Music

Since the turn of the decade, we’ve constantly faced reminders that seminal bodies of work that arrived post-2010 have withstood the test of time. Pink Friday, released on the same day as Kanye West’s magnum opus, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, left an ineffaceable mark on pop culture. That day, we witnessed Ye rise from the ashes of the still-infamous VMAs incident. But for Nicki Minaj, it was a day when she shook up a male-dominated genre with a distinct claim for her spot. Pink Friday created the template for the women who came after Nicki. Over a decade later, the effects are clear as day. At a time when women are simultaneously moving the needle and dictating what’s hot, it’s impossible to ignore the doors that Nicki Minaj broke down with her debut album.

Mixtape Nicki Returns 

Pink Friday 2 arrives 13 years later, coinciding with her 42nd birthday, and appropriately so. Her latest studio album, which was initially due out in November, celebrates her place in history as we close out the Hip-Hop 50 celebrations. Pink Friday became a forceful and vibrant introduction to an integral figure in hip-hop’s fabric. Its sequel feels like a culmination of 10+ years of dominance in the rap game with responses to calls for “mixtape Nicki” and bolder advances towards melodies that can sometimes fall flat. Best exemplified in the first few songs alone, the Billie Eilish-sampling “Are You Gone Already” finds Nicki exploring her airy vocals with introspection on motherhood and the loss of her father.

But after such a loaded and emotionally-heavy glance into Nicki’s psyche since Papa Bear’s birth, she delivers a glorious spree of bars over hard-hitting production. “Beep Beep” and “FTCU” bring Nicki Minaj’s lyrical mastery to the forefront over production from Murda Beatz and ATL Jacob, respectively. The former feels more in line with one-off singles like “Chun-Li” which oozes New York swagger over electrifying production. The latter, however,

“Big Difference,” too, finds Nicki making it clear that while she’s here to play for keeps, not to play nice. “When bitches be rappin’, I’m laughin’, it sound like you tryin’ to me/ I’m who you dyin’ to be/ Will somebody cop all these groupies a ticket? ‘Cause I’m who they dyin’ to meet,” she raps, imposing a standard that she expects her “sons” to uphold, especially if they’re gunning for her throne. 

Read More: Nicki Minaj’s Debut Mixtape “Playtime Is Over” Turns 16

A Star-Studded Line-Up Of Collaborations

With a tracklist of 22 songs, Nicki fortunately doesn’t need to rely on guest features to prop it up. However, the guests appearing on the project help elevate the album and add a breath of excitement. Take “Let Me Calm Down,” for example.  After linking up with Young Money alum Drake on “First Person Shooter” and “Evil Ways,” it would’ve felt only appropriate that J Cole similarly went bar-for-bar with Nicki. However, that competitive spirit manifests in other forms. As the two trade bars reflect on loyalty and family, Nicki perfectly sets up Cole for an impressive performance that remains one of the best verses on the album.

Unfortunately, the same can’t necessarily be said for her mentor Lil Wayne, who ends his rather impressive 2023 feature run with a throwaway verse on “RNB.” Nicki’s latest signee Tate Kobang holds down the hook on the song but part of it feels like it could’ve been a reference track for Chris Brown.

However, Drake lends his talents for easily one of the most infectious records on the project, “Needle.” Although their previous collabs, whether “Moment 4 Life” or “Seeing Green,” allowed the two to flex their lyrical prowess while similarly tracing their influences back to Lil Wayne, “Needle” leans deeper into the Caribbean and African influences that are dominating mainstream sounds. No doubt, both Drake and Nicki Minaj have played critical roles in popularizing these genres for Western audiences in their careers. However, Drake brings some serious Views vibes with an infectious earworm of a hook that sounds like it came from PartyNextDoor’s hard drive. For Nicki, it’s a record that further traces her history in Caribbean music, similar to “Forward From Trini” ft. Skeng and Skillibeng.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Hits Yet Another Impressive Streaming Milestone

Pink Friday 2 Is A Breath Of Fresh Air In Her Catalog

While there are plenty of highlights across the album, Pink Friday 2’s biggest weakness is the reliance on all-too-familiar samples that fail to do justice to the original. Songs like “Pink Friday Girls” feel like it’s a contrived effort for TikTok virality and inescapable radio play through Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”

However, there are other moments where she effectively flips popular records into something of her own. “Barbie Dangerous” pulls directly from Biggie and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s iconic “Notorious Thugs,” down to the double-time flows that would make Biggie and Bone Thugs proud. Then, there’s “Everybody” ft Lil Uzi Vert, an inarguable hit record. Transforming Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” into a Jersey drill banger, Nicki and Lil Uzi Vert continue to find new soundscapes for their chemistry to flourish. While Nicki’s attempts to fortify relationships with the younger generation of artists, “Everybody” showcases her and Uzi’s synchronicity to a tee.

At first glance, Pink Friday 2 can be easily written off as another cash grab: an expansive 22-song tracklist that utilizes already famous songs to recreate the success of “Super Freaky Girl,” which in itself already felt like an attempt to mimic the impact of “Anaconda” in the TikTok era. However, there’s less tension in trying to guard her throne and more comfort in the beauties of motherhood and family on Pink Friday 2. Ultimately, it’s not like Nicki’s necessarily changed in the 13 years since her debut album, but the maturity is a breath of fresh air in her catalog.

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