Top 5 songs off Nicki's album, Queen
On August 10, early on an unsuspecting Friday, rap superstar Nicki Minaj released an album that will have us talking until our voices go out. Queen comes after months of battling between Nicki and the media at large. Not only has she been fighting to protect her reputation among the world as grand sorceress of hip hop, but she also struggled to secure her throne against other artists. In the first song Ganja Burns, she tells us, "You get one turn and one urn / I straighten all these b*tches out with one perm." Nicki is saying quite clearly that her competition won't last. They get a single chance to feel an ounce of the status she has before losing momentum. Other artists do not have the characteristics that she has and therefore lack that longevity. As for egos, Nicki welcomes other players in the game as long as they don't get too big of a head. Making reference to past battles in which she came out victorious, Nicki wants us to know it doesn't take much for her to remind them who the queen is. The line serves as not only a reminder but a warning as well.
I'll be discussing my top five tracks in the order that they appear on the album. For all intents and purposes I will not reveal my #1 favorite (Majesty *cough cough*).
I'll be discussing my top five tracks in the order that they appear on the album. For all intents and purposes I will not reveal my #1 favorite (Majesty *cough cough*).
Majesty
The stan community has long awaited a revamp of Nicki and Eminem's hit Roman's Revenge from her Pink Friday album. Whether it was the synergetic balance between Nicki's character Roman and Eminem's aggressiveness, or the complexities of the story being told, Roman's Revenge was a masterpiece that had black middle school kids turnt. If you were expecting a sequel to that plot of Roman's Revenge, this was not that. However, what we were given was an artistic take on the status that the two hold in the industry. Both musicians have worked tirelessly to not only be recognized but to be exalted, and when people underestimate their power, it is only right that they provide a reminder in the most authentic way. When Nicki says "I'm buyin' buildings, we don't buy the blogs," you can hear the typing of bank tellers as more money enters her bank account.
With a spacious piano melody, we almost forget what genre of music we are in. Labrinth's smooth yet eerie vocals sit comfortably on top of the chords, allowing for a contrast between the words and the sound. When that timbre is followed by a Post Malone-esque beat large enough to fill a room, it communicates the magnitude of Nicki's power when she arrives on the scene. Eminem, although boasting on his verse, comes with a different tone. Em starts by singing to the same melody as Labrinth, almost facetiously, much to my pleasure. Once he transitions into rapping, we know that we are getting taken on a scenic joyride. For such an articulate artist, I found myself listening to his verse repeatedly simply because of the speed at which he utters his words. This was a very respectable comeback for Eminem, if he even needed one.
As for the last verse, let's not talk about that.
With a spacious piano melody, we almost forget what genre of music we are in. Labrinth's smooth yet eerie vocals sit comfortably on top of the chords, allowing for a contrast between the words and the sound. When that timbre is followed by a Post Malone-esque beat large enough to fill a room, it communicates the magnitude of Nicki's power when she arrives on the scene. Eminem, although boasting on his verse, comes with a different tone. Em starts by singing to the same melody as Labrinth, almost facetiously, much to my pleasure. Once he transitions into rapping, we know that we are getting taken on a scenic joyride. For such an articulate artist, I found myself listening to his verse repeatedly simply because of the speed at which he utters his words. This was a very respectable comeback for Eminem, if he even needed one.
As for the last verse, let's not talk about that.
Barbie Dreams
Both older and younger hip hop fans were delighted to hear the vintage beat kick in on Barbie Dreams. Nicki employs a loop from Biggie Smalls's track, Just Playing (Dreams) to turn death into life in this ode to hip hop culture.
I sat down and counted every name Nicki dropped, and I stopped counting after twenty-five. Among the fairly large number of people who were referenced, Nicki directly addresses Drake, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Young Thug, Desiigner, Lil Uzi Vert, Eminem, 50 Cent, and 6ix9ine. According to Nicki's Instagram, she had chosen to leave out certain lines to keep the song brief, one of the lines being aimed at Chief Keef. Maybe this suggests that she plans on releasing an extended version, or maybe she's just letting us know she's capable of doing more damage.
Online media went into a frenzy over the cutthroat lines, the pinnacle being her DJ Khaled diss: "I had to cancel DJ Khaled, we ain't speaking / Ain't no fat n*gga telling me what he ain't eating." The savagery has lead people to question why she was being so vicious. But Nicki clarified on Twitter that all the reading was purely light-hearted, that everyone she digged at were surely able to take a joke. It just goes to show that flaming and digging at others has been an important aspect of hip hop culture since its dawn.
The main verses of Barbie Dreams gave me quite a bit to discuss, but I was fooled to think it was over when the Biggie beat faded out. Within the same song, Nicki starts rapping to another beat and turns us all on our heads. She goes on to execute one of the most iconic verses out of the entire album. Nicki takes on a flow that reminds me of both Roman's Revenge and Blazin' from Pink Friday. The moment when the flow accelerates caught me off guard because I anticipated it would happen after sixteen bars. But she made us wait, kept delivering the same cadence, and after the twentieth bar she decided to go from 30 to 100. For the rest of the rap, Nicki pulls out the lyrical machine gun and leaves a trail of wigs in her path. Just when I thought she couldn't make my blood pressure rise any higher, she brought out the secret weapon from her arsenal, her character Roman. "No I ain't stuttered and no I ain't Ruben" is one of the aggressive and clever phrases that could only be vocalized by her unstable alter-ego.
I sat down and counted every name Nicki dropped, and I stopped counting after twenty-five. Among the fairly large number of people who were referenced, Nicki directly addresses Drake, Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Young Thug, Desiigner, Lil Uzi Vert, Eminem, 50 Cent, and 6ix9ine. According to Nicki's Instagram, she had chosen to leave out certain lines to keep the song brief, one of the lines being aimed at Chief Keef. Maybe this suggests that she plans on releasing an extended version, or maybe she's just letting us know she's capable of doing more damage.
Online media went into a frenzy over the cutthroat lines, the pinnacle being her DJ Khaled diss: "I had to cancel DJ Khaled, we ain't speaking / Ain't no fat n*gga telling me what he ain't eating." The savagery has lead people to question why she was being so vicious. But Nicki clarified on Twitter that all the reading was purely light-hearted, that everyone she digged at were surely able to take a joke. It just goes to show that flaming and digging at others has been an important aspect of hip hop culture since its dawn.
The main verses of Barbie Dreams gave me quite a bit to discuss, but I was fooled to think it was over when the Biggie beat faded out. Within the same song, Nicki starts rapping to another beat and turns us all on our heads. She goes on to execute one of the most iconic verses out of the entire album. Nicki takes on a flow that reminds me of both Roman's Revenge and Blazin' from Pink Friday. The moment when the flow accelerates caught me off guard because I anticipated it would happen after sixteen bars. But she made us wait, kept delivering the same cadence, and after the twentieth bar she decided to go from 30 to 100. For the rest of the rap, Nicki pulls out the lyrical machine gun and leaves a trail of wigs in her path. Just when I thought she couldn't make my blood pressure rise any higher, she brought out the secret weapon from her arsenal, her character Roman. "No I ain't stuttered and no I ain't Ruben" is one of the aggressive and clever phrases that could only be vocalized by her unstable alter-ego.
Hard White
Of all the tracks that were not released as singles, Hard White may be the most radio-friendly. It has a positive and energizing chorus as well as emotionally relatable verses. Nicki kicks off the first verse stating, "Just last week I told 'em to pick a side / I bust shots, don't duck if it don't apply," meaning she is using her lyrics to send a heavy load of savage comments, and those who are not targeted need not get offended. While this is a simple concept in today's culture, it creates a unique mood at this point in the story. Barbie Dreams blatantly addresses people by name. Hard White, on the other hand, is littered with implications, insinuations, and instigation.
Some fans were quickly drawn to a line saying "I ain't never have to strip to get a pole position." The reference is easy to attribute to Cardi B, who is outspoken about her past experience as a stripper. It is important to recognize that many people turn to stripping out of financial struggles, but the tone of this line comes off as shade. On the other hand, Barbs have a tendency to jump to false conclusions, specifically in terms of Nicki's relationships with other celebrities. If there is any malice embedded in this song, it is definitely not meant to be provocative.
Other speculations are suggesting that some of the lines are aimed at Remy Ma and Lil Kim, both artists with whom Nicki has had bitter feuds before.
Say what you may about Nicki's pettiness, but a queen's got to do what a queen's got to do. Ultimately, it's okay to compare yourself to others as long as you don't let that deter you from putting in hard work.
Some fans were quickly drawn to a line saying "I ain't never have to strip to get a pole position." The reference is easy to attribute to Cardi B, who is outspoken about her past experience as a stripper. It is important to recognize that many people turn to stripping out of financial struggles, but the tone of this line comes off as shade. On the other hand, Barbs have a tendency to jump to false conclusions, specifically in terms of Nicki's relationships with other celebrities. If there is any malice embedded in this song, it is definitely not meant to be provocative.
Other speculations are suggesting that some of the lines are aimed at Remy Ma and Lil Kim, both artists with whom Nicki has had bitter feuds before.
Say what you may about Nicki's pettiness, but a queen's got to do what a queen's got to do. Ultimately, it's okay to compare yourself to others as long as you don't let that deter you from putting in hard work.
Chun Swae
Part of the beauty of the ninth number, Chun Swae, is in its simplicity. The beat produced by Metro Boomin provides a sense of familiarity that doesn't startle the listener or draw much attention to itself. Swae Lee's flute-like falsetto sets a powerful mood for the song and sets up Nicki's verse to perfection. When I say the set up is good, I mean you can feel Nicki walking up to the mic. Her verse will have you ready to roll up to the club by yourself because you're too confident for an entourage. Her first words, "Yo, I'm me," say it all; she's about to explain why she's all that in case we forgot. And by the end of the song she will have everyone big and small feeling poor. But beyond describing her wealth, she also talks about being constantly desired by men. Who dares to disagree?
If you're wondering why this combination is successful, you must look to the past. Like many of her recent collaborations, it bridges generations and shows that her music can appeal to a young audience. When Nicki hopped on Rae Sremmurd's No Flex Zone and put her own spin on the hit anthem, it was setting a precedent of working with them in the future. I'd like to believe, however, that this song is a sequel to her "Black Beatles" remix entitled "Black Barbies." It is only right that Chun Swae would have the same bougie nighttime energy that can be found in the song that was playing from everyone's speakers year-round.
On the topic of length, you can say the song was too long. But you wouldn't watch the credits at the end of a movie and complain about the length, would you? Besides, if Nicki were to detail all of her possessions, it wouldn't fit into a five-minute frame. Let's be glad that she chose this time frame and appreciate that she took the last minute to thank those who've supported her.
If you're wondering why this combination is successful, you must look to the past. Like many of her recent collaborations, it bridges generations and shows that her music can appeal to a young audience. When Nicki hopped on Rae Sremmurd's No Flex Zone and put her own spin on the hit anthem, it was setting a precedent of working with them in the future. I'd like to believe, however, that this song is a sequel to her "Black Beatles" remix entitled "Black Barbies." It is only right that Chun Swae would have the same bougie nighttime energy that can be found in the song that was playing from everyone's speakers year-round.
On the topic of length, you can say the song was too long. But you wouldn't watch the credits at the end of a movie and complain about the length, would you? Besides, if Nicki were to detail all of her possessions, it wouldn't fit into a five-minute frame. Let's be glad that she chose this time frame and appreciate that she took the last minute to thank those who've supported her.
Coco Chanel
There are a few reasons why Coco Chanel was needed on Queen. To start, there's nothing better than one queen but two. Foxy Brown joins Nicki for an epic jam that I would love to hear at a party. The collaboration between the two Trinidadian artists has been long anticipated with little faith. Now that it has arrived, some are questioning if it was worth the wait. I myself was confused and somewhat disconcerted but only by the use of Jamaican slang. Fans and critics alike have been vocal when Nicki used to do the same.
Regardless, the chorus of Coco Chanel is as well-crafted as the verses. Not many artists right now are inserting Spanish phrases into their lyrics, but Nicki does it seamlessly.
Coco Chanel dispels the myth that two female rappers cannot exist in tandem. The hip hop community--and the music industry as a whole--revels in turning female artists against one another, at times through comparisons or through instigation of drama. This track is powerful because it negates the narrative of one artist having to overthrow the previous queen to assume the throne.
Did Queen outdo Nicki's most acclaimed album Pink Friday? I'll let you come to your own conclusion on that. What we can all take from it is to never doubt Nicki's abilities and let her worry about her. The songs would have been stronger if she didn't have to interrupt the story to address drama and rumors. All members of the stan community must commit to not pinning Nicki against other artists; she can fight her own battles and doesn't need people on social media to instigate nor mediate. This isn't to say that barbs and non-barbs alike shouldn't check in on Onika, but part of her insecurity is caused by people not believing in her. Like she has assured us then and now, Nicki is a Queen who can get the job done without assistance.
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