4/5
Pink Friday Night Lights
Here's your eagerly anticipated, long-awaited, New Music Pink Friday. It may have been delayed more times than flights at Christmas, but superstar rapper Nicki Minaj is back this festive season to unwrap the sequel. 'Pink Friday 2' strives to be better than the original, over shocking streets and teddy bear riding subway beats above her own created city. Roman returns b#####s! Just like Young Money after Drake gave us 'For All The Dogs'. But this one is for the queens with the crown. You know whose holding it again now. The one with all eyes on her and her incredible body of work. Reloaded for the first time in a half decade since 'Queen', the descendant of Missy Elliott's ('Beep Beep' like the Roadrunner), Lil Kim's and Salt...with a little bit of Pepa reunites with October's Very Own this December to 'Needle' us. Following the money of Drake's latest and Lil' Wayne's own 'Welcome 2 Collegrove' collaboration album with 2 Chainz, with the Weezy F feature 'RNB', alongside Tate Kobang. Lourdiz rides 'Cowgirl' and Lil Uzi Vert also features on a monster 22 track album like the latest Rhymes 'Blockbusta' that brings 'Everybody' to the party. Skillibeng and Skeng keep it moving 'Forward From Trini' for this worldwide rapped up release. Whilst beautiful 'Blessings' come from Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Yet the most formidable features come from the man whose albums don't come with them, on the J. Cole assisted 'Let Me Calm Down' and the Future 'Nicki Hendrix' number which might just rack up its own collaboration album in the future like 'What A Time To Be Alive'.
Life is good this Friday, spearheaded by the successful singles 'Super Freaky Girl' that really gets its f#####g freak on, and 'Last Time I Saw You' that delves even deeper still. Freaking straight to the number one spot on the Billboard 100. The first female rapper to do so since 'That Thing' that the great Lauryn Hill did with her 'Miseducation' 'Doo Wop'. Just like the inspired into 'Are You Gone Already' that like Billie Eilish's 'What Was I Made For' asks the most vulnerable of questions from the jump. "In three days, you'd meet Papa (Like it like that, mm)/The waiting, the gazing/The painting, the raging/The ravin', the pacing/The praying, the shaking/I must admit, I was breaking/I must admit, I was taking/I must admit, my heart was racing/Telephone ring, he didn't make it/I just believed you wakin'/A memory in the makin'/Call me/Won't you call me? (Call)/No, you gone." This is quite possibly the most meaningful and best work Minaj has ever done...oh, and a sampled Eilish is on the track too. Right before darling Nicki gets 'Barbie Dangerous' and back to the raps in the year of that monster Mattel Margot Robbie movie from Greta Gerwig. A 'Barbie World' that Minaj also entered via the Aqua sampling soundtrack. Who else, but the one that holds the keys to that kingdom...not to mention all the toys?
"Fierce, fun and unapologetic" like this 'Megatron' transforming told Jimmy Fallon, this late night affair will leave you reeling and reacting to this host like the time she dedicated her award win speech and dress to Michael B. Jordan in acceptance. Shout out to the G.O.A.T. The creed of this sequel that with 'Roman Reloaded' makes an unofficial trilogy clears some of the sweetest samples you've ever heard in the rap game. Nicki waxes lyrical over Eilish's 'When's The Party Over', the 'Notorious Thugs' of B.I.G. and Bones (on the harmony of 'Barbie Dangerous'), like a precursor to 'Nicki Hendrix', and Wacka Flocka Fame's 'F### The Club Up' on the more commercially viable 'FTCU'. Travis Scott's 'Pornography' presents 'Pink Birthday', whilst Junior Senior 'Move(s) Your Feet' for everybody. The Trinadadian rapper brings Dave Kelly's 'Stink' and 'Showtime' riddims to this 'Forward From Trini'. But the best samples belong with Lumidee's iconic "uh oooh's" of 'Never Leave You' on 'Red Ruby da Sleeze', Blondie's 'Heart Of Glass' on 'My Life', and Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' game changer on 'Pink Friday Girls'. Not to mention the 'Super Freak' of Rick James b#### for this 'Super Freaky Girl'. But in closing with the beautiful, brooding 'Just The Memories' (which itself samples Beenie Man's 'Stop Live in a de Pass'), Nicki says it all as memories don't leave like people do. "I 'member when I was the girl that everybody doubted/When every label turned me down, and then they laughed about it/I 'member goin' home and writin' fifty more raps." Now they will always remember her, as there's never been another. With her fifth album and first in five, Minaj mesmerizes. Even the Empire State Building turned pink like an exclamation point this Friday for the Queen's regal return. No King has got s### on this. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Super Freaky Girl', 'Are You Gone Already', 'Just The Memories'.
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