Nicki Minaj is not your everyday rapper. To begin with, she is female, which is not only unusual in the male−dominated rap world but also what makes this album so exciting. The prospect of a female rapper with chops and lasting ability has been offered many times before, but except for a few (Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill), they have all faded into obscurity. Though "Pink Friday" is by no means a classic rap album, it is a solid debut effort by Minaj and, more importantly, it gives us hope that she will be here to stay.
One of the main questions about "Pink Friday" leading up to its release was whether Minaj would actually be able to put out 13 songs on her own. This year, she's proved that she can rap with a solid verse on the Young Money smash hit "Bedrock" as well as possibly one of the best verses (for anyone) this year on Kanye West's "Monster": "Yeah I'm in that Tonka, color of Willy Wonka/ You could be the King but watch the Queen conquer." Although her skill was unquestioned, people still wondered if she could put together a solo album.
Right from the start you can tell that "Pink Friday" is not going to be like most other rap albums. Minaj is weird on the microphone, spitting off−balance verses that dance around the beat like few other rappers, male or female, can do. Missy Elliott was a great rapper, but there was little femininity in her music — Minaj presents herself confidently as a particularly female rapper.
Very rarely can someone put out a "girly" rap album, but Minaj seems to have made it work. Her lyrics are often flirty and light, and at other times, obscure and cadenced like the snares.
Sex appeal is often a factor in female celebrities' fame, and "Pink Friday" is no different. But with Minaj, it's not only about her sexuality. She has an odd way of being scary and sexy at the same time. This odd form of sex appeal is unique in the rap world, and Minaj definitely makes it work in her solo debut.
"Pink Friday" starts out strong, with a bubbly, boastful intro, "I'm The Best," and transitions smoothly into "Roman's Revenge," a song that features Eminem at possibly his most crazy in quite some time.
The singles off the album are solid but not amazing. "Right Thru Me" and "Your Love" probably won't be smash hits, but they can definitely hold their own against some of the other garbage rap singles that have come out this year.
Minaj doesn't do anything extraordinary on "Pink Friday," but with production from the likes of Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh and will.i.am, she doesn't have to. She put together a solid collection of rap songs, and that is more than you can say about a lot of other debut rap albums.
"Pink Friday" won't blow any minds, but it is a good listen, and anyone who liked Minaj on "Bedrock" or "Monster" will not be disappointed by her debut. The real question now is whether Minaj can keep it up. If she can put out more albums of this quality she will continue her established reign as the Queen Bee of hip−hop. If she can't, then she may just fade away like so many female rappers before her.
