The Highly Anticipated Return of The Queen of Rap

Pink Friday 2 Review

‘I remember when I couldn't buy my mother a couch, now I'm sitting at the closing and bought my Mother a house. You could never understand why I grind like I do, Micaiah and Jelani, why I grind like I do.’- ‘I'm The Best’, Pink Friday.

In 2010, Nicki Minaj released one of the highest-selling and most undeniably, impactful Rap albums of all time: Pink Friday. Pink Friday was her freshman album and formal introduction to the Hip-Hop industry. The opening lyrics of ‘Did It On Em’ alone, have been referenced in more lyrics over the past decade to count, and is as a testament to the album's cultural influence.  Since its release, Nicki has been nominated 12x for Grammy Awards, and Pink Friday is now certified 3x Platinum. Unbelievable to many, although Nicki has been nominated over 400 times for various awards, she has never actually won a Grammy. This unfortunate fact is the personification of another memorable lyric from ‘I'm The Best’- ‘I ain't gotta get a plaque, I ain't gotta get awards, I just walk out of the door, and all the girls will applaud, All the girls will commend, as long as they understand that I'm fighting for the girls that never thought they could win.’

Accolades aside, an undisputed career highlight, was Nicki's chilling feature on Kanye West’s ‘Monster.’ Kanye himself acknowledged, that he seriously contemplated removing her feature from the track on his album before release because it was ‘too good’ and would potentially overshadow his verse. 

To this day, we have not witnessed another female emcee rap alongside the highest-ranked male rappers on one track,  and out-rap them. This invitation has never been extended to another female artist since that moment.  This feature, unanimously confirmed her, as one of the greatest female rappers alive.

In addition to her ability to rap better than many of the top male emcees, her delivery also distinguishes her from other rappers. The animation and tone variation is unique and was developed during her time at LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts. She floats between personas accompanied with accents and inflections, effortlessly. Most notably, on ‘Romans Revenge’, floating between Nicki Minaj and Roman Zolanski, while rapping alongside Eminem. 

During the week before Pink Friday 2 release, Nicki confirmed on X(formerly Twitter) that she had to choose between 60 songs before narrowing down the 22 tracks that made the album.  On X, she describes, that the album intro took her ‘months, closer to a year. I ran from it. Couldn't stop crying. My absolute best intro. Imo. Someone added their genius touch to it. Magic.’

Pink Friday 2 was originally scheduled for release on November 17th but was later delayed to December 8th, 2023, Nicki's 41st birthday. Pink Friday 2 is Nicki's fifth studio album, following her 4th studio album which was released in 2018 titled Queen. The album is comprised of 22 tracks and features from J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Drake, Future, Lil Uzi Vert among others. 

‘Are You Gone Already’, the album intro, begins with inaudible yet infectious coos of her son Papa Bear, whose real name she has yet to reveal. Her son is the magic touch, she referenced in the above-mentioned tweet. This intro along with ‘Blessings’ and ‘Just The Memories' are the most vulnerable and transparent tracks on the project. 

In the album intro, she harmonizes about missing loved ones who never had the opportunity to meet her firstborn, as well as missed expectations in motherhood,  asking her son for forgiveness. In between Nicki's last album Queen, and Pink Friday 2, she became a Mom and Wife. On many tracks, she affectionately expresses her investment in the journey of Motherhood and all that it entails. On Blessings, she sings ‘There's a river that I go to and it heals me, recently became a Momma and it Thrills me.’

‘Let Me Calm Down' is one of the most introspective tracks on the project, where she unpacks insecurities in an intimate partnership, involving advocating for autonomy in the intimate partner space, without disrespecting the integrity of the union. 

Notably, there are no features from female rappers on this project, which is surprising considering the resurgence of new female rappers since her last album release. Many of which, who have studied and admired Nicki in the developmental stages of their respective careers. This lack of support is most noticeable because, at the beginning of Nicki's career, she aggressively advocated for female empowerment. Therefore, choosing not to work with new female rap talent at a veteran level in her career seems inherently contradictory and problematic. Regardless of the continued tension and public disputes, she has had with a select few including Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Cardi B, Iggy Azealia, Azalea Banks, Megan Thee Stallion, and Latto. The lack of collaboration and mentoring (Ice Spice aside), also seems counterintuitive and regressive.

In addition to the lack of collaborative efforts between Nicki and upcoming female artists, other events have caused controversy in her career in recent years. First, she allegedly paid for her brother Jelani's 6 figure bail after being charged and convicted of predatory sexual assault in 2015. Secondly, her marriage to a registered sex offender began around 2019 although they have been friends since they were teenagers. This has also negatively impacted her brand and again seems contradictory to her previously driven female empowerment campaign. She seemingly responds to criticism of her Husband in ‘My Life’ on Pink Friday 2,  by singing on the chorus ‘They don’t know me, but they always judging my life, they can't tell me who to love or f*ck it's my life, they gon talk about me whether I'm wrong or right. I don't need no more drama in my life.’ Lastly, her multiple collaborations with Tekashi 69, a male rap artist found guilty of sexual exploitation of a child, is concerning. These events, understandably so, paint a picture to the general public and long-time fans (the majority of whom are females) that she supports predators and is not an advocate for victims of sexual assault and violence.  The aforementioned events are also especially difficult to overlook because Hip Hop is currently having its #MeToo moment, as a result of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act on Nov 23, 2023. 

Even so, after years of controversy and questionable character moments, the album doesn't feel heavy and is surprisingly freeing and incredibly cohesive. It is the perfect blend of melodic elements, high hats, kick bass, and alternating tempos. It is also the perfect balance of vulnerability and vibrato in the lyrical elements. In historical Nicki fashion, the bars are deliberate, reflecting the precise nature of her pen that has only progressed over the years. Lastly, her veteran wordplay and metaphor use are still unmatched.

Her signature use of figurative language and personification combined with accent variations and inflections in tonality, is Nicki's special blend of rap magic that makes her projects sonically exciting. 

Nicki also takes great care in selecting the featured artists, and each song accurately reflects the artist's energy and agenda. Lil Uzi Vert was undeniably made for the Jersey/Philly club, high BPM beat on ‘Everybody’, and the depth J. Cole possesses was ideal for the subject matters discussed on ‘Let Me Calm Down.’

Pink Friday 2 is Nicki's first project released in her 4th decade of life, and the content reflects decades of growth and self-awareness just as much as it reflects decades of doubt and challenges. 

Although it has been 5 years since her 4th studio album, her pen has been perfected in her absence. In many ways, ‘Just The Memories’, the final track on the album, sounds like a Farewell.  She raps ‘I prayed for a son, my Husband wanted one, If they ask about me, tell 'em, I was one of one.’ On that same record, she goes on to sing, ‘Memories don't leave like people do, They'll always 'member you, There's never been another you, Tell 'em, I was one of one. ’

It is reassuring to know, that regardless of the amount of time passed, Nicki is an artist who will most likely never fall off her musical pivot, because she holds herself accountable in all aspects of her artistry. A tour announcement is expected soon, and hopefully, her talent despite the controversy is enough to persuade fans to sell out shows as she once did at the height of her career. 

Easy Listening, The Urban Music Enthusiast