By Hillary Crosley, with additional reporting by Sway Calloway

Nicki Minaj is on the cusp of releasing her "Moment 4 Life" video, and the Queens native is celebrating 2011 in style — platinum style, that is.

Barbie's debut album Pink Friday has garnered 851, 841 to-date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The first official LP by the MC has gone platinum, according to the RIAA, after just six weeks on the shelf and even Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, also released on November 22, has only sold approximately 30,000 more units than Nicki thus far.*

"He got a good head start, he beat me the first week," Minaj told MTV News.

In December, Minaj sat down with Sway on the set of her "Moment 4 Life" video — where she and Young Money labelmate Drake are rumored to share a kiss — to talk about her success.

"A part of me expected it, because I wanted it so bad, but I never saw all of this," the MC said. "You know, I never would've imagined that I would've signed to [Lil] Wayne, number one."

And as for out-pacing Kanye West on a week-to-week sales basis — for example this week Pink Friday moved 60,853 units while West's MBDTF shifted 58,436 — the MC was thrilled.

"Girl power!" she said. "I deserve it this time."

Mostly we here at RapFix talk about news, culture and the conversation behind the our scoops, but sometimes, just sometimes, we catch MCs doing things that aren't always best described as hip-hop. We support everyone's right to live their lives and it just so happens that it's pretty fun to watch our favorite rappers do just that. So this, dedicated rap fans, is why we've hatched Spotted!, also known as our very own excuse to observe your favorite MCs in the "real."

*It was unclear at press time, whether Kanye West's MBDTF has also shipped platinum. Stay tuned.

What do you think of Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday reaching platinum? Tweet us at @MTVRapFix or tell us in a comment below!