Do We Have A Problem?
by Nicki Minaj (featuring Lil Baby)

Album: Queen Radio: Volume 1 (2022)
Charted: 31 2
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • After two years of maternity leave following the birth of her son, Nicki Minaj dropped this track on February 4, 2022. Her previous song as a lead artist had been the 2020 Mike Will Made It and YoungBoy Never Broke Again collaboration "What That Speed Bout!?"
  • Utilizing a profusion of flows, Minaj addresses her enemies. However, possibly softened by her new role as a mother, she's in a conciliatory mood.

    Beef, we 'bout to resolve, yo
    Pull up on a opp, do we have a problem?
    Minaj is ready to find a way to address their issues
  • When Minaj announced the song's release, she also publicized a hotline (213-523-7762) that fans could call to communicate any problems they were facing.
  • Lil Baby jumps in for the second verse, flexing hard about being a winner. He boasts that he takes his advice from the wealthiest people, such as billionaire businessman Michael G. Rubin.
  • The Benny Boom-directed video stars Minaj as an agent, with Joseph Sikora (gangster Frank Cosgrove Jr. in the Netflix series Ozark) as her partner, and Cory Hardrict as a criminal. Taking inspiration from one of Minaj's favorite movies, Salt, the clip centers on a secret auction, where Lil Baby is bidding on prized item

    Rap and R&B music director Benny Boom is a longtime Minaj collaborator. He has also worked with the likes of John Legend, Future and 50 Cent.
  • The song became Lil Baby's third #2 hit on the Hot 100, following his two Drake collaborations, "Wants And Needs" and "Girls Want Girls." It left the Atlanta rapper still awaiting his first chart-topper.
  • Haitian and Liberian-American producer Papi Yerr (Tory Lanez's "Jerry Sprunger" and "The Take") created the beat. Yerr's production features a repeating violin riff, which he came up with himself. "I always want to have those moments in the music where someone's like, 'I never heard that,' or, 'This is different,'" he told Genius. "Modern music right now doesn't really inspire me how it used to."
  • The video took Best Hip-Hop at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, where Minaj also received the Video Vanguard Award.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Vince Clarke

Vince ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

An original member of Depeche Mode, Vince went on to form Erasure and Yaz.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Subversive Songs Used To Sell

Subversive Songs Used To SellSong Writing

Songs about drugs, revolution and greed that have been used in commercials for sneakers, jeans, fast food, cruises and cars.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.