Nicki Minajs new album is being held up by a Tracy Chapman sample

Will Tracy approve Nickis choice of sample in time for album release day? (Picture: Getty, WireImage)

Sampling: its a tricky and somewhat delicate business in music.

Permission needs to be granted in order for one artist to use anothers music (otherwise a world of legal pain usually awaits), and that can sometimes be a pretty time-consuming process.

Thats what Nicki Minaj is living through right now, anyway, with the rapper revealing that one of the songs on her forthcoming new album Queen features an as-yet-uncleared Tracy Chapman sample.

Taking to Twitter, Minaj revealed that the whole record – which is now due out on 17 August (see below) – is currently being held up by the sampling issue.

Should Nicki stick or twist with the song? (Picture: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Shes now torn between either waiting for the sample to clear or removing the track from the album altogether.

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So theres a record on #Queen that features 1 of the greatest rappers of all time, Minaj teased in a since-deleted tweet.

Had no clue it sampled the legend #TracyChapman – do I keep my date & lose the record? Or do I lose the record & keep my date? do we push #Queen back 1 week? Ugh! Im torn, yall help.

She also tweeted directly at Tracy (which has also since been deleted), asking: Tracy Chapman, can you please hit me. omg for the love of #Queen.

The rapper has now asked her fans for advice on what to do in regards to the song – setting up a Twitter poll to help her decide what course of action to take.

Since I may have asked it wrong. vote. You guys can only imagine how much this means to me. Its such a perfect body of work love you. Long time.

— Chun-Li (@NICKIMINAJ) August 1, 2018