Posted by Red Ruby Da Sleeze is a song released by Nicki Minaj in March 2023. As often happens with her, the song raised curiosity among her fans because of the many references to other female rappers, in her usual style aimed to prove how she’s the “queen” above all others. The lyrics are long and full of interesting symbols: let’s analyze the song’s meaning and discover the classic hit used as a sample. You’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can listen to the song in full streaming below.
Nicki Minaj, Red Ruby Da Sleeze: the lyrics, the meaning & the sample
In Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Nicki Minaj uses her usual rap style to state her superiority over all other female rappers in the scene, with many cryptic symbols used in the lyrics. The song contains a recognizable sample from a 2003 hip-hop classic, Never Leave You by Lumidee (you can find it here in full streaming).
Red Ruby Da Sleeze represents a new alter-ego created by Nicki Minaj, meaning that she intends to inaugurate a new phase of her music style. In urban slang, “Sleeze” means promiscuous, as Nicki has always shown off her physical confidence in her rap. And also Red Ruby is confident that she’s the queen of American rap. In the lyrics, Nicki explains that every time she takes a break from releases, all other female rappers “come out like a cockroach,” but when she’s back, the whole world remembers who the Queen really is.
When the Queen leave, b* *es wanna come out like a cockroach
The reference is to the fact that her competitors believe they can compare to her success. There are many lines in Red Ruby Da Sleeze where Nicki Minaj explicitly enters the comparison with the others:
Who the f**k told b* *hes they was me now? (Uh-oh, ooh)
I knew these b* *es was slow, I ain’t know these b* *es senile (Ooh)
Married a shooter case you n**as tried to breathe loud (Brr-brr)
Boom your face off, then I tell him, “Cease fire”
See the difference is I run businesses (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
If I ain’t employ you, then what ya business is?
There is also a reference to Chun-Li, the character from the classic video game Street Fighter, representing a female power symbol to Nicki Minaj. The rapper has her name tattooed on her arm, and the lyrics in Red Ruby Da Sleeze celebrate it: everybody wants to be a “Chun-Li,” but she’s the only one.
Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Chinese on my sleeve
These wannabe Chun-Li’s, anyway, Nǐ Hǎo, uh-oh
Among the other female rappers that are hiddenly referenced in the lyrics of Red Ruby Da Sleeze we can identify Megan Thee Stallion (the lyrics mention “Dorito b* *es,” and Megan appeared in a Dorito commercial), Glorilla (probably referred to in the line “they slower than sloths,” Glorilla has used self-irony in the past, comparing herself to Ice Age‘s Syd the Sloth) and the others who went under cosmetic surgeries (the ones with “botched face photos” may be rappers like Cardi B or Lil’ Kim).
After all, Red Ruby Da Sleeze is the debut of a new alter-ego created by Nicki Minaj, a new phase in her musical style and, at the same time, a renewed character that keeps stating her status as the Queen of rap. The song reached #1 in multiple music charts worldwide: a perfect confirmation of the meaning Red Ruby Da Sleeze wanted to share in her lyrics.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
Only on them C’s if it’s breeze (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Red Ruby Da Sleeze, Chinese on my sleeve
These wannabe Chun-Li’s, anyway, 你好 (Nǐ Hǎo, uh-oh)
Who the f**k told b* *hes they was me now? (Uh-oh, ooh)
I knew these b* *es was slow, I ain’t know these b* *es senile (Ooh)
Married a shooter case you n**as tried to breathe loud (Brr-brr)
Boom your face off, then I tell him, “Cease fire”
I’m the AB side
Seven-hundred on them horses, when we fixin’ to leave (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
But I don’t f**k with horses since Christopher Reeves
(Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Gotta be careful when I do it, it’s flips all in the whips
It’s 40’s with 30 clips, FN’s with the switch
Guacamole with taco, waitin’ on El Chapo
Came in the Rolls and left low in a Tahoe
Bad gyal don’t die-die-die (Brr)
Hundred rounds on that, grrah-ta-ta
Real one lick a shot-ta-ta
She my lil’ vibe, my lil’ ah-ah-ah
Bad gyal don’t run from nobody, like ah
Rude boy want me touchin’ on his body, like ya
Boy affi dead if he ever diss me
You know what to do if he ever miss me
Miss me with that na-na-na-na-na-na-na
I stay with my na-na-na-na-na-na-na
His ex hit him, he like “Na-na-na-na-na-na-na”
He want the bad gyal sleeze like that
Well, I’m a tease like that
Ill na-na-na-na-na-na-na
He told me bring him that na-na-na-na-na-na-na
We don’t be Karen like Donna, na-na-na-na-na
I love it when he grab my cheeks like that, why I’m a freak like that?
Bad gyal don’t die-die-die
Hundred rounds on that, grrah-ta-ta
Real one lick a shot-ta-ta
She my lil’ vibe, my lil’ ah-ah-ah
Bad gyal don’t run from nobody, like ah
Rude boy want me touchin’ on his body, like ya
Boy affi dead if he ever diss me
You know what to do if he ever miss me
When the Queen leave, b* *es wanna come out like a cockroach (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Until I’m cookin’ in the kitchen like a pot roast
That new Spectre, we don’t fill pot holes (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Dorito b* *es, mad that they nachos
Shout out my vatos
Shout out to hoes that’s watchin’ me like Movados (Click, click, click)
All them, all them botched face photos, why would you post those?
Make a gyal duppy since I heard you like my ghost hoes
Big truck but I’m alone like Post though (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Call Malone and tell him I’m goin’ postal (Brr)
These b* *es rappin’ like my blooper roll (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Desert eagle if your n**a actin’ super bold
(Got ’em, got ’em) Got ’em like “Uh-oh”
Gun fingers like n**as doin’ the bogle, ya f**in’ bozo
That .40 cal a make ’em dance like a go-go
Super Fakks, that’s word to Super Cat
We ah rude gyal youth and we nuh tek back we chat
‘Cause b* *es couldn’t walk in my Crocs, that’s word to Dundee
Just a bunch of airheads like Kelly Bundy
Man these bi* *es so slow, man, they slower than sloths (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Six-hundred horse, how you gone catch the boss?
Caught ’em with they hand out, tryna catch the sauce (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
Thierry Mugler flow tryna cut the cloth
See the difference is I run businesses (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
If I ain’t employ you, then what ya business is?
I’ll have staff roll up like what the business is? (Uh-oh, uh-oh)
“Oh, you don’t know that my n**as kill witnesses?”
Bad gyal don’t die-die-die
Hundred rounds on that, grrah-ta-ta
Real one lick a shot-ta-ta
She my lil’ vibe, my lil’ ah-ah-ah
Bad gyal don’t run from nobody, like ah
Rude boy want me touchin’ on his body, like ya
Boy affi dead if he ever diss me
You know what to do if he ever miss me, yeah
If you want me to stay
I’ll never leave
