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Get in losers, we’re going to Gag City—whether you like it (or get it) or not. If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past few days, you’ve probably seen post after post after post featuring an AI generated pink metropolis, complete with celebrity ambassadors, major brands, and even its own stringent immigration…Read more...

Get in losers, we’re going to Gag City—whether you like it (or get it) or not. If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past few days, you’ve probably seen post after post after post featuring an AI generated pink metropolis, complete with , , and even its own stringent . No, this isn’t some sort of sci-fi redux of Barbie Land, a.k.a. 2023's major . (What a year, huh?) The whole thing started essentially as a viral marketing campaign for , Nicki Minaj’s first studio album in five years. According to meme anthropology site , one of the earliest known uses of the term “Gag City” appeared on a in 2022. From there, the term was adopted by both Barbz and Nicki herself. Earlier this week, Nicki posted on Twitter/X: “As we begin to prepare for landing, please make sure your tray tables are put back up & your seat belts are tightly fastened. The captain has activated the ‘no bathroom’ sign. If you look out the window, you’ll begin to see the beauty…clear waters, pink dolphins…#GagCity #PF2.” And land people did. But while everyone else clamored for access into what sound like a pretty utopic place to live, Minaj was cooking up something her fans could actually access in the real world. (By the way, the charter of Gag City, according to another winky from the “Chun-Li” rapper, is as follows: no being mean, your makeup, hair clothes, and shoes “all go on by 1 touch of a button,” and “Upon landing, you receive a mansion, car & canned goods.” Who wouldn’t want to live there?) At first, , which Minaj has been teasing since 2020, was supposed to release on October 20. Then she pushed the date back to November 17, writing that the album would be “well worth the wait” (per ). Then, in late October, she pushed the release date back yet again to December 8, her birthday (and today). A few hours after teasing some highlights from the , the album has finally arrived. is comprised of 22 tracks, featuring major artists like Drake, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi Vert, Skillibeng, Skeng, Future, and more. It’s Minaj’s first full-length album since 2018's , although she did put out a greatest hits album called last year and re-release her 2009 record in 2021. Amid all the futuristic, high-tech renderings of Gag City, Minaj also announced a slew of tour dates in the lowest-tech format possible: an iPhone photo of a handwritten whiteboard. Oh, Nicki. You always keep us on our toes. Read more