Fair use from Republic Records

Nicki Minaj was not kidding when she said she’d take her Barbz to Gag City. Minaj’s fifth studio album, “Pink Friday 2,” forever changed the female rap game. Fans were initially disappointed with the album’s original release date planned for Oct. 20, but it was pushed back for unknown reasons. Although disappointing, we had to wait longer for the album, but it was worth the wait. Minaj proved she was more than a modern-day rapper with her vocals and lyricism. Minaj also had a feature list stacked with household names such as Drake, J Cole, Lil Uzi Vert, Future and Lil Wayne, with them all showing out for their verse, keeping the whole album together.   

The album begins with a song that samples Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” At first, I was confused and skeptical because when you think of Nicki Minaj, the queen of rap, you don’t imagine music styles that are slow and sad such as Billie Eilish. But with her song “Are You Gone Already,” Minaj proved she could write and deliver a song with heartfelt themes and deep meanings. Minaj talks about her struggle with self-love and abandonment issues. Such a powerful song on one of the most awaited albums of the year, it was clear Minaj was trying to make a statement and that she did.

Although the album started with a slow song, Minaj quickly brought the heat with her next song on the album, “Barbie Dangerous.” Minaj brought nostalgia to some of her original and older fans with her fast and witty raps she became famous for. The beat and the flow can’t help but remind me of one of her older songs, “High School.” This was a wonderful experience because as Minaj has evolved as a rapper, so has her writing style and production. A throwback to her older days improved this album. This was a way for Minaj to show that she still has all her talent left after almost 20 years in the rap game. In this song alone, she out-rapped many modern-day rappers and further proved why she is nicknamed the queen of rap.

It would be a crime to review this album and not mention the samples Minaj took from iconic songs such as “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper sampled in “Pink Friday Girls,” “Notorious Thugs” by The Notorious B.I.G sampled in “Barbie Dangerous” and “Never Leave You” by Lumidee sampled by “Red Ruby Da Sleeze.” Listening to this album and some of my favorite classics start playing it elevates my listening experience. Since this is a brand-new album, I didn’t know any of the lyrics. The samples made me feel more connected to the music and allowed me to sing along to Minaj’s songs.

A few particular features that stuck out to me were “Let Me Calm Down” (Feat. J.Cole), “Needle” (Feat. Drake) and “Blessings” (Feat. Tasha Cobbs Leonard). Drake and Nicki are no strangers to collaborations. They have a long history as artists and a long catalog of hit-and-catchy songs. This song did not break the streak. Minaj did outshine Drake on the track “Needle,” but Drake did still have a very catchy and well-written verse. A long-awaited and needed collaboration was with J. Cole and Nicki. This is Nicki Minaj and J. Cole’s first collaboration, which did not disappoint. Their voices work so well together, and J. Cole is able to keep up with Nicki Minaj on the track, which makes for an all-around powerhouse of a song. Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s feature blessed my ears. Her vocals were immaculate, which was just what the song needed. Minaj had a lot of male rap features on this album, so a talented female vocalist was needed to bring the album to the next album.

Many people aren’t aware that Nicki Minaj is from Trinidad and Tobago. She pays homage to this fact with her song “Forward From Trini” (Feat Skilibeng & Skeng). The two features of the song are from Jamaican rappers. She used this song to share her culture with her devoted fans and gave these smaller artists a chance to perform on such a huge artist’s song. The song has many Jamaican themes within the beats and lyrics. The song has a swift beat, and you can’t help but dance too. It is incredibly catchy.

After a jam-packed album, Minaj decides to switch it up and end her album with the song “Just The Memories.” This song has mature themes of Minaj’s life and all the hardships she had to endure. She talks about her journey with God, everyone around her looking down on her, the violence she saw as a kid in a bad neighborhood and her history with the cops. Lyrics like “Memories don’t leave like people do’” and “I couldve overdosed, couldve been comatose” let the listener get some background on Minaj, and she shows that just because she has wealth and fame doesn’t mean her life is perfect. This hard-hitting, emotional song was the ideal way to end this once-in-a-lifetime album. 

When all is said and done, Minaj delivered on this album. She showed she could do much more than traditional rap and set herself aside from other rappers. Although Minaj has been pre-established as the queen of rap, this album let everyone know. The features, lyricism and samples alone make this album one of the best rap albums released in 2023. This is the first album I’ve listened to in a while that genuinely has no skips. Nicki Minaj is and will always be a staple in history and will forever be known as the queen of rap. 

“Pink Friday 2”: ★★★★★