1 debut in the U.S., and continues to gather acclaim and rack up sales. The “WAP Challenge” is going viral on TikTok, and the lavish music video has surpassed 13 million views since its August release earlier this year.ĭirty rap songs are nothing new, however. That was before 'Anaconda,' the predecessor of 'WAP.' Sex has been a critical point of conversation since the conception of the rap and hip hop industry, but for so long, songs covering this theme have evaded the top spot on the charts and have been ostracized from the mainstream. The year was 2014, and pop culture already had its fair share of jaw-dropping moments. By August, the world saw the marriage of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Justin Bieber’s mugshot, and the steady rise of future pop titan Ariana Grande. Nicki Minaj quietly dropped one of the most influential records of her career that same year: “Anaconda.” It was a risky move for a well-respected and successful rap artist.

Minaj had built a name for herself with sugar-coated records like “Superbass” and “Starships,' and already earned the favor of radio stations and her younger audiences. She was even nominated for a Teen Choice Award the year prior.īut the cheerful, poppy sound Minaj built her empire of 'Barbz' on was nowhere to be found in “Anaconda.” Instead, it was replaced with heavy beats, hip-hop samples, and hardcore rap verses about sex, drugs and more sex.

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