For Black History Month this year, Rémy Martin teams up with XXL to celebrate 10 important moments in hip-hop history. Through the years, Rémy Martin has created a synonymous relationship between cognac and music culture by representing celebration and entertainment seamlessly. In honor of hip-hop’s nearly 50-year existence, host DJ Suss One, XXL Awards Board members Kendell "Sav" Freeman, Vice President/Co-Head of Urban Music at Arista Records; Sydney Margetson, Senior Vice President of Publicity at Atlantic Records; and Traci Adams, Executive Vice President of Promotion at Epic Records, revisit Nicki Minaj beating Aretha Franklin's Billboard Hot 100 record in 2017, as a monumental milestone in the genre.

In 2017, Nicki Minaj once again proved why she deserves R-E-S-P-E-C-T as one of the biggest female artists of all time, surpassing soul singer Aretha Franklin for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries by a female artist. On April 1, 2017, the Queens, N.Y. bred MC debuted three songs on the chart—“No Frauds” featuring Drake and Lil Wayne (No. 14), “Regret in Your Tears” (No. 61) and “Changed It” with Lil Wayne (No. 71). In doing so, she pushed her total to 76 Hot 100 appearances, surpassing the Queen of Soul's total of 73. Franklin had held the record for nearly 40 years, since June 18, 1977.

“It’s no secret she’s an icon—an icon of all icons,” Minaj said of Franklin during a Queen Radio episode in 2018, after she passed away at the age of 76. “I don’t know anyone who she hasn’t inspired.” The head Barb also boasted about the accomplishment on her 2019 track “Barbie Going Bad” rapping, “Neck tatt say ‘Onika’/I got more slaps than Aretha.”

Since first appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 chart via Lil Wayne’s “Knockout” in February of 2010, Nicki has put out hit after hit, with it only taking seven years to eclipse Franklin's epic run. To date, Nicki also has two No. 1 singles (“Say So” with Doja Cat and “Trollz” with 6ix9ine). She also has 19 top 10 hits. The lauded MC, who hasn’t released an album since 2018’s Queen, has since been surpassed by Taylor Swift who now has 165 entries to Nicki’s 119.

Important milestones in hip-hop like this deserve recognition for years to come. As part of Black History Month, Rémy Martin and XXL will be making a donation to Black Music Action Coalition, an advocacy organization that was formed to addresses systemic racism within the music industry and reaches racial justice throughout society at large. Rémy Martin and XXL will match every additional dollar donated to BMAC during Black History Month.*

Watch DJ Suss One, Kendell "Sav" Freeman, Sydney Margetson and Traci Adams discuss Nicki Minaj breaking a Billboard Hot 100 record below.

This editorial advertisement is presented by Rémy Martin.

See Every Hip-Hop Song Certified Diamond in Music History

*Rémy Martin to match donations up to $50K, XXL to match donations up to $10K.

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