Album Review- Nicki Minaj- Pink Friday

So this is the most anticipated album left to drop this year by far after Kanye's latest. Nicki has barraged us with verses and features for the past two years and to this point, her stock was even higher than fellow Young Money label mate Drake's. Finally, the Barbies can rejoice with the release of Pink Friday.

The second single, "Right Thru Me" is currently in rotation heavy, and while it doesn't have as much lyricism as Nicki is capable of, the song accomplishes its goal of reaching the young women who make up Nicki's fan base. It's all about the female emotion so I accept it. The first single "Your Love," I like better personally though I'm not quite sold on some of the flow during it but its a solid song.


I take the beginning of the album to be Nicki's 'lyrical' section and it is actually the most disappointing. on "I'm The Best" she gets what sounds like a slightly warmed over Mannie Fresh track from the old Cash Money days, and while her flow is steady, she doesn't come with the fire she had on "Monster or All I do is win". "Did it On Em" is probably the beat where she should have went in the hardest but it just seems like she is pulling back, but even more annoying is where she says "all these bitches is my sons" as a 'post-chorus' and it doesn't make any sense. "Roman's Revenge" is hot and she hangs right in there with Eminem, especially on her second verse.


Nicki and Drake share the light on "Moment 4 Life" where she fills the normal Drake role both singing and rapping. Drake's voice is extra annoying on this song though. Kanye actually has the best verse on "Blazin" even though he has some of his normal wtf moments. "Fly" is going to be another Barbie anthem, as it features Rihana on the hook, though the verses are just about how ill she is, and her second verse is one of the better ones on the album. "Last Chance" features pop star Natasha Bedingfield showcases Nicki using the new "semicolon" flow that is so popular these days. The album also includes "Check it Out" which Nicki performed with Will.I.Am at the MTV Video awards this year. This works and should have been out as a video already I would think.


 "Save me" is an r and b song which is pretty cool. "Here I am" is my personal favorite because it is one of the few songs that is about something and actually gives me an insight into who Nicki actually is. The song immediately after "Dear Old Nicki" is an explanation if you will of why her flow and style have changed since she came onto the scene a few years ago.


Now I'm going to catch flack from NC-17 at the very least, the young folks will write me off as  a hater but this album is even more disappointing than Drake's. Nicki is better lyrically and has more personality than Drake and I would like to see more of who and what Nicki's journey was from the old Nicki to this new Nicki that is the queen of the Barbies. For me, that's the thing that holds the album back, she has her singles but it just seems like the entire concept of "dumbing down" your lyrics is taken a notch above because she is way better of a rapper than this. Had she really killed one of those first three songs, the rest of the album might have felt better or had she slid more lyrics and creativeness into songs like "Fly" and "Moment 4 Life" or "Blazin" I would feel better about the direction she has gone in. What this album does show to me is that Young Money while a great promotional vehicle, cannot create consistently good albums, never mind crossing into the territory of great.



I had to add this because this verse on here is 5 times better than anything on her own album and like Mase, her album isn't what it could have been.


While she manages to show more of herself than Drake does, those sparkling moments are few and far between. Now the album will play well in its target demographic, but there is nothing to convince anyone who wasn't already a fan to become one. I prefer her featuring slots to this album because there just isn't enough there.


Rating: 2.5/5

Comments

  1. I listened to the album recently and I agree with everything you just said. I am personally not a fan of hers but I must admit, when doing a feature she KILLS! I love her on Hello, Good Morning and Bottoms Up BUT alone it seems as if she cant do it. All of her singles are wack and her and Drake together leaves me feeling uber sleepy.

    I was hoping that she would show true talent on the album but she didnt. womp womp

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  2. lol It's like she didn't feel the pressure to perform by herself and so laid an egg.

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  3. if by egg you mean golden egg full of rubies and diamonds.

    classic album

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