Los Angeles, Aug 11 (IANS): After multiple delays and one fake-out, singer Nicki Minaj has finally dropped her fourth studio album, "Queen" - a week earlier than the August 17 release date she announced last week.

Minaj broke the news last night on the first episode of her "Beats 1" radio show, and said she'd just finished mixing the album three hours earlier, reports variety.com.

The album features guest spots from Eminem, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, Ariana Grande, Future, Swae Lee, Labrinth and a key Minaj influence, veteran rapper Foxy Brown.

The release date of "Queen" had been bumped at least twice, and earlier this month when she knocked it back another week from Friday to the August 17 due to a sample-clearance issue.

"Queen" is Minaj's first album release since "The Pinkprint" in 2014, which received praise from fans and critics as like as well as certified platinum status twice by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Minaj has already released three singles from the album, "Barbie Tingz," "Chun-Li" and "Bed," the latter of which is a duet with Grande.