I dare you, go ahead and name another female rapper who could compete with the wrath of Nicki Minaj. On Monday, Nov. 22, the much-anticipated debut solo album, Pink Friday, dropped with record-breaking sales and now, a Grammy nomination. Similar to her Young Money counterparts Lil Wayne and Drake, most of Minaj’s buzz has been generated from mixtapes and guest appearances on some of the hottest tracks of the year like Usher’s “Little Freak,” Trey Songz’s “Bottom’s Up,” Kanye West’s “Monster” and Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad.”
The thing that makes Minaj unique, other than her quirky Lady Gaga-like antics, is that she has relatable lyrics. Other artists like Plies have had mediocre success with rap ballads, but Minaj has capitalized on this and generated a huge following.
Pink Friday starts off with Minaj discussing the struggles she went through during her rise to the top and how she was able to purchase a house for her mother due to her success and hard work. She then moves in to “Roman’s Revenge” featuring powerhouse Eminem where she showcases the random sounds and callouts that she is known for.
The hard-hitting cocky “Did It On ‘Em,” will give listeners a good chuckle as she talks about being on top of her game and how she feels like she has to school other females like a mother. With every line she simultaneously demonstrates her seriousness and sense of humor. The last line on the song is a classic example of this as she says, “If you could turn back time, Cher. You used the be here but now you gone, Nair.” Could she possible be referring to Lil Kim?
Her blazing radio hit, “Your Love” shows a softer side of Nicki as she devotes the song to telling a guy why she can’t get enough of his love. Believe it or not, this is a love song but expressed on a whole other level.
Out of the 13 tracks that are on the album, MInaj has six songs that are collaborations with other artists, but even with the collaborations, she did a great job of making sure that she was the main focus on all of her tracks.
Pink Friday is a great debut for Minaj and with all of her positive momentum, she will be around in the rap game for a long time.
–lynnette “lboogie” pope
