Artist: Nicki Minaj
Album: Pink Friday
Label: Young Money/Cash Money/Universal

I can honestly say it’s been years since I connected so much with a rap album. It’s funny but her duet with Eminem on “Roman’s Revenge” is almost like Em is somehow passing the torch on to Nicki which is something I never thought imaginable. I haven’t been all that impressed with Nicki lyrically wise in her guest tracks from the past two years, but this album’s lyrics are both clever, funny as well as incredibly emotional–all of which are elements which have made Eminem into one of the greatest rappers alive–truthfully, with this album, Nicki is on track to becoming one of the greats. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nicki stated: “..it’s time for me now to tell my story, and in telling my story, I’m really telling every girl’s story. We all go through the same thing..” She succeeds. I don’t know how it would make a man feel to hear the lyrics to “Fly” but as a girl, hearing “I am not a word, I am not a line, I am not a girl that can ever be defined, I am not fly, I am levitation,” it makes me feel empowered. “Here I Am” which is probably the best track on the album is positively heartbreaking. Without a doubt-Nicki has created music with real lasting power. Vocally wise, Nicki mixes up a harsher/quicker flow which she uses on tracks like “Roman’s Revenge” that are more comedic and quite frankly strange, and a softer/slower more passionate flow on tracks like “Save Me” and “Last Chance“. For the most part it really works, but probably the biggest criticism I have is actually that a couple tracks have too much dead space–parts where its just music which means a couple songs have like two whole verses and not much else. Musically, I think Nicki really succeeds. “I’m the Best” has a full on classical arrangement behind a sic beat. Other tracks incorporate pop and rock mixed with fresh hip hop rhythms to create music that is both instantly listenable and current as well as pushing the boundaries with what you may be comfortable with. Can’t recommend this album enough. It’s touching, funny and sounds effing amazing. An as a side note, on the itunes deluxe addition there are four other tracks(the first three kind being good but not amazing), but you will want to find a way to get the last one “Girls Fall Like Dominoes“.

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