Image Courtesy: Young Money/Cash Money Records
Rap's self-claimed "Queen" releases an album that shows Nicki Minaj's talent, but lack of cohesion
By: Gio Mio
It seems like yesterday Nicki Minaj turned the world upside down with her verse on Kanye West's "Monster." That was eight (!!!) years ago. And ever since then Nicki Minaj has been the top mainstream female rapper. She's followed a very similar career path to Drake, from dominating streams to lacking a true classic album (for Drake you could argue with Take Care). This is Minaj's first album in nearly four years, when she released The Pinkprint. After numerous legal issues and features later, does Minaj reclaim her throne at the top?
Long story short: Not at all.
Now before I spend most of this time telling you why I think Queen is definitely not her best work, there are some really good highlights on here. The album starts solid with "Ganga Burn" and "Majesty" featuring an Eminem verse I didn't expect. And it seems like whenever Minaj is pushed to answer back or prove herself, she responds well. Take "Barbie Dreams" for example. She flips an idea from Notorious B.I.G. and turns it into a call out of all the popular male rappers in the industry.
But that's where the praises end for me. Queen tugs you in so many different directions you're not sure what the story of the album is. Okay, she's the queen of rap. But there's not enough rapping on here in the first place. Minaj's vocals lack any range besides help from autotune. And thank GOODNESS "Sorry" wasn't released. That might've been one of the worst songs Nicki Minaj or Nas have ever done.
At 35 years of age, there has to come a time where we question some of the lyrics Minaj raps about. One can only rap about stripper poles and attracting men for so long before it gets bland. You'd think with female rappers like Cardi B, Rapsody, Noname, and Cupcakke on the rise Minaj would try and change her style just a bit. To be fair there's no reason to change anything if it isn't broken. She still dominates streams and YouTube views. But if we've learned anything, you're only at the top for so long before you fall. You can tell Cardi B is a threat to Minaj, just listen to "Hard White."
Queen is a failed attempt at showcasing all of Nicki Minaj's talents in one cohesive project. We all know she can rap and can (slightly) sing, but the brag raps are too much. There needs to be a change in her song subject if she wants to stay the Queen of rap. But with how she responded to that critique and then did a song with an alleged pedophile, it only seems like a matter of time before Nicki Minaj loses her crown.
Album Rating: 1.5/5
Favorite Tracks
"Barbie Dreams"
"Majesty (feat. Eminem)"
"Coco Chanel"
It seems like yesterday Nicki Minaj turned the world upside down with her verse on Kanye West's "Monster." That was eight (!!!) years ago. And ever since then Nicki Minaj has been the top mainstream female rapper. She's followed a very similar career path to Drake, from dominating streams to lacking a true classic album (for Drake you could argue with Take Care). This is Minaj's first album in nearly four years, when she released The Pinkprint. After numerous legal issues and features later, does Minaj reclaim her throne at the top?
Long story short: Not at all.
Now before I spend most of this time telling you why I think Queen is definitely not her best work, there are some really good highlights on here. The album starts solid with "Ganga Burn" and "Majesty" featuring an Eminem verse I didn't expect. And it seems like whenever Minaj is pushed to answer back or prove herself, she responds well. Take "Barbie Dreams" for example. She flips an idea from Notorious B.I.G. and turns it into a call out of all the popular male rappers in the industry.
But that's where the praises end for me. Queen tugs you in so many different directions you're not sure what the story of the album is. Okay, she's the queen of rap. But there's not enough rapping on here in the first place. Minaj's vocals lack any range besides help from autotune. And thank GOODNESS "Sorry" wasn't released. That might've been one of the worst songs Nicki Minaj or Nas have ever done.
At 35 years of age, there has to come a time where we question some of the lyrics Minaj raps about. One can only rap about stripper poles and attracting men for so long before it gets bland. You'd think with female rappers like Cardi B, Rapsody, Noname, and Cupcakke on the rise Minaj would try and change her style just a bit. To be fair there's no reason to change anything if it isn't broken. She still dominates streams and YouTube views. But if we've learned anything, you're only at the top for so long before you fall. You can tell Cardi B is a threat to Minaj, just listen to "Hard White."
Queen is a failed attempt at showcasing all of Nicki Minaj's talents in one cohesive project. We all know she can rap and can (slightly) sing, but the brag raps are too much. There needs to be a change in her song subject if she wants to stay the Queen of rap. But with how she responded to that critique and then did a song with an alleged pedophile, it only seems like a matter of time before Nicki Minaj loses her crown.
Album Rating: 1.5/5
Favorite Tracks
"Barbie Dreams"
"Majesty (feat. Eminem)"
"Coco Chanel"