What can I say about Nicki Minaj that has not already been said? Actually, what can I say about Nicki that she has not already said about herself? Nicki Minaj is the most prominent and successful female Hip Hop artist of all time. She has broken so many boundaries with her music and has paved the way for so many of the popular artists who have emerged in the last several years. Nicki Minaj has been a driving force in music, fashion, and pop culture in a way that can only be rivaled by the very top artists of her generation. Her impact is massive, and she has served as an inspiration for all different kinds of artists, from Megan Thee Stallion to Lil Nas X to Billie Eilish(and so many more artists. Nicki has probably had some sort of influence on almost any Pop or Hip Hop artist to emerge in the last 10 years). After dominating the charts for much of the 2010s with albums like Pink Friday, The PinkPrint, and Queen, Nicki Minaj has been on a bit of a hiatus for the last several years. She has decided to focus on her personal life and motherhood and decided to take a break from making new music, having only released some random one-off singles and collaborations over the last 5 years. A little over a week ago, Nicki Minaj decided to return to the rap game with her new album Pink Friday 2. Unfortunately, to me, this album does not capture a lot of the magic that some of her past releases have had. For a lot of the record, there is not that same spark and charm that made her so quintessential in the first place. It seems like Nicki Minaj did what a lot of popular rappers these days are doing; put out a long, bloated album where they throw everything possible at the wall to see what sticks. At the end of the day, it is all about streams, and it seems like(and so many other rappers) were just looking for that viral moment. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to love about Pink Friday 2. The highs on this album are high. There are a lot of very cool samples, and there are moments where Nicki truly shines and shows off what made her so awesome. I guess I just expected something epic, especially considering this is her first release in a long time, and although Pink Friday 2 is pretty good, it is not epic. With that being said, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite tracks from this record below. Please let me know in the comments what your favorite songs are from Pink Friday 2, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole.

Barbie Dangerous

When I first heard this track, I was honestly incredulous. I never thought I would hear a sample like this in 2023, especially when done in this manner. ‘Barbie Dangerous’ samples the incredible track ‘Notorious Thugs’ by The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs N Harmony. This track takes the iconic melody from that track and puts it on a modern Pop-Trap beat with an NY Drill element to it. I am honestly a bit surprised as to how well this instrumental works. This melody sounds great on this beat, and ‘Barbie Dangerous’ has the same huge energy that the original track has. This song has one of my favorite(if not my favorite) rap performances from Nicki of this record. Nicki takes elements from Biggie Smalls’ incredible flow on the original track and puts her own spin on it, making it fresh but still paying homage to the late NY legend. ‘Barbie Dangerous’ is a phenomenal ode to one of the kings of rap, and it is a song I know I will be listening to frequently in the future(in conjunction with the original track, of course).

FTCU

In the introduction, I mentioned how the high points on this album are super high, but there is not a ton of consistency throughout the ambiance of the whole record. ‘FTCU’ is one of the tracks where Nicki’s attitude and awe-inspiring shine through the most. To put it bluntly, this track is an absolute banger. It is already becoming one of the most popular tracks on Pink Friday 2, and it is easy to see why. The instrumental, which samples ‘Fuck the Club Up’ by Waka Flocka Flame, is so huge and menacing. This song has the kind of raucous energy that will get any function roaring when it comes on. Nicki’s rap performance on this track is just as intense and gritty as the instrumental. This song is full of bars where Nicki is calling out her rivals and the angst she is rapping with is palpable and can be felt by anyone who hears it. ‘FTCU’ is a monster track that shows Nicki Minaj can still make a larger-than-life Hip Hop banger when she wants to.

Let Me Calm Down (feat. J. Cole)

To be honest, when I started listening to this album, I had very high hopes for Pink Friday 2 as a whole. It starts off so hot(as ‘Barbie Dangerous,’ FTCU,’ and ‘Let Me Calm Down’ are all within the first few tracks), but, in my opinion, there are way too many filler tracks sprinkled into the record after this point. ‘Let Me Calm Down’ contains a collaboration that fans have been wanting for years. This song sees Nicki Minaj and J. Cole come together and make a song about the struggles of high-profile relationships and dealing with the scrutiny they deal with in their personal lives because of how famous they are. It has a sweet and warm R&B Trap instrumental that will make anyone feel good when they hear it. Nicki Minaj’s performance on ‘Let Me Calm Down’ is solid, but the real stand-out performance comes from J. Cole. Everything about his verse, from his addicting flow to his introspective lyrics, is truly great and takes the song over the top. ‘Let Me Calm Down’ is a lovely collaboration from two of this generation’s most important artists, and it is an example of both of them at their best.

Needle (feat. Drake)

There was no way that this record would not contain a collaboration with Drake. These two always make magic whenever they come together, and ‘Needle’ is another example of that. ‘Needle’ takes on a sound that Drake loved to go with in the mid-to-late 2010s, but has not gone with a lot frequently. ‘Needle’ is a song with an Afrobeat/Dancehall sound that is akin to some of his biggest hits from several years ago. When I hear ‘Needle,’ songs like ‘Passionfruit’ and ‘Feel No Ways’ come to mind. This extremely catchy track is driven by a synth-driven melody that sounds like steel drums and an extremely danceable and rhythmic beat. Drake’s flow on this song is phenomenal, and the “accent” he sings with fits the style of the song so well. Nicki’s performance on ‘Needle’ actually provides a harsher element(besides when she sings at the very end of the song) which provides a great contrast from Drake’s softer vocals. ‘Needle’ is a song that has smash-hit energy all over it, and I would not be surprised if it ends up as the most popular or at least one of the most popular songs from Pink Friday 2 in the coming months and years.

Everybody (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)

‘Everybody’ is the second time that Nicki Minaj and Lil Uzi Vert have come together to make a great track in 2023(in my opinion). These two have proven in the past that they have undeniable chemistry, and this chemistry shines through once again on ‘Everybody.’ Similarly to their first track of the year together, ‘Endless Fashion’ from Lil Uzi Vert’s The Pink Tape, ‘Everybody’ this one samples a popular Y2K-era Dance music song. While ‘Endless Fashion’ samples the late 1990s hit ‘I’m Blue,’ this one samples the 2002 banger ‘Move Your Feet.’ This song also follows another trend that Lil Uzi Vert has dominated with recently, and that is the use of a Jersey Club music-style beat. ‘Everybody’ even has production from the legendary Jersey Club producer DJ Smallz 732. ‘Everybody’ may sort of feel like a gimmick, but that is okay because it is so breezy and fun. Both the vocal performances from Nicki and Uzi are great and match the chaotic energy of the instrumental. ‘Everybody’ is a great, high-octane song that puts me in a good mood when I hear it, and I know there are millions of people who feel similarly about it to me.

Super Freaky Girl

I would assume that everyone who is reading this and who listened to this album is already a big fan of the song ‘Super Freaky Girl.’ In fact, I would assume that most people who are in tune with modern music in general know and love(or at least appreciate) ‘Super Freaky Girl.’ Although this track is a bit of a gimmick in a way similar to the last track I mentioned, it is awesomely fun and catchy, so who really cares about that at the end of the day. ‘Super Freaky Girl’ is basically a fast Pop-Trap version of the song ‘Super Freak’ by Rick James. It takes on the iconic and insanely addicting energy of that song and expands on it. The lyrics are explicit and fun, Nicki’s flow on the song is such an earworm, and the energy behind the song is tongue-in-cheek and lighthearted. ‘Super Freaky Girl’ may not be the most original or riveting track on the record, but it is still a fun hit that will make so many people whenever it comes on for the foreseeable future.

Nicki Hendrix (feat. Future)

If you know me, you should not be surprised that I had to include the song with Future in it at the end of this list. So much of what he touches turns to gold, especially through his feature performances, and ‘Nicki Hendrix’ is no different in that regard. As what happens with so many artists who invite Future onto their track, ‘Nicki Hendrix’ does sound like a Future song more than a traditional Nicki song. That is okay because it has the energy and sound of the multiple R&B Trap hits that Future has put out in the past. This melody for ‘Nicki Minaj’ is super sultry, warm, and silky. The beat for this track is hard-hitting yet also smooth, fitting so nicely with the melody. Both performances from Nicki Minaj and Future are excellent. They play off of each other so well and definitely bring out the best in each other. ‘Nicki Hendrix’ may not be for some of the Nicki fans who are more into her Pop side, but if you love R&B Trap music, it is a song you will enjoy for sure.