“We Go Up” by Nicki Minaj (ft. Fivio Foreign)

Nicki Minaj’s “We Go Up” is a beef song. However, it isn’t one of those that’s aimed at a specific rival, even though there may be some clues therein that to some extent Nicki is alluding to someone in particular. Rather, this is one of those rap songs in which the vocalists are tasked with touting their street formidability. In other words, if someone dumbs out and gets into beef with them, like Fivio vividly illustrates for instance, said individual might end up shot.

Beyond that we also have the references to wealth, sexual prowess and the types of boasting one would expect from a track like this in general. The phrase “we go up” is not found in the lyrics, but it is likely meant to point to the idea of the vocalists being in a perpetual state of ascension in their personal and professional lives.

One thing that must be mentioned though is, as expected, a number of name-brands and pop media references are made. Usually when rappers do so, it is in a favorable light in relation to the mentioned brands. But on this track Nicki, in a roundabout way, appears to diss both Pepsi and Reebok.

Date of Release

“We Go Up”, which Republic Records released on 25 March 2022, marks the first time the more established Nicki Minaj has collaborated with current up-and-comer Fivio Foreign. 

However, astute listeners probably knew such a collaboration was on the way long before its official release date. And why? This is because Nicki namedropped Fivio on “Do We Have a Problem?“, a track she dropped less than two months prior to this one.

Nicki Minaj first teased this tune about a week before its release.

Credits for “We Go Up”

In addition to Nicki and Fivio, the other credited writers of this song are Tate Kobang and its producers, Szamz, Papiyerr and Swizzy.