Rapper Nicki Minaj is a bankable brand, one rooted in hip-hop culture and easily translatable in the commercial market. Whether music, fashion, and now the food and beverage industry, fans seem to always want whatever the richest female rapper in history has to sell.
On Thursday, June 30, Rap Snacks partners Master P and James Lindsay announced exclusively through People magazine, Nicki Minaj will be the latest entertainer to join the company’s roster of brand ambassadors with her very own chip, the “Barbie-Que Honey Truffle.”
The Barbie-Que Chip
Named after her fanbase, the Barbz, the Barbie-Que chip was sure to be a hit at the Essence Festival, where the Young Money princess was headlining over the Fourth of July weekend in New Orleans.
At least that is what Lindsay, the brand’s CEO, believed.
He said, “Nicki Minaj is unquestionably one of the most disruptive forces in the history of rap. You’re talking about a woman who rewrote the rules of hip hop culture and happens to be a phenomenal entrepreneur, as well.”
“It just makes sense that as a brand disrupting the snack industry,” he said, “We align to push the bar even further. This is the beginning of a legendary partnership.”
No details of how much she will make off of her imprint have been revealed, but she joins Cardi B, who has two flavors, Fetty Wap, Lil Yatchy, Migos, Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Boosie Bada$$, Romeo Miller, The Notorious B.I.G., Moneybagg Yo, Master P, and Lil Durk among celebrities paid for their endorsements.
Rap Snacks: 28 Years in the Making
Rap Snacks was developed by Lindsay in 1994 with a $40,000 investment from Lindsay’s family and friends, Bakery and Snacks reported. Lindsay and Master P are partners in PJ’s Foods, and Miller is a limited partner in Rap Snacks, according to a company press release. Rap Snacks earned $30 million in revenue in 2019 Lindsay told Business Insider.
Hip-Hop Celebrity Clout
By partnering with some of the rap game’s most recognizable names, the brand has become one of the most visible hip-hop geared snack products over the last few decades. Rap Snacks has been featured on the “CBS Morning Show”, “The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” BET, Forbes and more. Most recently Rap Snacks has branched into beverages, having launched a five-flavored lemonade line with Lil’ Baby to debut in the Fall. Rap Snacks are sold in major retail stores across America, including Walmart, Kroger, and Target stores, among other outlets.
Rap Snacks Relaunch With Migos
The company did a relaunch in 2016 during the rebranding of Rap Snacks, Lindsay tapped rap group the Migos to be depicted on the packaging. That same year, Migos released a viral jingle, “Dab of Ranch” which led to a full song based on the group’s Rap Snacks bag of chips. The song boosted sales of Rap Snacks by about 30 to 40 percent, according to Lindsay. Rap Snacks are now they’re in convenience stores from Maine to Florida, some parts of the Midwest and Texas, as well as more than 4,000 Walmart stores nationwide.
The new packaging was a far cry from the 1990s packaging that featured Rap Snacks’ original mascot, MC Potato. MC Potato was a potato character that wore a hoodie and a fitted cap.
The Minaj Chip
The company is betting the addition of Minaj will take Rap Snacks to another level. After all, the female MC has proven to have major selling power within and outside of music.
Minaj’s reputation of guarding her brand and only choosing select products to stand by has made her a disruptive negotiator at any corporate table she sits at.
Afrotech also applauds how disruptive she is as a businesswoman, claiming that whenever she puts her attention on something consumers react.
The site reported when she only wore, not endorsed, a pair of croc shoes, they sold out within hours.
“According to Google Trends, ‘pink Crocs’ and ‘Nicki Minaj Crocs’ became the breakout searches of the internet, and fans reportedly crashed the retailer’s website with their searches as well,” Afrotech reported.
The chart-topper charges $250,000 each time she lays a track and considering a speculative estimation of her net worth ranges from $85 million to $100 million, she has accomplished something that few artists have ever in their lifetimes — amassed generational wealth for her and her descendants.
This has been accomplished by her selling over 5 million albums and 20 million singles (in the era of digital service providers [dsps] like iTunes or Amazon or streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, or YouTube Music that gives pennies on the dollar per play). She also makes millions when she decides to tour, reportedly scaling big bank from doing private performances and appearances for intimate crowds, Insider reports.
Folded in her financial portfolio was her hosting salary on Fox’s “American Idol,” where she earned $13 million for her ability to critique rising stars and new talent.
Then there is the acting, the voice-over work, the publishing, her eight different fragrance lines, her MAC Viva Glam campaign, deals with Adidas, Pepsi, Beats by Dre, nail polish OPI, and her 3 percent stake in Tidal, a music streaming service formerly fronted by Jay-Z, that Forbes values at approximately $600 million.
The new mother does this all with ease … and now with a little snack for her boardroom occasions.
