Nicki Minaj has taken the social media “challenge” culture to another level by actually offering a lucrative prize for actual winners of her “Megatron Challenge.”
Not only is the “Anaconda” rapper offering cash prizes, but she’s also offering a possible spot on her new record label for winning participants who either perform a freestyle over the instrumental of her single “Megatron” or those who come up with choreography to the track.
Over the holiday weekend, Nicki Minaj shared the news of the #MegatronChallenge, offering $10,000 for the winner, $5,000 for the runner up, and $1,000 for third place.
Droves of participants took to Instagram and Twitter to share their freestyles. Some of them shared traditional freestyles while others chose to flip the beat and make “Megatron” their own.
Minaj’s challenge officially started on Saturday (July 5) and will run through Saturday, July 27. In addition to the veteran rapper offering a possible spot on her new imprint, she also offered a visit from herself.
The details regarding Minaj’s label are unclear, but according to Vibe, many moons ago, the rapper expressed interest in creating her own label called Pink Friday Records, named after her debut album. Minaj has reportedly signed a UK singer and songwriter named Parker who has collaborated with artists such as Rihanna, Quincy Jones, and G-Eazy.
Amongst the participants of Minaj’s “Megatron Challenge” are a few underground and indie rappers including Lady Luck, Yung Baby Tate, and Tokyo Jetz. A few newcomers like Omeretta The Great and Lilo Morton are included as well. Check out some of the freestyles below.
Lady Luck
Yung Baby Tate
Whitney Jaydee
Tokyo Jetz
Lilo Morton
Omeretta The Great
Matt Violinist
Dazene
Nastyelgic
Tori
Debbie No Cakez
Glennisha Morgan is a Detroit-bred multimedia journalist and writer. She writes about intersectionality, hip-hop, pop culture, queer issues, race, feminism, and her truth. Follow her on Twitter.