I seriously have been anticipating Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" debut and I must say that I am overwhelmingly pleased with the result of the album. First off, I must relay that the album is a far cry from her featured offerings, in that Nicki's many personas take a backseat on most of the album tracks. This isn't a hardcore rap album and if that's what you're looking for, you will be disappointed.
Instead, Nicki delivers an album full of depth and emotion. She ties in her rapping with signing, of which, she executes magnificently. The album has legs and is sure to open Ms. Minaj to a wide variety of opportunities in the future with her eclectic range.
The album opens with "I'm The Best" and as the title explains, this track shows why she is leading the rap game uncontested. The second verse is absolutely the highly of the entire album where she proclaims that she can remember when she couldn't afford to buy her mother a coach and how it felt growing up without a father because he was addicted to crack.
Of course, Nicki flips it and raps "now I'm sitting at the closing, bought my mother a house...and even when my daddy was on crack, I was crack, now the whole album crack, you ain't got to skip a track." She notes that people may never understand her hustle, but she grinds for those close to her and all the girls "that never thought they could win cause before they could begin you told them it was the end, but I am here to reverse the curse that they live in." Hands down, this is true hip-hop and is one of the most inspiring opening verses that I have ever heard in my life.
I'm sure you've all heard "Roman's Revenge" featuring Eminem by now, and of course, Nicki slays; however, Em's verse is quite tacky and uninspiring. So much so that I'd rather it not there at all. That little misstep is resolved by the Kanye assisted "Blazin." Not a huge Kanye fan, I must say that both 'Ye and Nicki kill their respective verses. It's also the overall highlight of the album. Must be a single because it's the best representation of Nicki that most have gotten used to as a result of her numerous features.
As previously noted, Nicki sings on almost every track and like the introspective "Right Thru Me," Nicki delivers beautifully on "Save Me" where she finds herself driving back to find her lost love, hoping that he will save her from her own insecurities. Similarly, "Fly" featuring Rihanna finds Nicki proclaiming that she "came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive, I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise...to fly."
Rumored fourth single "Moment 4 Life" featuring Drake is inspirational in that it argues that we should cherish our best moments alive and live them to the fullest. Drake raps that "everybody dies, but not everybody lives." Obviously, even Nicki knows that this is her moment, a moment that she will never get again, and that she is not about to let it go to waste.
"Dear Old Nicki" and "Here I Am" are both a bit alternative and give a very old school vibe, while "Last Chance" featuring Natasha Bedingfield is very Pop and somewhat feels out of place on the album. Likewise, I now understand why Nicki Minaj didn't originally want her #1 Rap hit "Your Love" on "Pink Friday." It just doesn't fit with the mood of the rest of the album.
Interestingly enough, if you're looking for the other sides of Nicki Minaj, then you may want to cop the deluxe version with bonus tracks "Super Bass," "Blow Ya Mind," and "Muny." They're are definitely in the vein of her verse on "Monster" to say the least. They're on pair with regular edition track "Did It'On Em, which is a high energy track full of punch lines.
All in all, "Pink Friday" is a welcome edition to any hip-hop lover's collection and that's coming from a non-rap fan. This album is just that, good. Cop that tomorrow on November 22, 2010!
CWH's Picks: Blazin', Save Me, & I'm The Best
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