On the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, Nicki Minaj wanted to remind everybody why she’s the Queen of Rap. Serving as a number and performer that night time, she turned heads throughout her dwell rendition of “Final Time I Noticed You,” placing unnamed rappers on discover.
Then, the barbz chief switched from her somber facet to a extra aggressive tone, spitting early lyrics to “Huge Distinction”: “I’m not the one, two, or the three / You bitches look as much as me / You stated you look as much as her, however actually you look as much as me.” Minaj continued to look down at her competitors, and even laughed on the considered them making an attempt to sound like her. “Will anyone cop all these groupies a ticket trigger I’m who they tryin’ to be!” she exclaimed.
The Trinidadian-born, Queens-raised rapper is a trailblazer for her technology, fittingly calling all these bitches her sons for years. Her debut 2010 album, Pink Friday, was a full-blown experiment that melded pop and rap, influencing many younger feminine rappers to be whoever they desired: hardcore, kooky, goofy, playful, and severe. Pink Friday broke the mould for others to be like Minaj, who didn’t need to be boxed into one sound or persona, creating alter egos like Harajuku Barbie.
Teased initially in 2020, Pink Friday 2 comes within the fourth quarter of 2023 after Minaj spent many of the 12 months reinstating her dominance by way of visitor appearances. Her most profitable collabs in 2023 are remixes to Ice Spice’s “Princess Diana” and Sexyy Purple’s “Pound City,” whereas different collabs with Lil Uzi Vert (“Countless Vogue”), Younger Thug (“Cash”), and YoungBoy By no means Broke Once more (“WTF”) stored her identify within the dialog.
Pink Friday 2 is a risk-free Nicki album, taking protected bets to fulfill the expectations of her followers. By doing so, she continues extending her attain as a world drive, additional straddling the road between Hip Hop and pop by way of refined Barbie aesthetics and extra mature reflections. Coming off the divisive blended reception of Queen, Pink Friday 2 is a return to type, maxing out her sonic talents in Hip Hop, R&B, pop, and dancehall, even when she’s not setting the traits anymore.
Minaj’s multi-genre vary is contained in sections on the album, the place she continues her homage to Hip Hop’s previous on “Barbie Harmful” over The Infamous B.I.G.’s “Infamous Thugs”: “Identify a rapper that may channel Huge Poppa and push out Papa Bear / Entire mom of the 12 months.” “FTCU,” samples lyrics from Waka Flocka Flame’s “Fuck the Membership Up,” immediately transmitting you into an Atlanta strip membership due to producer ATL Jacob.
On songs the place she’s collaborating with Lil Wayne, Drake, J. Cole, and others, Minaj transports them to Gag Metropolis, the AI-generated pink metropolis created forward of her album by her followers. Minaj permits them to finish her imaginative and prescient of Pink Friday 2 moderately than taking it over with a scene-stealing verse.
Lil Wayne, the toughest working rapper alive, seems on “RNB” with Tate Kobang, including to their assortment of Younger Cash reunions. Drake reunites with Minaj on the Afrobeat-infused “Needle,” taking followers again to his “Controlla” and “One Dance” days. Their musical bond has solely gotten stronger since “Second 4 Life,” taking into consideration the magnitude of a Pink Friday sequel. Minaj and J. Cole group up for the primary time on “Let Me Calm Down,” a track that not solely continues Cole’s visitor verse run however has depth for exploring the complexities of a relationship and being the larger particular person.
There’s an emphasis on selecting beats that pattern songs for nostalgia and presumably for a shot at a Billboard Sizzling 100 hit. However Minaj offers them slightly taste showcasing her originality by way of technically flashy verses, a number of vocal inflections, and enjoyable singing over these reworks. Nonetheless, listening to all of the samples when listening to Pink Friday 2 appears like a giant bag flex for clearing them: Billie Eilish’s “when the social gathering’s over” on “Are You Gone Already”; Cyndi Lauper’s “Ladies Simply Wanna Have Enjoyable” on “Pink Friday Ladies”; Blondie’s “Coronary heart of Glass” on “My Life”; Lumidee’s “By no means Depart You” on “Purple Ruby Da Sleeze”; and Rick James’ “Tremendous Freak” on “Tremendous Freaky Woman.” It simply speaks to the present state of Hip Hop that sampling in 2023 is getting redundant, and Nicki Minaj could also be one of many worst offenders.
On the pop facet of the spectrum, Minaj does have her moments on Pink Friday 2. She pours her coronary heart out on the delicate “Are You Gone Already,” rapping about shedding her father Robert Maraj simply days earlier than he was supposed to fulfill her son. “Don’t stress, Onika, so blessed, Onika / “Right this moment, it’s 12/3/23 / Your child’s three, he’s the perfect, Onika,” she says, the form of self-talk that makes shedding a guardian slightly simpler.
With Minaj mentoring the artists she will get behind as of late, it’s an thrilling time for Lourdiz who seems on “Cowgirl,” a track that’s a W for publicity. Tucked away on the album’s finish is “Blessings,” a spiritual track about being grateful for God. Producer BNYX affords a brooding sound for Minaj and gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard, detouring from his work with Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott, and feeling proper at dwelling in Gag Metropolis.
Hip Hop has modified so much within the 13 years since Pink Friday, notably within the acceptance of girls and the way they’re arguably making extra attention-grabbing music than the blokes. And with this sequel, Minaj transitions from innovator to adapter, producing a refined assortment of songs that stick with the Rap traits which can be scorching proper now, not fairly dwelling as much as the expectations of the unique, however nonetheless giving her followers a stable physique of labor that asserts her legacy.
