Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday REVIEW



Like her Young Money music label cohort Drake, Nicki Minaj makes hip-POP. (Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne.) Like I said in the review of his album “I like pop, I like hip-hop. A merger of the two, done successfully, can be good.” As a whole this is a good album, a HOT album? That remains to be seen. I classify an album HOT when half or more of the tracks are HOT.


The “high profile song” of the album "Roman's Revenge" (featuring Eminem) with production by super producer Swizz Beatz is cool, but I’m not sold on it as a hot track yet. Another high profile song is "Check It Out" (featuring will.i.am). The song is a good “club banger” and a good pop song, but the production by will.i.am is redundant and it sounds like every other he has produced. The only collaboration with label mate Drake "Moment 4 Life" doesn’t succeed despite a nice opening rhyme from Nicki.

One of the standout HOT songs leads off the album "I'm the Best” with good production by Kane Beatz. Kane Beatz also produced the really nice pop song "Dear Old Nicki".

One of the hottest beats on the album is in the song “Did It on 'em" produced by Bangladesh who produced "A Milli" by Lil Wayne and "Diva" by Beyoncé. The hook which I will not repeat here makes the song HOT as well.

What has been called a “standout song” of the album "Right Thru Me” produced by Drew Money is also hot with another hook I will not repeat. Two of the best tracks on the album were produced by Oak and Papa Justifi "Your Love" (which was released as the album's first official US single on June 1, 2010) and “Muny” which is only available on the “Deluxe version” of the album.

Some of the best rhyming by Nicki happens on the iTunes exclusive track "Girls Fall Like Dominoes” produced by J.R. Rotem.

In the end, Nicki Minaj’s rhymes are filled with antics, but they are still clever and supremely executed. She IS the best female MC in the game right now and while this album is no masterpiece it is still a great listen and as a whole works. As usual below I will post track for track what is HOT. The tracks that I think have "hot" potential are listed as warm.


1. "I'm the Best" HOT
2. "Roman's Revenge" (featuring Eminem) warm
3. "Did It on 'em" HOT
4. "Right Thru Me" HOT
5. "Fly" (featuring Rihanna)
6. "Save Me"
7. "Moment 4 Life" (featuring Drake)
8. "Check It Out" (featuring will.i.am) warm
9. "Blazin" (featuring Kanye West)
10. "Here I Am"
11. "Dear Old Nicki" warm
12. "Your Love" HOT
13. "Last Chance" (featuring Natasha Bedingfield)

Deluxe Edition additional tracks
14. "Super Bass"
15. "Blow Ya Mind"
16. "Muny" HOT

iTunes Store Deluxe Edition bonus track
17. "Girls Fall Like Dominoes" HOT

Cool Black UPDATE (February 10, 2011): After listening to the album several times these two tracks are fun  :) pop tracks.

13. "Last Chance" (featuring Natasha Bedingfield) warm
14. "Super Bass" warm

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