Nicki Minaj’s friends and frequent producing partners Pop & Oak—comprised of Andrew “Pop” Wansel and Warren “Oak” Felder—helped her score a No. 1 hit with her debut single “Your Love.” Now the hitmakers, who have worked with Big Sean (“Marvin & Chardonnay”) and Trey Songz (“Unusual”), are reuniting with rap’s reigning diva for her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. While careful not to reveal too much, the dynamic duo did offer Rap-Up TV a hint of what to expect come April 3.

“There’s more surprises this time,” said Pop. “I think she’s proven, like, ‘Yo, I can rap. I’m probably the best girl to really do this shit ever.’ Now she’s more comfortable and she’s having a little more fun.”

Whether you prefer the more grimy Nicki who rhymes on “Stupid Hoe” or the vulnerable Nicki who sings on “Save Me,” the album will have something for everyone. “She’s smart enough and she’s gonna figure out how to give a balance,” added Pop. “She’s so diverse and that’s a gift and a curse for her. This time she focused more on giving every side.”

Pop also assured her Barbz that they wouldn’t be disappointed. “There’s a lot of surprises for them on this album. They’ll be really happy.”

In addition to Pop & Oak, Nicki has been in the studio with Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, and Ester Dean (“Super Bass”), crafting the follow-up to her 2010 debut Pink Friday.

Tyga recently spoke with XXL about 2 songs that will appear on his forthcoming Careless World album, dropping on February 21st. The first track he talks about is “Kings And Queens” featuring Nas and Wale. Tygaman says Nas recorded his verse in one night! The second track he discusses is “Motherfucker Up” featuring Nicki Minaj. T-Raw says they both go in on this joint and he already has a crazy idea for a music video.

“The song for Nicki is called ‘Motherfucker Up,’” he shares. “I don’t know what they gonna call it on the radio. Maybe they might call it ‘Up.’ That one is one of them going in type songs. Like how Wayne had ‘A Milli.’ One of those Young Money records that people love. We got a crazy visual for that one, too. I don’t wanna give it away. I’ve been doing a lot of features for everyone.”

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Madonna was recently on ABC News Nightline, talking about various things, including kissing Nicki for her birthday! Skip to the 3:29 mark.

“I did [kiss her], but it was her birthday! I just gave her a birthday kiss. No tongue, who said tongue?” Madonna said. “She has lovely lips.”

Fans might not know Pop and Oak by name, but they damn sure know their beats. Trey Songz’s “Unusual,” Big Sean and Kanye West’s “Marvin & Chardonnay” and, of course, Nicki Minaj’s 2010 single “Your Love” are just a few of the duo’s hits.

Now they’re up for a Grammy thanks to their work on Nicki’s Pink Friday, which is nominated in the Best Rap Album category.

Pop, a Philadelphia native, and his production partner, Oak, who hails from Istanbul, Turkey, have been working as a duo since 2008, back when they first produced “Your Love” for a then-emerging Minaj. ” ‘Your Love’ was a song that didn’t make Beam Me Up Scotty, the mixtape,” Pop told Mixtape Daily.

Nicki was super-critical of her performance on the song, but after it eventually leaked at the top of 2010, there was no stopping it — well, there was one little obstacle to clear. The original leaked version featured a sample of Annie Lennox’s 1995 version of “No More I Love You’s,” but after the U.K. singer wouldn’t clear the sample, Pop and Oak had to come up with an alternative.

“They didn’t let us clear the sample, so the version that leaked wasn’t the version that got on the radio. We ended up re-creating it,” Oak said.

The duo redid the sample a little too well, it seemed. Even after the switch-up, Lennox’s lawyers continued to reach out, thinking Nicki’s new version of “Your Love” still incorporated the sample. “They thought what they were hearing on the radio was still the master,” Oak said.

“Annie Lennox thought she was hearing herself, which was fly as hell,” Pop added.

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Skip to the 4:55 mark of Drake’s interview with Chelsea Handler to hear what he has to say in response about Chelsea asking him if he’s being intimate with Nicki. Chelsea calls Nicki “successful” and “talented” as well, so we got to love her for that!

Pepa from the female rap duo Salt-n-Pepa recently had an interview with Adelaide and talked about Nicki. See what she to say about the biggest femcee in rap today:

Q: Nicki Minaj is flying the flag for female rappers right now. What do you think of her?

A: She’s her own competition. You can’t go wrong with that. It’s always been a male-dominated feel, we know that. But it’s really male-dominated right now. We had Missy, Eve, Lil Kim etc, but they’re not around right now. Now it’s just Nicki. I’m waiting for more women. There’s nobody in competition with Nicki. I think she’s very talented. She’s got something going for her. She holds her own.

Adelaide