Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj’s ‘Princess Diana’ Reigns on Hot Rap Songs Chart
Written by djfrosty on April 25, 2023
Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj combine forces for a historic No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart as their collaboration, “Princess Diana,” becomes the first champ by two co-billed women in the list’s 34-year history.
With the new champ, Ice Spice achieves her first career No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs upon her fourth visit to the chart. Minaj adds a 10th leader to her collection and becomes the first woman to reach the double-digit mark. On the overall count, she ties with Diddy and Kanye West for third place, while Drake (28) and Lil Wayne (11) occupy the top two slots.
“Diana” debuts at No. 1 on the April 29, 2023-dated Hot Rap Songs chart, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales into its weekly rankings. The song was originally released as part of Ice Spice’s Like..? EP in January, before Minaj joined for the remix, which dropped on April 14. (All versions of the song are combined for tracking and chart purposes.)
In the latest tracking week of April 14 – 20, “Diana” scored 21.8 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate, up 1,554% from 1.3 million streams (of solely the Ice Spice version) the week before. The eight-figure sum sparks the track’s No. 2 start on the Rap Streaming Songs chart and a No. 6 arrival on the corresponding, all-genre Streaming Songs list.
“Diana” also begins with 77,000 downloads sales sold in the same period, the best sales week for any rap title since Minaj’s own “Super Freaky Girl” launched with 89,000 in sales in the tracking week of Aug. 12 – 18, 2022. (Along with Ice Spice’s solo version and the main version of the collaboration, “Diana” was also available in clean, explicit, extended, sped-up, slowed-down and instrumental versions of the Minaj remix for purchase in the tracking week.) As “Diana” debuts at No. 1 on the Rap Digital Song Sales chart, Ice Spice nabs her first leader there; she previously reached No. 2 with the Lil Tjay collab “Gangsta Boo” in February. Minaj, meanwhile, collects her 18th Rap Digital Song Sales No. 1, extending her record among women. Drake, the only act above her, leads with 22 champs.
On the radio front, “Diana” registered 2.4 million audience impressions in the same tracking period. The track has yet to make any Billboard radio chart, though it has not been officially promoted. Both acts have other active radio singles: “In Ha Mood” (Ice Spice) and “Red Ruby Da Sleeze” (Minaj).
With “Diana,” newcomer Ice Spice and established vet Minaj link up for the first equal-billed No. 1 collaboration by two women in Hot Rap Songs history, which dates to March 1989. Overall, “Diana” is the eighth leader featuring at least two solo women (including rappers and singers) in the chart’s archives. Here’s the full list:
- “It’s a Shame,” Monie Love featuring True Image, two weeks at No. 1, beginning April 13, 1991
- “4, 5, 6,” Sole featuring JT Money & Kandi, one, Nov. 20, 1999
- “Hot Boyz,” Missy Elliott featuring Nas, Eve & Q-Tip, 18, Nov. 27, 1999
- “Fancy,” Iggy Azalea featuring Charli xCX, 18, May 3, 2014
- “Black Widow,” Iggy Azalea featuring Rita Ora, five, Oct. 18, 2014
- “WAP,” Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion, eight, Aug. 22, 2020
- “Rumors,” Lizzo featuring Cardi B, one, Aug. 28, 2021
- “Princess Diana,” Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj, one (to date), April 29, 2023
Elsewhere, “Diana” starts at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Plus, Ice Spice’s Like..? EP, surges in activity thanks to the new remix’s popularity. The EP earned 28,000 equivalent album units in the latest tracking week, sparking its No. 4 re-entry on the Top Rap Albums chart (after previously reaching No. 13 upon its debut), No. 5 return on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and 187-15 rally on the all-genre Billboard 200.