"Champion" is a song by Trinidadian rapper and singer

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

featuring

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

, and

Young Jeezy Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...

, taken from her second studio album, '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). "Champion" was written by Minaj, Aubrey Graham, Jay Jenkins, Nasir Jones, and Jayceon Taylor, while the production and additional writing was handled by ''

Pink Friday ''Pink Friday'' is the debut studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Motown. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj began plann ...

'' (2010) collaborators

T-Minus A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

and

Nikhil Seetharam Nikhil Seetharam is a multi-platinum Grammy winning Canadian composer and record producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has worked with several notable artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and DJ Khaled. Nikhil composes film and televis ...

. Musically, "Champion" is a

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

hardcore hip hop Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally cha ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

that also incorporates elements of R&B,

new-age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

, and

space music Space music, also called spacemusic or space ambient, is a subgenre of new-age music and is described as "tranquil, hypnotic and moving". It is derived from ambient music and is associated with lounge music, easy listening, and elevator music. ...

. The lyrics speak of each artist's rise to fame, as well as the trials and tribulations that it carries; it references the death of Minaj's cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, who was murdered near his

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

home on July 3, 2011. "Champion" garnered praise from music critics, with the majority declaring it a stand-out track. The song is notable for the return of Minaj's original low-key sound, as well as her tame "gimmick-free" delivery as opposed to her eccentric "Roman" songs. Critics generally praised the song for its serious tone and introspective nature. Minaj performed the song live for the first time on ''

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

'' on April 3, 2012, along with "

Beez in the Trap "Beez in the Trap" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj featuring 2 Chainz for the former's second studio album, '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). Written by the artists alongside producer Kenoe, the track was released as the album's third singl ...

", and " Roman Reloaded".

Production

"Champion" was written by Minaj, along with

, Nikhil S.,

, and

, with production handled by T-Minus and Nikhil S., who had previously worked with Minaj on her debut studio album ''

'' (2010). Minaj had wanted several artists to appear on the song, including fellow

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

rapper

. She had stated that she did not think that she could get Nas on the song, saying "He's always been so exclusive. He doesn't work with everybody and I respect people that are like that. They take pride in their craft." Minaj told ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'', "I keep saying to be from Queens and to end up having him... We know how picky he is

or features Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Miss ...

He said 'I like the song, I'm a do it, you can wait 'til Monday and I got you' and he kept his word. He murked it, for me to wait for a feature and it be that and murk the song and finish the song that way... I was amazed." After hearing the song, Nas agreed to be on the track, and sent his verse back to Minaj the following Monday. After collaborating, Nas said that he had fallen in love with the song: "Nicki hit us up, I got love, so it was nothin'--I did the record....If I feel it, I can get on it. I heard the track. I felt it. I loved it." Another artist Minaj wanted on "Champion" was long-time idol and fellow female rapper

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

. "I wanted to get her on 'Champion'... That would have been crazy, right? She was my fave. ..Lauryn to me is the goddess. I'd love to meet her. I'm pretty sure she's heard me talk about her a billion times." Although Minaj vouched for Hill to appear on the track, plans were never finalized and the collaboration ultimately fell through. Recording of "Champion" took place at Conway Studios, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, as well as Jungle City Studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Mixing was handled by Jon Sher and Noel Cadastre at Conway Studios. Minaj was unsure if he would accept her offer to be featured on "Champion", but after sending him the song,

replied back with his verse via e-mail. On March 28, 2012, "Champion" leaked onto the internet six days ahead of its official release. In the following hours after the leak of "Champion", the contents of the entire album were leaked online. On May 24, 2012, a poll was posted on Minaj's official website asking fans to choose the next single(s). The poll was divided into three categories. The second category prompted fans to choose between "Champion", "HOV Lane", and "I Am Your Leader". "Champion" had the most votes and won the poll. "HOV Lane" came in second place and "I Am Your Leader" came in third.

Composition

"Champion" is a relatively slow-paced, retrospective

that draws heavily from

. It is also influenced by other genres, such as R&B,

, and

. The "anthemic" and "inspiring" song features a low-key, woozy, and snaky production, accompanied by prominent military-style drums, heavy synths, and rough, hard strewn beats. "Champion" has been described as one of the few songs that Minaj's delivery is "calm and collected" as opposed to her eccentric "Roman" tracks. The rise to fame, the trials and tribulations that ensue, and celebration are prominent themes that are discussed in the lyrics. Minaj also makes reference to her deceased cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, who was shot and killed near his

home on July 3, 2011, in the line "'Cause they killed my little cousin, Nicholas/ But my memories only have happy images." Multiple critics felt the lyrical content of "Champion" was the most sincere on the album. Lewis Corner of

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

called them "genuinely heartbreaking", and Alex Macpherson of ''

Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

'' described them as "undeniably moving".

Critical reception

"Champion" was met with critical acclaim, and was hailed as an album highlight by critics. Andrew Hampp of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' gave the track a positive review, stating Minaj "Sheds light in her journey from struggle to success." While reviewing the album, Jody Rosen of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' declared the song "beamingly triumphant". Global Grind reviewer Brittany Lewis gave the song a very positive review, saying :"This retrospective track explores Nicki's more serious side and details the trials and tribulations of Nicki's now solidified success", and later went on to say that "Champion" will make the listener evaluate their own life. Both the reviewer from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' and Mesfin Fekadu of the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

'' gave the song a positive review, calling it "top-notch". Adam Graham of ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

'' said the song would please fans of early Minaj, while going on to praise her rap-heavy delivery. Trent Fitzgerald of Popcrush was positive towards "Champion", calling it the "biggest" song on the album, as well as a noting its potential commercial success. "Champion" was labeled as the most impressive

song on the album, as well as being "anthemic" by Andy Gill of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. In his review of ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', 'Nathan S of DJ Booth said: "It has to be said that 'Champion', featuring an excellent Nas verse, is one of Nicki's most engaging tracks in memory, precisely because she drops the posturing and fame-hunting. It's proof that behind all the acting is a legitimately talented artist." Although, not all reviews were positive. Matthew Cole of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' criticized the vocalist's performance of the verses, claiming they were "incapable". Randall Roberts of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' gave the song a mixed review, highlighting Nas' verse, while mildly criticizing Minaj's. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' named it one of the best songs on the album along with "I Am Your Leader". ''

XXL Magazine ''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997. History In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006 ...

'' stated that "Though many of the early songs

n the album N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

lack real substance, the records remain generally exciting - 'I Am Your Leader', alongside Rick Ross and Cam'ron, 'Beez in the Trap' with 2 Chainz, and the triumphant 'Champion' featuring Nas, Drake and Young Jeezy are all memorable moments."

Live performances

Minaj performed "Champion" for the first time on ''106 & Park'' on April 3, 2012, along with " Roman Reloaded", "

HOV Lane A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...

", "

I Am Your Leader "I Am Your Leader" is a song recorded by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj for her second studio album '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). The song features additional rap vocals from hip hop artists Rick Ross and Cam'ron. Production ...

", "

Right by My Side "Right by My Side" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, released as the second single from her second studio album, '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). The song also features additional vocals from R&B artist Chris Brown. "Right by My Side" was ...

" and "Fire Burns". She performed "Champion" alongside "

" with

2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...

at the

2012 BET Awards The 12th BET Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on July 1, 2012. The awards recognize Americans in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Samuel L. Jackson hosted the ev ...

. The rapper also performed "Champion" on the Australian and Asian legs of her

Pink Friday Tour The Pink Friday Tour is the debut concert tour by Trinidadian singer/songwriter Nicki Minaj in support of her first two studio albums, ''Pink Friday'' (2010) and '' Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012). The tour began in May 2012 with shows in A ...

Credits and personnel

;Recording *Recorded at Conway Studios,

; Jungle City Studios,

;Personnel *

Songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

– Onika Maraj, Tyler Williams, Nikhil Seetharam, Aubrey Graham, Jay Jenkins, Nasir Jones. *

Production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

–

, Nikhil S. *Mixed at – Conway Studios, Los Angeles CA *Recording – Ariel Chobaz, Noah "40" Shebib, Stuart White *Recording assistant – Jon Sher, Noel Cadastre *Mixing – Ariel Chobaz, Jon Sher Credits adapted from ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' album liner notes.

Chart positions

References

{{authority control 2012 songs 2010s ballads Nicki Minaj songs Drake (musician) songs Nas songs Jeezy songs Contemporary R&B ballads Songs written by Nicki Minaj Songs written by Drake (musician) Songs written by Nas Songs written by Jeezy Song recordings produced by T-Minus (record producer) Songs written by Nikhil Seetharam Songs written by T-Minus (record producer)