--- title: Watch Nicki Minaj Perform Queen at the VMAs 2018 description: Hot off the release of her new album 'Queen,' Nicki Minaj came to stun at the MTV VMAs in New York City with a special performance. canonical: https://time.com/5369448/nicki-minaj-vmas-2018/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-21T02:08:22.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:54:22.416Z og:title: Watch Nicki Minaj Stun With an Energetic Medley the 2018 MTV VMAs og:description: Hot off the release of new album 'Queen,' Nicki Minaj came to sine at the VMAs og:url: https://time.com/5369448/nicki-minaj-vmas-2018/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte97f189b800e6520/69893834db2987c38e260772/nicki-minaj-performance-new-york-vmas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: 2018 MTV Video Music Awards - Show og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Nicki Minaj Stun With an Energetic Medley the 2018 MTV VMAs twitter:description: Hot off the release of new album 'Queen,' Nicki Minaj came to sine at the VMAs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte97f189b800e6520/69893834db2987c38e260772/nicki-minaj-performance-new-york-vmas.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Nicki Minaj Stun With Her 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Performance > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1cc32180-0cb1-43d7-b5a8-be594bc01a16&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Aug 21, 2018 2:08 AM UTC  Nicki Minaj performs at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at The Oculus on Aug. 20, 2018. Nicki Minaj performs at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at The Oculus on Aug. 20, 2018. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Aug 21, 2018 2:08 AM UTC When [Nicki Minaj](http://time.com/5366573/nicki-minaj-stephen-colbert-barbie-dreams/) is on the performance list for an awards show, you know she’s going to deliver. The _Queen_ rapper, whose [new album](http://time.com/5364696/nicki-minaj-queen-album-review/) just dropped Aug. 10, made quite a mark at the 2018 [MTV Video Music Awards:](http://time.com/5340179/mtv-vmas-2018-nominees/) she chose to stage her show-stopping performance at the Occulus. Singing from downtown Manhattan’s Oculus, the transport hub and shopping center that opened in the World Trade Center district recently, the Queens rapper served up an energetic medley of songs from her album, opening with “Majesty” before shedding her elaborate pink cape to rap “Barbie Dreams” and one more track, dressed in golden armor. > [](https://twitter.com/vmas/status/1031730049777582080) In _Queen_ and on tracks like the [incendiary “Barbie Dreams,”](http://time.com/5364423/nicki-minaj-barbie-dreams/) Minaj called out nearly all of her fellow rappers in the game, sending them sly disses and playing off of long-brewing inter-industry beef. So of course she had to come through with a strong appearance at this year’s VMAs to defend her title and reign in rap’s hierarchy. Minaj won earlier in the the evening for her track “Chun Li,” as Best Hip-Hop Video. Best Hip-Hop Video is an award she’s taken home before as well, for 2011’s “Super Bass” and 2015’s “Anaconda.” This year she won against serious contenders like Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s joint project, Cardi B, Drake, J. 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