“I’m a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World!” Finally, the Barbie has broken loose from the box and attacked the game viciously with not only her mixtape “Beam me up Scotty”, but also now her anticipated debut album “Pink Friday” which was released on Nov. 25.
Onika Miraj currently known as the entertainer “Nicki Minaj” has finally released the dungeon out the dragon and sold approximately 371,049 copies of her album the first week, placing her number two to Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”. Minaj has proven she can rumble with the boys, while still maintaining her feminine exterior.
It’s been almost a decade since a female rapper has topped the charts in the hip-hop game, and with Barbie running the toy industry for 50 years; Minaj is making herself that endless plastic trademark.
Nicki has branded herself to be more than just a female rapper, but a cross-over artist with her new album.
She has ran with the barbie theme and included a multitude of pop inspired singles; like “Your Love” “Right Thru Me” “Fly” and “Save Me”. Collaborating with artists like Kanye, Eminem, Rihanna, Will.I.Am, and Drake, she has given her fans a taste of her world. As well, Nicki is evolving the hip-hop industry into more than just a single genre, she shows there are endless possibilities and creativity that flow into all areas of music.
This 25-year-old rap star also gives her audience an inside look into her character, life, and personal trials and tribulations. Some would say Minaj isn’t the same girl from her former mixtapes and is just a product of the industry, but she shares on some tracks that she is more than just that.
“Im the Best”, “Moment 4 Life”, “Here I am”, and “Dear Old Nicki” all represent her transition in the hip-hop game from underground to mainstream.
On “Dear Old Nicki” she speaks to her old self saying ” I had to make them changes, I hope you understood.”
Many artists tend to forget their backgrounds and what made them, but she consistently reminds herself on these songs that she hasn’t left for good, but is away to better herself as Nicki Minaj.
Minaj has made the point that she truly is a “mother of a monster” as she proclaimed on her verse on West’s track “Monster”. On Nicki’s album, she definitely has some club bangers like “Romans Revenge”, “Blazin”, “Did it On’em”, and “Check it Out”.
Some would say she is subliminally taking shots at Lil’ Kim on “Romans Revenge” spitting lines like “Is this the thanks I get for putting you chickens on, it ain’t my fault that all of you chickens gone.” On Minaj’s documentary on MTV “My Time Now” she says, “Roman is the little boy inside of me, saying all the things Nicki doesn’t wanna say.”
Nicki may want to teach her inner child to watch out, because Queen Bee has been taking notice to her slugs and she has released a diss record titled “Black Friday”. Lil’ Kim responded to Nicki with the line, “I’m over 10 years strong still running the game cut the comparisons, I’m in the legendary lane.”
The beef may be unnecessary between these two women, but it’s definitely shining a light on femcee’s which hasn’t happened in over a decade. Lil’ Kim is right about one thing, she is a legend and has set the bar for Nicki to be the artist she is today.
The colored wigs are too familiar, if you remember Queen Bee rocking them in the “Crush on You” video in the early 90s. As well, Minaj copied her infamous squat pose from her 1996 album cover “Hardcore.”
At the end of the day, both women have opened doors for future female rappers, it’s life, people sample from music every day or copy a fashion. Recycling is a part of the industry, let’s all hope these women can get back to the music and create a women’s anthem like “Ladies Night” again that would be epic.