Don’t rush to the store to pick up Nicki Minaj‘s debut album Pink Friday. Out of the 350,000 copies sold within the first week, a good portion will be discarded into your local record store’s bargain bin by true hip-hop fans. Well, assuming they even bothered to purchase a copy after such blatantly saccharin singles as “Your Love” and “Right Thru Me”…
Thanks to a few mixtapes and stellar guest verses, Minaj propelled herself towards the top of the hip-hop community. She’s easily one of the most exciting female rappers we’ve seen in recent history, equipped with zany cartoon antics and enough clever one-liners to prove she’s more substance than style.
Unfortunately, the overnight success didn’t do her any favors. She tried to please too many people with Pink Friday, resulting in a jumbled mess of eighties samples, bratty delivery and lackluster introspective tracks. And then there’s the singing. Despite how hard she tries, Minaj will never be Lauryn Hill. Quite simply? She doesn’t have the pipes for it.
Frankly, Minaj is best when she’s more “Itty Bitty Piggy” than “Save Me” or “Check It Out”. She achieves this energy on tracks like “Roman’s Revenge” and “Did It On ‘Em”, but it’s practically absent on the remainder of the album. While it’s one thing to be versatile, it’s another to stick with your talents. Let’s put it this way… Nicki Minaj is a dominant top, and she’s fucking herself with this overly poppy direction.
– Dewitt
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(via elite musical visionary MuuMuse)
Well, I kinda liked it. I had heard some songs before the release and at least for me, it was worth buying it.
Damn, well didn’t that get trashed hardcore…lol.
I agree, this album is garbage. She is garbage… I really hope her 15 mins are up soon.
Well I doubt you know anything about Hip-Hop, look at the songs you just said you liked? “Bottoms Up” where she’s talking about getting drunk and Itty Bitty Piggy where she raps about nothing as well? Take a lesson in Hip Hop 101 but then again you wouldn’t know since the majority of gay people don’t listen to Rap or unless it’s a female or even better the Black Eyed Peas! This album was about Nicki Minaj letting people know who she was not the gimmicks. A blog whose music selections are that of every fags – Dance Pop, occasionally R&B, Rock. SMH
You make the mistake and assumption that many bloggers make. The mistake being your article attempts to compare Minaj to another artist as if hip hop is a monolith. If you are going to compare there a number of female rappers, Remy Ma, Trina, Missy, etc..but you choose Lauren Hill! (SMH) Its also interesting that you diminish her success by relegating here journey to an obscure standard. Artist with talent don’t just pick up a Mic, sell gold records, without a body of work to start from.
That’s what happens when someone is up in your face all the time. Nicki has been this year in at least 15 different singles and I’m not counting her own as a lead artist. Right thru me is an OK song, but she should stick to rapping and leave the singing to others. Thanks for the review, I am definitely not buying her album.
I love Nicki and her open-minded voice and character play – for the same reason I love Regina Spektor for the same thing. Pink Friday is a total waste of all of her talent. The bonus tracks I’e heard are much, much better, Blow Ya Mind, Muny, Wave Ya Hand, and the excellent Catch Me, which has her actually singing decently and is heavily influenced by Drake, in an awesome way.
“Pink Friday” is disappointing, but the album’s good songs don’t end with “Did It On’em.”
If the more ‘introspective’ and ‘gentle’ moments on the album were all like “Your Love” or “Moment 4 Life,” it would be better. I first heard Minaj on “Your Love,” anyway, and fell in love with it ‘cuz of the Annie Lennox sample and its laidback vibe.
“Pink Friday” is disappointing, but the album’s good songs don’t end with “Did It On’em.”
If the more ‘introspective’ and ‘gentle’ moments on the album were all like “Your Love” or “Moment 4 Life,” it would be better. I first heard Minaj on “Your Love,” anyway, and fell in love with it ‘cuz of the Annie Lennox sample and its laidback vibe.
Wow. I agree with a few of the comments above. I’d say its pretty important when you’re listening to an artist not to sit there and compare them to everyone else. She’s unlike anyone, and she certainly isn’t trying to be like any other rapper. I’d also like to point out that finding an ENTIRE album that you love, by any artist you listen to, comes few and far between. There’s always going to be a few tracks you don’t like. Duh.She put out a diverse album to please her many different fans. And how the hell are you going to diss Your Love and Right Thru Me?? People ate that shit up. *SN: Please don’t even act like Lauryn Hill is such an amazing singer. I love her as much as the next, but bitch sang like a drunk old man.** Y’all need to chill out on the hatin. This album was made to show people what she can do, and by being number 2 on the billboard album charts, I’d say the bitch showed ya. 😛
Also. Are you really even going to bother posting Khia’s view on here?? She’s a freakin joke. She had one song that anyone ever remembers. “Hit that bitch with a bottle.” She just demonstrated so much artistry and talent. and her gas from her Thxgiving dinner? Sounds like a great source of judgement to me. I’m so tired of everyone who writes this blog being a total goddamn idiot. Typical gays…..Ignorant.
Also. Are you really even going to bother posting Khia’s view on here?? She’s a freakin joke. She had one song that anyone ever remembers. “Hit that bitch with a bottle.” She just demonstrated so much artistry and talent. and her gas from her Thxgiving dinner? Sounds like a great source of judgement to me. I’m so tired of everyone who writes this blog being a total goddamn idiot. Typical gays…..Ignorant.
You think being gay, you would appreciate diversity and individuality, just because she’s not a stereotype doesn’t mean her music isnt good, Nicki Minaj isn’t lauren hill, Trina, or that stank bitch lil’ Kim. She’s Nicki Minaj. She’s a new kind of rapper/singer with a sound thats unique, and thats why she has the top selling debut album by a female hip hop artist ever. You can’t count The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill because its a R&B album.
Minaj is awesome.. fuck Khia!
I like it,some songs I listen to more than others but it’s just her 1st album. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.
Anybody heard the Lil Kim diss she put out about Nicki? pretty good.
I normally don’t come on Manhunt Daily for recommendations on music, movies, or television. I mean, let’s keep it real, no one does. Hopefully. This “review” just kind of irked me, because it doesn’t point to anything that is wrong with Nicki’s album. I was a bit disappointed when I first heard “Pink Friday” because I was hoping for more of the boastful raps and crazy voices, but upon repeated spins the album gets better and better. The opening trio of songs, “I’m the Best”, “Roman’s Revenge”, and “Did It On ‘Em” are awesome. They are boastful and Nicki shows why she is right the top female MC in the game right now. The rest of the album really showcases her and offers radio ready hip-hop/pop for the masses. There is nothing wrong with that and it doesn’t make this a “bad” album by any stretch. The positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, and USA Today, to name a few are well deserved.
My second problem with this “review” is the stuff that comes after the jump. It features commentary from Khia who is a sad one hit wonder. She is just trying to manufacture beef with Nicki to try and prop herself up. She proclaims herself the Queen. The Queen of what? Obscurity? She also name checks Rolling Stone reviewer Rob Sheffield and misspells his name. Also, they bring up Kanye’s new album, which is yes, phenomenal. Nicki is featured pretty heavily on the album and steals the track “Monster” from Mr. West.
Anyone who is curious about Nicki or has heard her many guest raps and enjoyed them should ignore this “review” and pick up “Pink Friday” for themselves. I doubt they will be disappointed. I have recommended it to lots of friends and none of them have had bad things to say.
HORRIBLE! GARBAGE! GROSS! NOT WORTH $1.99
And that is me being nice! I really like her and was hoping for a great album. She did not deliver. Her songs are nowhere near what she has on the radio with other artists. There is no theme to the album. The songs dont tie into each other. She is just being rude and crass and not in a Missy Elliot sort of way.
I am not comparing her to other artists. I listened to this album as its own unique product and it is HORRIBLE.
If you think Kesha is rude and crass, you havent heard anything yet!
check it out is such a fun song! there’s so much going on in that track. the fact that its will.i.am does bring it down a couple notches in my mind but its good!
This album sucks ass.
Awesome: “Roman’s Revenge”, “Did it on ‘Em”, “Your Love”
Great: “Blazin'”, “Check it Out”,
Decent: “I’m the Best”, “Right Thru Me”,
Meh: “Save Me”, “Moment 4 Life”, “Here I Am”, “Dear Old Nicki”, “Last Chance”
Bullshit: “Fly”
And, maddeningly, there are four bonus tracks “Super Bass”, “Muny”, “Blow Ya Mind” and “Girls Fall Like Dominoes” which are better than half the album proper. Not sure what they were thinking with this one.
I don’t know why people are upset about her being compared to other great artists. If Nicki is now being called the new queen of hip hop then she better be damn good and better than the other girls in rap and hip hop . However , she really isn’t that great and her new cd is a let down.
Its funny hearing her try to sing live, she should just stick to rapping.
I thought her new CD is marvelous, also much better if you get the bonus tracks. It showcases different parts of her and all of the songs are executed on the same level. I guess if you were expecting a pop album then it would be a let down but this is truly a great hip-hop/rap album.
I thought her new CD is marvelous, also much better if you get the bonus tracks. It showcases different parts of her and all of the songs are executed on the same level. I guess if you were expecting a pop album then it would be a let down but this is truly a great hip-hop/rap album.
there are actually two more bonus tracks( “Wave ya Hand” and ” Catch me”) that can only be found on the BestBuy version of the CD which are also good. I also don’t agree with your ratings.I offer an alternative:
Awesome: Roman’s Revenge, Did it on’em, Moment 4 Life, Save me, Check it out
Great: Blazin’, Your love, I’m the best
Decent: Fly, Here I am, Last chance
Boring: Dear Old Nicki