Nicki Minaj’s new game could make you a rap star

It’s hard to believe anyone that’s not a Kardashian, a Jenner or a Ramsay can successfully make a game about their careers, but Nicki Minaj’s new app actually sounds like fun. Collaborating with Glu Mobile, which also made the Kim Kardashian, Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Gordon Ramsay games, Minaj made The Empire, a game which focuses on rap music, and actually lets players create their own songs. In addition, you can record your own voice (rapping your own words) into the app, and Minaj herself (or her minions, anyway) will select the best few to showcase on her social media accounts. The Empire is now available on iOS and Android, and from my few days playing a beta preview, it seems like more than just another celebrity game.

Unlike other celebrity apps, such as the Kylie and Kendall Jenner game, that simply let you style your own character and interact with the predetermined storyline, The Empire also offers you an outlet for creativity. You get to create your own rap lyrics and record yourself singing your words over what Glu says are “studio-quality custom beats.”

Those who aren’t as confident or eloquent can choose, like I did, to use a template and fill out some keywords, Mad Libs style. The app offers some word options to fill in the blanks with, but you can also enter your own. I wouldn’t call the songs created with this method inspired, but at least they sort of rhyme. And they can turn out pretty wacky, which adds to the fun of the game. You can choose to go straight to rap mode to avoid the hassle of going through the game’s plot, or stick around for the drama in Story Mode.

The story part of the The Empire largely follows the style of others in the category: you’re a nobody, who, by some miraculous stroke of luck, befriends the titular celebrity. She takes you under her wing, helping you record your first single and giving you tips on how to promote it. The goal is to earn song sales and grow your number of fans. All the while, the game tries to inculcate values; in the Jenner game, it was the importance of friendship, while in The Empire, it’s the power of believing in yourself.

The game’s graphics have a very distinctive style that’s fiercely reminiscent of street art. Characters are boldly colored and wear hip, urban outfits, which is appropos for the Queens, New York neighborhood you start out in. As a New Yorker, I found that setting one of the most endearing things about Minaj’s game, compared to the LA backdrop of the Kylie and Kendall app. That’s obviously a matter of preference, though.

The thing I enjoyed the most during my time with The Empire is its soundtrack. I normally disable background music in my games, but because this app pipes in Minaj’s own tunes, such as Starships or Pound the Alarm, leaving the sound on was surprisingly enjoyable. Of course, that’s mostly because I already like Minaj’s music, but players of this game are likely going to be her fans anyway. The app also offers chatrooms for you to meet other Minaj fans in, who could eventually develop into an audience for the songs you create.

Whether anyone will actually become a breakout rap star because of Nicki Minaj: The Empire is not yet clear, but if Minaj keeps to her promise of showcasing the best rapper of the app each month, she may really find some talent among her fans. That potential exposure is solid motivation for aspiring rappers to start sharing their works in the app (although ownership of your tracks isn’t quite clear); it’s like American Idol on a smaller but easier-to-access stage. And if the thrill of potential stardom isn’t fun enough for you, then perhaps the sly anaconda jokes will have to do.