Nicki Minaj

Anitta, BLACKPINK, Jack Harlow, J Balvin, Lizzo are just a few of the noteworthy artists who will also take the stage at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.

The annual honor comes after her latest single “ [Super Freaky Girl](http://www.complex.com/music/nicki-minaj-super-freaky-girl)” became her [first solo No. Eminem & Snoop Dogg, “From the D 2 the LBC” Lizzo, “About Damn Time” & “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” 1](https://www.complex.com/music/nicki-minaj-super-freaky-girl-debuts-no-1-billboard-hot-100) on the Billboard Hot 100. [Eminem](https://www.complex.com/tag/eminem) will be joined onstage by [Snoop Dogg](http://www.complex.com/tag/snoop-dogg/) for a performance of their song “ [From the D 2 the LBC](https://www.complex.com/music/eminem-snoop-dogg-from-the-d-2-the-lbc-video),” after releasing [Curtain Call 2](https://www.complex.com/music/eminem-curtain-call-2-greatest-hits-album), a greatest hits album spanning the last decade-plus of his career, [Jack Harlow](https://www.complex.com/tag/jack-harlow), [Blackpink](https://www.complex.com/tag/blackpink), [Anitta](https://www.complex.com/tag/anitta), [Bad Bunny](https://www.complex.com/tag/bad-bunny), [Lizzo](https://www.complex.com/tag/lizzo), and [J Balvin](https://www.complex.com/tag/j-balvin) are just a few of the other names who will be performing throughout the night. [Britney Spears](https://www.complex.com/tag/britney-spears), [Beyoncé](https://www.complex.com/tag/beyonce), and [Kanye West](https://www.complex.com/tag/kanye-west).

At the 2022 MTV VMAs, Nicki Minaj received the Video Vanguard Award — and delivered an iconic performance and speech to pair with the honor.

[“Moment 4 Life,”](https://www.bustle.com/p/are-nicki-minaj-drake-still-friends-their-collabs-over-the-years-are-a-timeline-of-their-relationship-58868) she was also nominated for Song of Summer (“Super Freaky Girl”) and Best Hip-Hop (“Do We Have a Problem?”) at the VMAs. Serving alongside [Jack Harlow](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/who-is-jack-harlow-dating) and LL Cool J as co-host of the VMAs, [Nicki Minaj](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-kenneth-petty-relationship-timeline-dating-married-husband) entered the show on a personal high — with her single [“Super Freaky Girl”](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-net-worth-songs-rapper-instagram) debuting at No. “I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. “I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” she added. Fans also celebrated Minaj’s emotional acceptance speech, for which she was introduced by actual Barbz. [Kanye West,](https://www.bustle.com/style/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-tribute-the-incredibles-film-swimwear-pictures-instagram) [Beyoncé,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/beyonce-vmas-photos-best-mtv-video-music-awards-moments-performances) [Madonna,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/beyonce-madonna-break-my-soul-queens-remix-icons) [Mariah Carey,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/dan-levy-mariah-carey-honey-25th-anniversary) [Eminem,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/super-bowl-halftime-eminem-kneeled-nfl-colin-kaepernick) [Britney Spears,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/britney-spears-reacts-to-hold-me-closer-no-1) and [Rihanna,”](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/fenty-ketchup-will-hold-you-over-until-rihannas-new-album) who “gave me huge opportunities that I’ll never forget.” Fortunately, Minaj’s device was brought up to her, and she was able to thank a lot of people, including [Juice WRLD,](https://www.bustle.com/p/juice-wrlds-death-at-21-sparked-tributes-from-drake-camila-cabello-more-19433663) and [Nipsey Hussle,](https://www.bustle.com/p/celebrity-tributes-to-nipsey-hussle-show-how-much-the-late-rapper-will-be-missed-17000320) too, in addition to honoring loved ones in her personal life such as her dad, [Robert Maraj](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-updates-fathers-death) (who died in a hit-and-run last year), her cousin Richard, and her business manager Angela Kukawski. [Taylor Swift,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/memes-tweets-about-lizzos-vmas-performance-taylor-swift-dancing-reaction) [Chlöe Bailey,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/chloe-x-halle-on-ungodly-hour-beyonce-their-rituals) and [Lil Nas X.](https://www.bustle.com/style/lil-nas-x-vitaminwater) But perhaps most importantly, Minaj received the Video Vanguard Award — an honor that has previously gone to [Rihanna,](https://www.bustle.com/style/rihanna-pregnancy-style) [Beyoncé,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/beyonce-net-worth-grammys-renaissance-albums-tours) [Madonna,](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/beyonce-thanks-madonna-flowers-for-break-my-soul-remix-instagram) and other iconic recipients. [memorable VMA moments](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/nicki-minaj-vmas-photos-wildest-mtv-video-music-awards-moments) — from debuting her signature pink hair in 2010 to delivering the [much-memed “Miley, what’s good?”](https://www.bustle.com/articles/108217-13-hilarious-mileywhatsgood-memes-that-prove-that-nicki-minaj-was-the-vmas-mvp) in 2015 — so it’s no surprise that her Video Vanguard performance and her speech will also take up major space in the history books. [2022 MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/2022-mtv-vmas-nominations-list-lil-nas-x-harry-styles) didn’t just have one emcee.

2022 VMAs host and Video Vanguard Award winner Nicki Minaj has a history of taking the battle from rap to real life, feuding publicly with everyone from ...

Shots were first fired between Minaj and Iggy Azalea in 2010, when the then-unknown “Fancy” rapper tweeted “lmao at nikki saying she did the bet awards live. “When Nicki walked off the set, people heard her say if she had a gun she would ‘shoot that bitch.’ ” As judges on Season 12 of “American Idol,” Minaj and Mariah Carey were notorious for throwing shade — at each other. Cardi B ended up hurling her red shoe at Nicki and then was escorted out of the Plaza with a knot on her forehead from getting hit herself. Shortly after that, Minaj clapped back while accepting the award for best hip-hop video at the VMAs being hosted by — you guessed it — Cyrus: “And now, back to this bitch who had a lot to say about me the other day in the press. Nicki vs.

Nicki Minaj performed at the 2022 VMAs for the first time in four years and the show was spectacular. Read about it here.

On top of the super renowned award she’s already set to take home, Nicki is also nominated for her single “Do We Have a Problem?” in the Best Hip Hop category. Nicki Minaj has not been to the VMAs in a few years, but the show she just gave us just made up for all the lost time. Like, Madonna, Janet Jackson, J.Lo and and Missy Elliott were all prior awardees of the honor as well as David Bowie and The Beatles.

Whenever rap's reigning monarch Nicki Minaj takes the stage, the New York-reared diva wows not only with her talent, but with her royally outrageous ...

And as a nod to her affinity for cutouts, the clever couture, which she styled with a head full of knee-length locks, featured peekaboo peepholes on her breasts. Around her waist, Minaj sported a chiffon skirt atop the crème-colored onesie, which gave audiences a great gander at her bountiful behind. And almost as memorable as the flossy finery was her legendary [“Miley, what’s good?”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrVx6vSUfS4) sound bite from the night. The dress, which was allegedly so tight that the “Starships” siren could barely walk, gave fans a sneak peek at the star’s copious cleavage and curves. [her cool-girl swag](https://pagesix.com/2014/03/11/nicki-minajs-wildest-styles/), Minaj turned heads at the 2011 VMAs by wearing a metallic purple mini dress atop a lacy pink tutu, star-printed tights and thigh-high socks covered in colorful anime cartoons. The “Super Bass” bombshell, who performed with

Nicki Minaj took the stage at the 2022 MTV VMAs to accept the Vanguard Award and mentioned the likes of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

and I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of you, I don’t take that for granted. The moon person recipient also thanked “key people” that inspired her including Lil Wayne, Foxy Brown, Lauren Hill, Jay-Z, Slick Rick and Doug E. “I wrote this down, I don’t know why y’all but this is what this was in my spirit to say, I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” Minaj said at the Prudential Center.

After a show-stopping medley performance, Minaj accepted the coveted Vanguard Award on Sunday night at the 2022 VMAs.

She closed off her performance in front of her Barbie dollhouse as she rapped to “Moment 4 Life” and Chlöe Bailey mouthed the lyrics. Minaj then put her hand to her chest before her biggest hit, “Super Bass,” walking into the audience as Taylor Swift rapped along. The rapper/pop star has been nominated for 17 VMAs over the course of her career and won five. After grabbing her phone from someone in the crowd, Minaj started her speech by thanking a slew of rappers who came before her for “inspiring her flow,” including Lil Wayne, Foxy Brown, and Lauryn Hill. “Mommy loves you so so so so so much,” she said. “I don’t know why y’all, but this was in my spirit to say: I wish Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” she said.

In her acceptance speech, the “Super Freaky Girl” rapper called for mental health to be taken more seriously, "even for the people who you think have the ...

I wish Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD and Nipsey Hussle were here.” “I never ever in my life have written a speech and today I jotted something down on my phone,” Minaj began. “You guys are my babies but I have a new baby. She continued, “I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. Calling her the “reigning queen of hip-hop,” the group presented Minaj with her Video Vanguard Award. She also thanked “people who gave [her] huge opportunities that [she’ll] never forget,” such as Kanye West, Beyoncé, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Eminem and Rihanna. Minaj thanked “key people that inspired” her, including Lil Wayne, Foxy Brown, Lauren Hill, Jay-Z, Slick Rick and Doug E. I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. Minaj went on to thank “all the artists producers and writers who have contributed to any of my projects,” as well as “the people who allowed me to feature on their work.” In thanking her devoted Barbz fanbase, Minaj also shouted out her son, nicknamed Papa Bear, whom she welcomed in 2020 with husband Kenneth “Zoo” Petty. [VMAs 2022](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/vmas-2022/) [Lizzo Appears to Reference Comedian Aries Spears’ Fat-Shaming Comments in VMAs Speech: “B****, I’m Winning”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/mtv-video-music-awards-lizzo-voting-1235207447/) [VMAs 2022](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/vmas-2022/) [Red Hot Chili Peppers Dedicate VMAs Global Icon Award to Foo Fighters Drummer Taylor Hawkins](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/red-hot-chili-peppers-vmas-global-icon-award-1235207445/) [VMAs 2022](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/vmas-2022/) [Lizzo Gets the Crowd “Ready” by Performing a Pair of ‘Special’ Singles at MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/lizzo-performs-mtv-video-music-awards-1235207621/) “I have to thank Drizzy for always saying the things I need to hear to get back in the game,” Minaj shouted out to fellow rapper and close friend The rapper began her performance in a Nicki-themed Barbie box, followed by a medley of her greatest hits over the years, including “Roman’s Revenge,” “Bees in the Trap,” “Chun-Li,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Super Bass” and “Anaconda.” Dressed in her signature pink wig, Minaj closed out her performance with a live rendition of her newly released single, “Super Freaky Girl.”

Nicki Minaj urged people to take mental health seriously while accepting her 2022 MTV VMAs Video Vanguard Award. Watch her speech.

This week, Minaj also accomplished a new career feat: [netting her first solo](https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/nicki-minaj-celebrates-hot-100-debut-balloons-son-papa-bear-1235129966/) [Billboard Hot 100](https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100) No. [Vanguard recipient](https://www.billboard.com/lists/mtv-vmas-video-vanguard-award-winners-list/1985-russell-mulcahy/) since 2019’s winner Missy Elliott. “I wish Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here,” she shared. “I wish people understood what they meant and were going through. She then saluted her Young Money cohort Drake for “saying the things that she needed to hear” to stay focused. Met by a crew of her most devoted Barbz, Minaj expressed gratitude toward her rap counterparts and supporters.

Nicki Minaj performed a medley of her greatest hits at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards before accepting the Video Vanguard Award. In her acceptance speech, ...

[Kenneth Penny, raped her in 1994](https://www.thecut.com/2021/12/nicki-minaj-sued-by-jennifer-hough-what-to-know.html). The rapper accepted the 2022 MTV Video Vanguard Award (formerly known as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award) on Sunday after a lengthy performance of hits, culminating in her new single, “Super Freaky Girl,” which just became her first solo [Billboard number 1](https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1561778076949925890). She ended her speech with a special shout out to her son, who she calls Papa Bear: “Mommy loves you so much!” Minaj returned to the stage later in the show to fulfill her much-hyped emcee duties. Minaj’s appearance is not without controversy. I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. She then went on to give a shoutout to Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, saying, “I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here.

The rapper took over the Video Music Awards with her jaw-dropping performance.

She then paused, saying, "I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. There was also a shout out to Drizzy, a.k.a. [Drake](https://parade.com/1275920/jessicasager/drake-net-worth/), who she said "always [says] the things I need to hear to get me back in the game." [thank you](https://parade.com/1214874/michelleparkerton/thank-you-messages-card-note/)," before naming the people who she said "inspired my flow." [Nicki Minaj](https://parade.com/news/nicki-minaj-announces-6-part-documentary-trailer) was honored with the Video Vanguard Award at the [2022 MTV Video Music Awards](https://parade.com/news/taylor-swift-2022-mtv-vmas-diamond-dress), and she did not disappoint with her performance and acceptance speech.

Nicki Minaj won the Video Vanguard award at the 2022 VMAs. This is what she had to say in her speech and a recap of her performance.

Minaj made sure to also honor her newest role in the world: momma bear. Once at the microphone, Minaj stumbled, revealing she had not brought her phone, which contained her speech, to the stage. I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. The performance was followed by a video montage of testimonials from her fans. I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. “I wrote people who gave me huge opportunities that I’ll never forget: Kanye West, Beyonce, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Eminem, Britney Spears, Rihanna.

The rapper took the VMA stage for the first time since 2018.

["Super Freaky Girl,"](https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/nicki-minaj-teases-sexy-new-music-era-by-sampling-rick-james-super-freak-187255) which has become the rapper's first No. "I wish Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD and Nipsey Hussle were here." She began by acknowledging "all of the key people who inspired me," a list that included Lil Wayne, JAY-Z and Lauryn Hill. Mommy loves you so, so, so, so, so much." "I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here. Kevin Costner Teases 'Yellowstone' Season 5 and Reveals If He Kn…

Nicki Minaj paid tribute to artists who have inspired her when she was presented with the Video Vanguard Award at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.

"I wish that people understood what they meant and what they were going through. ... I wish Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld and Nipsey Hussle were here. "I wrote this down, I don't know why, but this was in my spirit to say: I wish that Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson were here," Minaj began.