Across
- 1. All-female collab Nicki said inspired the idea of Bang Bang
- 5. Nas track featuring Foxy Brown — helped mold her aggressive persona
- 9. Mobb Deep & Lil Kim remix Nicki shouted out for bar structure
- 11. Aaliyah’s track that Nicki has said deeply moved her
- 12. Tupac’s diss track — influenced Nicki’s battle-ready verses
- 15. TLC song that inspired Nicki’s relationship bars
- 17. Whitney song Nicki once said made her emotional growing up
- 18. Iconic Lil Kim song Nicki once quoted in early freestyles
- 22. Lil Kim’s debut album — a major influence on Nicki’s early style
- 23. Known for the colored wigs — influenced Nicki’s fashion+rap combo
- 25. Shaggy’s cheeky storytelling track that inspired Nicki’s narrative rap
- 28. Lil Kim & Junior M.A.F.I.A. collab that inspired Nicki’s glam rap edge
- 29. Mobb Deep classic — Queens anthem she called “essential”
Down
- 2. Foxy Brown & Jay-Z collab — early rap template for sexy boss energy
- 3. SWV song Nicki sampled on early unreleased freestyles
- 4. Lauryn Hill’s track she referenced as pure poetry
- 6. Another Lauryn Hill anthem that Nicki called “a blueprint”
- 7. Common’s lyrical masterpiece Nicki mentioned as inspiration
- 8. Salt-N-Pepa & En Vogue track she admired for women’s empowerment
- 10. Lil Kim track that showed Nicki boldness could sell
- 13. Missy Elliott song with an iconic visual Nicki references
- 14. N.O.R.E. track with a bold sound she admired
- 16. The Notorious B.I.G. classic that Nicki grew up listening to
- 18. Kelis ft. Too $hort — helped Nicki embrace her braggadocious side
- 19. Audio Two classic — inspired Nicki’s early flows
- 20. TLC anthem Nicki referenced as empowering
- 21. Warren G classic — helped shape Nicki’s taste in storytelling
- 24. Queen Latifah’s feminist anthem — Nicki has praised her legacy
- 26. Another Missy classic Nicki vibed with early on
- 27. Missy Elliott hit — inspired Nicki’s quirky delivery & visuals