Nicki Minaj proudly claims her title as the queen of rap, a status that extends beyond her fame and fortune to her extensive collaborations. She holds the record for the most collaborations with various artists, both in the United States and internationally.
One standout collaboration that showcased her versatility was in 2022, when the celebrated rapper contributed her talent to the anthem for the FIFA Fan Festival, joining forces with Maluma and Myriam Fares.
Released in November 2022, “Tukoh Taka”marked a historic moment as the first trilingual anthem ever featured in a FIFA event. In this lively track, Minaj delivered her verses in English and Spanish, while Fares sang in Arabic and Maluma performed in Spanish.
The track’s title is derived from Arabic, meaning “knock-knock”in English, a nod to the 2022 FIFA World Cup’s location in Qatar and its cultural roots.
Myriam Fares praises Nicki Minaj as one of her “favorite international artists”
The music video for “Tukoh Taka”featured breathtaking desert scenery, with Minaj showcasing her style in a stunning bejeweled black corset dress, rapping from within a moving bus. Meanwhile, Maluma impressed viewers while singing beside a giant soccer ball, and Fares danced energetically amidst other performers under the wide-open sky.
In a press release prior to the song’s debut, Myriam Fares expressed her excitement about collaborating on “Tukoh Taka.”Billboard reported her enthusiasm, where she shared:
“Participating in the composition, arrangement, and choreography of ‘Tukoh Taka’ fueled my passion for the project, especially working alongside two of my favorite international artists, Nicki Minaj and Maluma. I hope that ‘Tukoh Taka’ will spread Eastern culture and Arabian music worldwide.”
She further added:
“I feel thrilled to be part of this FIFA World Cup anthem! I’ve always dreamt of such an opportunity. Representing Latin music on a global stage with incredible artists singing in English and Arabic elevates our culture to new heights.”
After the release, both Fares and Maluma performed the song live to inaugurate the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, Qatar. Unfortunately, Minaj did not join them for the live performance, and the reason for her absence remains unclear.
Minaj’s history of collaborating on Spanish songs
Prior to “Tukoh Taka,”Nicki Minaj had teamed up with Karol G on the Spanish track “Tusa,”which delves into themes of heartbreak and the challenges of moving on after a relationship ends. This song was released on November 7, 2019, and later appeared on Karol G’s third studio album, “KG0516.”
On December 3, 2019, a Spanish interview was published on Karol G’s YouTube channel, in which she discussed how the collaboration with Minaj came about:
“I have been following Nicki Minaj for a long time. In July of that year, she began following me back on Instagram. I noticed that she liked and commented on my posts, which inspired me to reach out for a collaboration. She was excited about the idea.”
Upon its release, “Tusa”climbed to number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and currently stands as Minaj’s most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 1.54 billion streams to date.
Nicki Minaj recently concluded her fourth headlining world tour, the Pink Friday 2 World Tour, on October 11, and is expected to announce the release dates for her upcoming album, Pink Friday 3, soon.
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