Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Follow Drops in Early 2012

Waiting for the follow-up effort to Nicki Minaj’s hugely popular first album “Pink Friday?”

The album that brought Minaj and her alter egos into the mainstream and sparked a bitter feud with rap rival Lil Kim was released just over a year ago, and the rapper’s sophomore release could be out earlier than expected. Minaj’s upcoming album doesn’t have a title or a firm release date yet, but Cash Money CEO Brian “Birdman” Williams tells Billboard that the joint is on the fast-track for an early 2012 release. Tentatively.

Birdman hinted that the album’s first single might even be ready for primetime before 2011 is out- he commented:

“Maybe this year? I don’t know… We’re really thinking it out. But she’s in the studio, and we’re looking real soon, because she’s ready to go and we’re ready to go with her.”

More specifically, Birdman added:

“Nicki’s back in the studio, so we’re looking to drop Nicki in the first quarter.”

Earlier this month, Minaj dropped a few hints about her new tracks and the presence of her alter ego, Roman. Although Minaj quickly deleted the post without explanation, BET managed to grab a snippet of what she’d said:

“Roman will be in rare form this time. You know why? Cuz he no longer gives a f—,” she wrote. “He has two more weeks in boarding school. We’re going to pick him up now. When he lands, he will address the nation in the form of music. He will also announce the date.”