, "Ay, Dios Mío!," arrived in July 2020 and reached number five on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, while its video garnered more than 400 million views. She also collaborated with the Jonas Brothers on the track "X," which debuted during the closing credits of the group's documentary film Happiness Continues. Karol G and the Jonas Brothers filmed the music video on their individual iPhones, then combined the footage to offer an innovative approach to music making videos during the pandemic.

Later that year, she joined Pop Smoke to collaborate on his Top 40 hit "Enjoy Yourself." Her single "Ay, Dios Mío!" charted in more than a dozen countries though not in the U.S. Its music video, however, registered more than 400 million views. She collaborated with Ozuna and Myke Towers on the number three "Carmelo," and in December released the anthemic "Bichota." It, too, peaked at number three on the Hot Latin Songs chart, while its video registered nearly 700 million views.

On February 2, 2021, just 16 days before her 30th birthday on Valentine's Day, Karol G released "Location" featuring Anuel AA and J Balvin. Its video rang up more than 130 million views during its first month of release, while it reached number five at Latin Songs. Her third album, the Grammy-nominated KG0516 (titled for the date she signed her first record deal) was released in late March. The 16-track set was co-produced with Ovy on the Drums. While it included her Latin Grammy-nominated "Tusa" with Nicki Minaj, as well as most of the singles from the previous year, much of the record included new music comprised of six solo performances and ten collaborations with artists including Mariah Angeliq ("El Makinon"), Ozuna ("Odisea"), Nathy Peluso ("Gato Malo"), Yandar & Yostin ("Sola Es Mejor"), and Ludacris and Emilee ("Beautiful Boy"). With KG0516, Karol G became the first female Latin artist to deliver a Spanish-language album that simultaneously entered the Global streaming and Top Latin Albums industry charts at number one. The video for "El Makinon" registered 28 million views in three days.

Karol G's success continued in 2022, first with the Becky G collaboration "Mamiii," and then with her own track "Provenza," both of which hit number one on multiple charts. Further collaborations with Maldy ("Gatúbela"), Romeo Santos ("X Si Volvemos"), and Ovy on the Drums ("Cairo") preceded her fourth LP, Mañana Será Bonito, which arrived in February 2023. It went on to win Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys, and was followed later in the year by the club-friendly mixtape Mañana Será Bonito: Bichota Season. A year after its release, Mañana Será Bonito took home the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album. By the end of 2024, Karol G had scored several more Top Ten Latin hits, including her Tiësto collaboration "Contigo" and "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido," the latter of which hit number one in several countries and topped Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. She also hit number four on the Latin chart with "+57," her star-studded track with Feid, DFZM, Ovy on the Drums, J Balvin, Maluma, Ryan Castro, and Blessd. ~ Matt Collar

Nicki Minaj's unique combination of ferocity and humor and a rap style built on razor-sharp wordplay, mercilessly blunt lyricism, and delivery that turns on a dime from sugary to snarling, has skyrocketed her from mixtape phenom to enduring global pop star. The rapper's early days included attempts at an acting career and losing her job at Red Lobster for being rude to customers, but she progressed quickly from MySpace demos to nationally adored mixtapes to household-name status. Pink Friday, Minaj's 2010 album debut, saw her appeal to a broader audience with a chart-topping reception. Although she has had similar success with later full-lengths such as 2014's The Pinkprint and 2018's Queen, her singles have made an even greater impact. In just over a decade, Minaj has hit the Top 40 over two-dozen times as a headliner with singles such as "Super Bass," "Starships," and "Anaconda." These and other highlights were compiled in 2022 for Queen Radio, Vol. 1, an anthology containing the number one hit "Super Freaky Girl" among its new songs. Her Top 40 entries as a featured artist are even more numerous and include Kanye West's "Monster," David Guetta's "Turn Me On," and Ariana Grande's "Side to Side." In 2023, Minaj finally released the long-awaited sequel to her debut with her fifth studio album Pink Friday 2.

Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj in 1982. Born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago to parents who were both gospel singers, she lived with her grandmother in Saint James until the age of five, when she joined her mother, who had relocated to Queens, New York. In high school she discovered the performing arts, setting her sights on acting as her main pursuit. She eventually transitioned into music, working as part of a group called the Hood$tars in the early 2000s before going solo. In 2007 she was discovered by Dirty Money Entertainment CEO Big Fendi, who happened upon her demos on MySpace and signed Maraj to the label. At Fendi's suggestion, Maraj took on the stage name Nicki Minaj, jumbling her last name to reflect a more ruthless persona. Dirty Money Entertainment released both her 2007 debut mixtape, Playtime Is Over, and its 2008 follow-up, Sucka Free. Industry buzz was already surrounding Minaj on her earliest releases, and these mixtapes featured guest appearances from stars like Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, and Lil' Kim.

The 2009 mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty was a favorite among a growing fan base and included her first songs to hit the Billboard charts. In August of 2009 Minaj signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, becoming the label's first female artist. The floodgates opened from there, as Minaj made cameo appearances on tracks from Gucci Mane, Kanye West, Pusha T, and others as well as offering verses to hits like "Bedrock" and "Roger That" from the 2009 Young Money collaborative album We Are Young Money. An official non-mixtape debut album came in the form of Pink Friday, released in November of 2010 but preceded by the hit singles "Your Love" and "Check It Out." The album saw her leaning more into a pop style than the hard-edged rap of her mixtapes, but the hybrid of the two proved immediately successful, and the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, selling upwards of 375,000 copies during its first week alone. She earned a handful of 2011 Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance. An all-out media blitz followed between albums, with extravagant performances at award shows across the globe, an appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and joining Madonna -- alongside M.I.A. -- for her Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.

In early 2012, the Euro-dance-influenced single "Starships" signaled the coming of her official sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, an album built around her devil-may-care alter ego "Roman Zolanski." Guest artists included Nas, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, and Beenie Man, while production came from the likes of RedOne and Ke'Noe. The album hit number one on the U.S. album charts, driven by a Top Ten showing for "Starships," and "Va Va Voom" also reached the Top 40. By the end of 2012, Minaj had been announced as a judge for the 12th season of American Idol, although she left at the end of the season. It hardly affected her success, as she set two career records during 2013: the most-charted female rapper in the history of Billboard's singles chart, and the first person to win Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards four times in a row.

In December 2014, Minaj released her third studio album, The Pinkprint. First single "Lookin Ass" was also featured on the Young Money compilation Rise of an Empire released in March of that year, while follow-up "Anaconda" was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 2015 Grammy Awards. Filled with songs about guilt and failed relationships, the album was well received by critics and debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Throughout 2016, Minaj guested on numerous singles, including DJ Khaled's "Do You Mind" and Ariana Grande's "Side to Side," and she also released her own "Black Barbies." In 2017, she issued a trio of stand-alone singles: "Regret in Your Tears," "Changed It" with Lil Wayne, and "No Frauds" with Lil Wayne and Drake. The latter track went gold and broke into the Top 20 of the Hot 100 and Top Ten of the R&B and rap charts. That year, she also appeared on the Migos track "MotorSport" with Cardi B, and on Jason Derulo's "Swalla" with Ty Dolla $ign.

She returned with the singles "Chun-Li" and "Barbie Tingz" in spring 2018, paving the way for her fourth studio album, Queen, which arrived in August of that year. In addition to third single "Bed" featuring Ariana Grande, the LP also features guests Labrinth, Eminem, Lil Wayne, the Weeknd, Future, Foxy Brown, and Swae Lee. Upon release, Queen matched its predecessor with a number two debut on the Billboard 200. More singles arrived the following year, including the non-album track "Megatron," "Tusa" with Karol G, "Trollz" with 6ix9ine. Minaj was also featured alongside Murda Beatz on PnB Rock 2019 track "Fendi." In February 2020, the rapper returned with her own stand-alone song "Yikes." Minaj's third mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty was reissued in 2021, eleven years after its original release. The project was given new cover art and the track listing was altered somewhat, omitting some of the songs from the original 2009 release and including several new tracks. This new version of Minaj's breakout project debuted in the number two spot on the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting mixtape from a female rapper up to that point.

Throughout the early 2020s, Minaj continued her usual bevy of guest features and collaborations, appearing on tracks by Doja Cat, former Little Mix vocalist Jesy Nelson, BIA, and Elton John. In 2022, she scored more hits as a lead artist with the Lil Baby collaborations "Do We Have a Problem?" and "Bussin," then topped the pop chart with "Super Freaky Girl." All three of these singles were included on Queen Radio, Vol. 1, a celebratory anthology released that August. Minaj kicked off 2023 with the flamenco- and trap-inspired "Red Ruby da Sleeze," which she followed with a feature on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's "WTF," as well as collaborative singles with Ice Spice and Kim Petras, spots on tracks from Lil Uzi Vert and Sexyy Red, and a very on-brand take on Aqua's "Barbie World" (again with Ice Spice) for the Barbie soundtrack Barbie The Album.

In September of 2023, Minaj released the slow-moving R&B song "Last Time I Saw You" following "Super Freaky Girl" as the second single to precede her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2. A sequel to her 2010 studio debut, it had been in the works since 2019 and finally arrived in December of 2023, on the rapper's 41st birthday. Boasting a bevy guest spots from J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, and more, it found Minaj continuing to balance an array of pop, hip-hop, trap, and R&B sounds. The album topped both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts, and spawned singles into 2024, including "Everybody," "Press Play," and "Big Difference." In January 2024, she also released the non-album single "Big Foot." ~ David Jeffries & Fred Thomas