Playtime Is Over is the debut mixtape by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. It was released on July 5, 2007 through Dirty Money Records. It features guest performances from Hell Red, Red Café, Murda Mook, Ransom, Gravy, Lil Wayne, Angel De-Mar, and Ru Spits.

After releasing five songs with the rap group The Hoodstars (a part of Full Force) Minaj left the group to pursue music independently. She uploaded music to Myspace and reached out to music producers. Through Myspace Minaj made contact with Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment. Fendi signed Minaj to Dirty Money Records, where Minaj featured on a DVD series called "The Come Up." Her appearance on "The Come Up" caught the attention of Lil Wayne, who contracted her to release her music with Young Money Entertainment.

Minaj was involved in writing all of the lyrics on "Playtime Is Over". Her songs mostly feature either her or another artist rapping, with the chorus from the original instrumental removed. Most lyrics consist of either complicated wordplay or direct insults that establish Minaj as better than other rappers, and suggest that her music is worth listening to. It was argued that the lyrics of the mixtape are deeper than that of subsequent commercial singles.

Most of the instrumentals on "Playtime Is Over" are sampled from other, more popular songs, and original instrumentals are similar in style. The mixtape features rhythmic, synthesized beats with bass, in a 4/4 time signature. While Nicki Minaj's new discography features pop-rap, "Playtime Is Over" is predominantly hip-hop music accompanied by fast-paced rapping. "Playtime Is Over" established many of the motifs that are present in Minaj's later work. As Minaj's first published work as an individual rapper, "Playtime Is Over" debuted Minaj use of alter egos such as "Nicki Lewinsky" and engagement with British cockney.

"Playtime Is Over" is the first in a series of mixtapes, all released without a major record label, that were marketed to establish a dedicated, core fan base who identified with the lifestyle described in her mixtape Minaj established a small fan base before releasing "Playtime Is Over" by communicating with her fans online on Twitter, Myspace, and personal blogs. "Playtime Is Over" allowed Minaj to reach more hip-hop enthusiasts, and activity on social networking sites pushed her mixtapes into the mainstream. The vice president marketing at Minaj's management company said that, following the release of "Playtime Is Over," "We didn't position [Minaj] as music but as a lifestyle."

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