Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded
If Nicki Minaj\'s *Pink Friday* was an exercise in camp, *Pink Friday ... Roman Reloaded* was a master class in pop absurdity. Released nearly two years after her transformative debut, the 2012 LP saw Nicki at her maximalist extreme, threading technically proficient raps with Day-Glo production and the fluttering cadences of her alter ego Roman Zolanski, the namesake of the album. The persona is as roaring and raging as it is dexterous. Whether channeling late 2000s Lady Gaga or trading bars with 2 Chainz, Nicki-as-Roman embraces all of her stylistic quirks, connecting them with quippy charisma and acrobatic lyricism. A slice of microtheater, \"Roman Holiday\" distills confidence and manic intensity through pulsing synths, jittery flows, and a faux-British accent; it sounds like a personality split. \"Stupid Hoe\" is Roman in full Mean Girl mode, with Nicki\'s prissy diction, dismissive lyrics, and a clap-laden instrumental playing out like a locker room roast session. Coated in an animated flow and a sun-soaked instrumental, \"Pound the Alarm\" is whimsical and unfailingly energetic, a soundtrack for Electric Zoo or a commercial for Disney World. She finds room for more conventional raps, too, trading bars with street-rap titans while recontextualizing her own roots in Queens, New York. \"Beez In the Trap\" sees her turn the sounds of dripping beakers into a trapper\'s anthem, flaunting fluctuating rhythmic tempos as she nods to regional hustlers in the mix. 2 Chainz matches her wit and agility on the track, while Rick Ross and Cam\'ron infuse effortless yet theatrical opulence into \"I Am Your Leader.\" The cypher-dwelling Nicki eats well, but sunshine electro-pop Nicki soars. If it isn\'t already, \"Starships\" will be seen as a stylistic microcosm for a generation of rap\'s colorful-wig wearers and over-the-top vocal spectacles designed for Broadway. Meshed with gleaming synths and Nicki\'s expressive, Auto-Tune–drenched vocals, it\'s the euphoria of a Barbie\'s triumph.
Much of Nicki Minaj's ambitious second LP sweats with a too-big-to-fail desperation. At its best, she innovates with the playful abandon of prime-era Missy Elliott or Busta Rhymes. But in her quest to avoid becoming just another female rapper, she settles for being just another pop star.
Much of Nicki Minaj's ambitious second LP sweats with a too-big-to-fail desperation. At its best, she innovates with the playful abandon of prime-era Missy Elliott or Busta Rhymes. But in her quest to avoid becoming just another female rapper, she settles for being just another pop star.
Nicki Minaj is one of the few mainstream pop artists with a big enough persona—not personality, but persona—to carry a concept album, with her cartoonish approach to matters both aural and visual, and her proclivity for creating alter-egos. Squint and turn your head sideways and her second full-length, Pink Friday:…
Nicki Minaj is one of the few mainstream pop artists with a big enough persona—not personality, but persona—to carry a concept album, with her cartoonish approach to matters both aural and visual, and her proclivity for creating alter-egos. Squint and turn your head sideways and her second full-length, Pink Friday:…
Roman Zolanski, the alter-ego of Nicki Minaj, is the id unleashed, a merry troublemaker—the female counterpart to Eminem’s…
Roman Zolanski, the alter-ego of Nicki Minaj, is the id unleashed, a merry troublemaker—the female counterpart to Eminem’s…
Check out our album review of Artist's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on Rolling Stone.com.
Check out our album review of Artist's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on Rolling Stone.com.
<p>Hip-hop triumphs over pop on Nicki Minaj's latest album, writes <strong>Kitty Empire</strong></p>
<p>Hip-hop triumphs over pop on Nicki Minaj's latest album, writes <strong>Kitty Empire</strong></p>
Though you could call Roman Reloaded schizophrenic, the better word would be noncommittal.
Though you could call Roman Reloaded schizophrenic, the better word would be noncommittal.
<strong>Tom Ewing</strong>: Some want Nicki Minaj to play up her hardcore side; others love her as a pop star. Her solution? Give 'em a bit of both
<strong>Tom Ewing</strong>: Some want Nicki Minaj to play up her hardcore side; others love her as a pop star. Her solution? Give 'em a bit of both
Clipping found in The Daily Telegraph published in London, Greater London, England on 4/7/2012. reviews
Clipping found in The Daily Telegraph published in London, Greater London, England on 4/7/2012. reviews