Dexter Simoneaux
Staff Writer
It’s the 21st of November, 2010 at the 38th annual American Music Awards. Right as the award for the Favorite Female R&B Performer is being announced, up-and-coming female rapper Nicki Minaj cuts off the presenter mid-sentence and takes the mic.
“Pink Friday is in stores tomorrow,” the queen Minaj proclaimed. “Give it up for Pink Friday, you guys!”
13 years, 9 AMAs, and over 100 million album sales later, Minaj would release a successor to her debut album: Pink Friday 2.
It’s been a long ride, and through it all, Minaj’s crown as the Queen of Rap has yet to be truly challenged. Minaj’s talent and repertoire have undoubtedly expanded through the years, and it’s incredible to see her return to the aesthetics and themes of Pink Friday— this time with a style that’s more seasoned and refined.
The tracks on Pink Friday 2 contain a diverse range of sentiments and themes, seamlessly bringing them together to create a three-dimensional experience. Of course, the album contains pop-rap songs, including ‘Red Ruby da Sleaze’ and ‘Super Freaky Girl,’ which are reminiscent of the songs that first brought her into the spotlight. However, Minaj isn’t afraid to dive into more personal topics and be vulnerable with tracks such as ‘Just the Memories’ and ‘My Life.’
“Greatest female rapper to ever live, and that’s on my kid,” Minaj reflects in the album’s final track: ‘Just the Memories.’ “I could’ve overdosed, could’ve been comatose. Wait, hold on, I feel a baby kicking, holy smokes. I prayed for a son; my husband wanted one. If they ask about me, tell them I was one of one.”
In Pink Friday, Minaj experimented with different alter-egos and personas, using them to fluctuate between different musical styles and facets of her personality. In Pink Friday 2, Minaj appears far more comfortable in herself, able to bring those different facets together, giving the album a more mature and organized feeling— representative of Minaj’s growth as an artist.
The album also features a colorful selection of samples from artists of a diverse array of genres: taking elements from songs such as Rick James’s ‘Super Freak’ and Junior Senior’s ‘Move Your Feet,’ everything from Billie Eilish to The Notorious BIG. Minaj manages to take this wide range of influences and breathe new life and flavor into them effortlessly.
The result is an album that manages to evoke nostalgic memories of the past decades of music yet doesn’t fail to create an original experience with Minaj’s distinct signature written all over it. Pink Friday 2 unites all the different aspects of Minaj: the girl from Trinidad, the rapper from Queens, the mother, the lover, and the mentor.
She pays homage to the music and artists who have influenced her and flaunts her impeccable style and status at the top of the game— which has yet to wane over all these years. Minaj puts it quite well herself:
“Name a rapper that can channel Big Poppa and push out Papa Bear; I’m mother of the year,” she asserts on ‘Barbie Dangerous.’ “Every summer I come out to walk [young ladies], make ‘em disappear, but to me, it’s just another year.”
All in all, Pink Friday 2 is an album for the fans who have been with Minaj since her first album and the more casual listeners looking for something new and fun. The lyrics are catchy, and Minaj’s exuberant personality radiates through in all the songs. In a mere seventy-minute runtime, the album has a broad enough scope for everyone to find something they love. To put it briefly: Pink Friday 2 is a must for 2024.