Nicki Minaj has announced she is canceling her upcoming sixth studio album and stepping away from music entirely, at least for now. The rapper revealed the news in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, declaring, “Ok I’m not going to put out the album anymore. No more music.” She ended the post with a pointed message: “Hope you’re happy now,” tagging Jay-Z’s account, and signed off with, “Bye, Barbz. Love you for life.”

The abrupt announcement comes only weeks after Minaj confirmed that her next album, the follow-up to Pink Friday 2, would arrive on March 27, 2026. The project had been positioned as the start of a new era for the rapper, who had told fans in September 2024 that the songs she was recording were “too iconic” to be released as part of a deluxe version of her previous album. “The new music is just too good to be thrown away on a deluxe album,” she said at the time.

Minaj’s posts on Monday marked a sharp reversal from the enthusiasm she expressed earlier this year. In the days leading up to her announcement, she had been posting cryptic messages about behind-the-scenes conflicts with unnamed industry figures. “There are people who don’t want me to put out music,” she wrote in a previous post. “Me winning makes them feel like they lost. They know how successful my next album is going to be.”

Without naming specific individuals, Minaj accused executives of attempting to obstruct her career, referencing both financial disputes and power struggles within the industry. “Tried to sign Wayne, Drake, me. So they keep wanting to take or stop my money simply because narcissists believe what you work hard for belongs to them,” she wrote. She also mentioned Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, signaling long-standing tension between the rapper and the management firm.

The frustration expressed in her posts appears to stem partly from legal and professional pressures. In March 2024, a Los Angeles judge ordered Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, to pay $500,000 to a security guard who claimed he was assaulted during a 2019 tour stop. Minaj has not publicly addressed the case since the ruling, but the incident has continued to surface in coverage of her recent career struggles.

In her posts this week, Minaj hinted at deeper grievances with the business side of music, criticizing what she described as “payola” culture and manipulative industry practices. “Fuming because they can’t siphon anymore energy, money, blessings, love, grace, joy, PEACE… the culture,” she wrote. “No successful tours. Just vibes and payola.”

Despite the seriousness of her statement, Minaj’s fan base, the Barbz, were quick to dismiss her claim that she’s retiring from music. Replies to her post flooded X within minutes, with most fans insisting she was bluffing. “We’ve seen this movie before,” one user wrote, referencing Minaj’s 2019 “retirement” announcement that preceded her eventual return to recording and touring. Others speculated that the post could be a negotiation tactic or an emotional reaction to an ongoing dispute.

Still, for an artist known for controlling her own narrative, the timing and tone of the announcement surprised many. The rapper’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment from multiple outlets, including Rolling Stone and Variety.

Minaj’s public battles with industry power structures are not new. Throughout her career, she has criticized label executives, streaming platforms, and award shows for what she views as systemic bias against female rappers and independent artists. While Pink Friday 2 debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023 and became one of her most commercially successful projects to date, Minaj often framed her victories as hard-fought.

Her 2024 Pink Friday 2 World Tour, which broke multiple attendance and sales records for a solo female rap artist, reinforced her dominant place in hip-hop. Yet, even amid that success, Minaj’s social media activity increasingly hinted at exhaustion and distrust of the structures surrounding her career.

Whether Minaj’s “no more music” declaration signals a permanent break or a temporary standstill remains uncertain. She has made similar statements in the past only to return to recording months later. Still, this latest announcement comes amid escalating legal and professional turmoil, and her direct reference to Jay-Z and Roc Nation suggests that her grievances extend beyond creative fatigue.

Until further notice, Nicki Minaj’s most anticipated era has come to an unexpected stop.