Nicki Minaj revealed that she had asked Ariana Grande to collaborate on her album, The Pinkprint. When they recorded “Get On Your Knees”, it was the first time they worked together before forming one of the closest friendships in Hollywood. That’s right – despite their 11-year age difference, Nicki and Ariana are really good pals, and fans already know that they love working together. They’ve recorded a handful of songs together over the years.

In the past, the “Into You” songstress, Ariana Grande, has also defended Nicki from her rap rivals. Ariana even made two appearances on Nicki’s Queen Radio show on Apple Music.

When Ari headlined Coachella in 2019, it was only right that she’d bring out her friend to perform a medley of their many hits. But what else do we know about Nicki and Ariana’s booming friendship…and how did they become so close? Let’s find out.

They First Worked Together In 2013

As previously mentioned, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande first collaborated when they joined forces on the rapper’s song, “Get On Your Knees” for her 2014 album “The Pinkprint.” While the track was released as an official single, many fans have deemed it as one of their favorite pop-rap collaborations. Little did anybody know that Ari and Nicki were quick to form a close friendship soon after working together.

They Collaborated On Their Hit Song ‘Side To Side’

Nicki and Ariana first collaborated on “Side To Side,” which was featured on Grande’s third studio album, “Dangerous Woman.” The song, which was released on August 30, 2016, has become one of Ariana’s best-selling tracks. “Side to Side” sold over 5 million copies and has gotten 1.7 billion views on YouTube.

To Date, They’ve Worked On Six Tracks Together

Since their first collab, Nicki and Ariana have recorded several songs together, including “The Light Is Coming,” “Bang Bang,” “Bed,” and “Bad To You.” All five records charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Clearly, when Nicki and Ari work together, they create something special for their fans.

Ariana Brought Out Nicki At Her 2019 Coachella Set

When Ariana headlined Coachella in 2019, she brought out Nicki Minaj during her exhilarating set, which included the songs, “Bang Bang” and “Side To Side.” Unfortunately, there were some technical difficulties during their performance which prevented both Nicki and Ari from hearing the track in their earpieces.

They’ve Shot Multiple Music Videos For Their Chart-Topping Hits

Since their records are known to sell millions, it’s no surprise that their record labels approve big budgets whenever they team up for music videos together. Aside from “Side To Side” and “Bang Bang,” Nicki and Ariana also filmed a visual for “The Light Is Coming,” which was featured on Grande’s 2018 album, “Sweetener”.

Ariana Defended Nicki When She Lost “Best Rap Album” At The 2019 Grammys

Just seconds after Cardi B won “Best Rap Album” at the 2019 Grammys, Ariana posted a since-deleted tweet, writing “trash” along with a series of expletives. Fans were quick to assume that Ari was defending Nicki Minaj…Ariana may have thought Nicki should have won the award for her 2018 album, “Queen.” Others claimed she was angry because her late ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, was also nominated in the category.

They Sat Next To One Another At The 2018 VMAs…

At the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande were inseparable – they showed fans just how close they had become since they first formed a bond in 2014. The two were seated next to one another at the awards ceremony, alongside Ariana’s ex-fiancé, Pete Davidson.

… And They Were Seen Whispering At The Event

After the show aired, a GIF of Nicki and Ariana “gossiping” during a commercial break surfaced online, leading many fans to speculate about what the two were discussing. Nicki’s facial expressions in the video indicated that she was quite irritated, while the “Into You” songstress laughed.

Ariana Held Nicki’s Dress When She Won Her VMA Award

When Nicki Minaj won the award for “Best Hip-Hop Song” at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2018, her dress was so long that she appeared to have difficulty getting herself to the stage. When she struggled to get up the stairs, Ariana, being the awesome friend that she is, rushed to her pal’s side to assist her.

Ariana Has Appeared On Nicki’s Queen Radio

Nicki Minaj launched her controversial radio show, Queen Radio, on Apple Music in the summer of 2018. It’s believed to be one o the highest-rated radio shows on the platform, which isn’t hard to believe, given all the headlines that have been generated from Nicki’s unfiltered (and often hilarious) rants. Ariana has been on Queen Radio twice – she phoned in to discuss music, friendship, and dating life.

She Doesn’t Think Nicki Needs To Feud With Other Rappers

While speaking on Queen Radio the second time, Ariana said that she didn’t feel Nicki had to involve herself in feuds with other rappers in the music industry, adding that the self-proclaimed Queen of Rap has achieved too much in her career to focus her attention on negativity. Ariana’s comments were made amid claims that Nicki had an ongoing feud with Cardi B.

They’ve Performed Together Almost A Dozen Times

Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj certainly love performing together – why else would they grace the stage together as often as they have? Aside from performing at Coachella, the two have also performed at the European Music Awards, the Video Music Awards, the iHeart Radio Festival, and the American Music Awards.

Nicki Attended Ariana’s Halloween Party In 2019

When Ariana held her very own Halloween party at her L.A. property in October 2019, trust and believe that Nicki Minaj made sure to stop by and get in on the fun-filled events that Ari had set up to entertain her dozens of guests. Nicki later revealed that because she likes to go to bed early, she didn’t stay too long, but she did show her support.

Nicki Remains Ariana’s Favorite Female Rapper

It’s no secret that Nicki Minaj is Ariana’s favorite female rapper, and she’s mentioned this in multiple interviews over the years. One can only imagine how thrilled Ari must have been to form a friendship with Nicki. Not to mention how exciting it must have been to team up with Minaj for numerous hit records.

They’ve Been Close Pals Since 2014

It’s no secret that Ariana and Nicki first came into contact with one another when Grande was requested to add her flawless vocals to Minaj’s record, “Get On Your Knees”, in 2014, but outside of their great working relationship, the two are also known to hang out together quite frequently. And since they both live in Los Angeles, getting together must be very easy.