Despite 90% of Drake’s audience being female, the quotes from him surrounding this are that ‘the ladies were asking for a track for them’, and in the vein of Best I Ever Had, there’s lots of praise and ‘empowerment’.
Though it’s a little uncreative and repetitive, the simple hook will certainly reel in his usual audience in the manner the aforementioned track did, and similarly the verses will win female admirers. Both are a little stale for me, and it’s a relief hearing Nicki’s voice on the second verse: she’s no lyrical behemoth, but brings enough diversity in her flow and deliveries to at least make the track entertaining. The production is considerably darker than Best I Ever Had, and praise is due as it makes for a departure from the more atmospheric style he usually opts for. It’s a beat that would have been better served underneath stronger flows, and unfortunately Drake doesn’t take advantage. One the mainstream crowd will really enjoy though, unquestionably.
Not exactly one of my favourite tracks from Sean’s solid debut album, but certainly one I can understand the appeal for with an upbeat, addictive nature that will really appeal to the mainstream crowd.
Nicki’s a great choice (and coup) to feature here on the official remix, both from a musical and anatomical perspective, and fits with the fun, lighthearted nature of the track well. Her off-the-wall, exaggerated and nonsensical style works the production well enough, and will undoubtedly increase the popularity of the track, potentially landing Sean another big hit here. Sean’s parts are mostly the same as the original, and his laidback, dulcet style adds a welcome contrast to Minaj’s shrill tones, and he does a decent job in rounding off this likely club favourite. Whilst I’m not going to give it many plays, it’s one to grab for a bit of fun, and I’m sure most will struggle to resist it in a club.
A lineup, photo and track that will have both Murray and Chris ready to launch a laptop at the wall…just forget this post ever existed lads.
For the rest of you mainstream lovers though this is a track that you’ll enjoy for sure. Nicki kick-starts the track with the first verse of hers that I haven’t found annoying since Kanye’s Monster. With a hard-hitting beat, Lil’ Wayne has no issues with providing a verse that closes off a song that will sound good in your car. Just try and ignore the Birdman verse in the middle of the song for the good of your health.
Being on time is the new being late. Or something like that. Gone with a slightly different approach for this week’s episode, as I sympathise with the mainstream folk who come looking for some party/chart tracks, and leave empty handed. I’ve chucked in a few artists/tracks I don’t particularly like, but will certainly go down well with the mainstreamers, and of course there’s still a healthy dose of music that’s actually good too.
Originally leaked a few months back, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was already released, but it’s re-emergence marks the official release of the huge collaboration.
Having avoided the original leak of the video, I can’t comment on whether anything is actually different, but it is a pretty solid video from start to finish. Hovering somewhere in between the metaphorical style of his feature-length Runaway video and a regular music video, with hints of artistic flair alongside some gruesome, horror-inspired imagery that works with the more literal vibe of Monster. In particular, the oft-revisited scene early on involving Kanye rapping in front of/holding off a bunch of ‘zombies’ outside his doors has a very ‘us versus the paparazzi’ vibe, and hence makes you sympathise with the ‘monster’ that is Kanye West.
Some great fashion moments too, with Jay-Z’s rather slick smarts probably taking the win, though Kanye doesn’t exactly come up short either. Worth a watch, and I’m sure everyone has the audio by now.
Lots of slow jams and collaborations in this week’s episode, some of which are certainly noteworthy not only for their lineup, but also as they’re potentially quite prominent singles from upcoming albums.
5 weeks away from the 100th episode, and the ‘new format’ rolls on with another easy-to-digest and concise edition. Not too much to catch up on in terms of different posts, but I’m sure anyone with even a sprinkling of good taste will be interested in grabbing 64 Frank Ocean tracks.
An interesting blend of mainstream stuff and more refined soul-oriented material this week, as well as chucking in the now customary throwback R&B track of the week. Click below to be happy. → Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 95
Genuinely tried to get this out yesterday, but once again we suffered from a lack of material. I’ve managed to half fix that problem, though this is still a shorter episode than you’re probably used to.
Not familiar with Teachers? Me niether. After a little bit of research I can tell you they helped Yeezy and Bon Iver produce the original Monster (you can grab the original here if you already haven’t). I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this.
Having overplayed it so much myself, I was starting to become pretty bored of this track. However, my appreciation for the single has been taken to a whole new level. The Teachers have stripped the whole production right back leaving nothing but the original verses (minus Rick Ross’), giving it a far more atmospheric feel. It’s much eerier, in-keeping with the whole Monster theme. The drums take a front row seat on this one, leaving the guitar riffs to blend superbly into the background, building and dropping when needed to match each verse. It’s genuinely blown me away, I think I may actually prefer it to the original.
A little bit of light hearted entertainment for you on this mellow Sunday afternoon. After their last single I Just Had Sex ft. Akon, The Lonely Island continue to get major names from the hip-hop world to collab with them as Nicki Minaj joins them on their latest effort. (It’s nice to see someone else attempt my dance moves, my mother would be so proud….)
I’ve not listened to Minaj’s album yet, so wasn’t familiar with this track but understand it’ll be a bit of a big deal. Why? Well, not only is it hip-hop’s golden children, but it’s actually a surprisingly strong track that warrants some attention as a solid hip-hop piece.
Booming drums and bass make for a very simple, driving beat that is embellished brilliantly in the hook with some atmospheric synths, giving the track a well-rounded depth as far as the production goes.
The raps are pretty decent too, with Minaj’s opening verse in particular making for another nice surprise. Video is OK, with a corny Cinderella thematic layed on pretty thick, though that’ll most certainly give it a huge mainstream appeal and is clearly aimed at the youth audience. Main thing for us adults is that Minaj once again makes for great eye candy.
Really didn’t feel the original to this track that featured Eminem. Although I didn’t particularly mind Nicki’s verses, the production and chorus on this was too annoying for me. Even Eminem’s verse grated my ears, his flow didn’t sound right to my ears on this at all.
What we have here is Lil’ Wayne jumping on the track and I didn’t expect to feel any better about the song. Having listened to it though, it actually should have been clear as day that Wayne’s flow would be enjoyable on this sort of production – without doubt his best verse since being released from Rikers Island. Definitely prefer this to the original, even though the beat and hook still turns me off.
Sorry for not posting this earlier, my weekend absence mixed things up somewhat. This remix had been rumoured for quite some time, and there was a lot of hype about it as word was that Busta seriously went in on his verse: I can confirm that’s true.
I really wasn’t feeling the original at all, but hearing Busta snap and turn back the clock with a passionate, intense performance is absolutely worth listening to. He comes through with that high-speed flow, which goes into some ridiculously tongue-twisting segments, and is accompanied by his usual craziness with snarls and growls. This beat is absolutely made for Busta, and it’s a shame it ended up with Minaj: someone out there needs to cut her verse out and throw Em’s back in!
I have to be honest: on diss tracks, Kim has just blown Minaj out of the water here. Whilst it’s undeniably lame that there’s no real reason for this ‘beef’ other than female jealousy, as well as the fact Kim seems to take issue with pretty much every other female rapper, we may as well enjoy the music and Kim comes through with some vicious bars on this one.
Borrowing Pharoahe Monch’s Simon Says, Kim adopts a far more direct approach than Minaj’s more veiled Roman’s Revenge, as she hits Minaj pretty hard throughout with some decent lines accompanied by some good diversity in her flow. With the Nicki Minaj novelty wearing off for most of us (above a certain age), there’s undoubtedly growing support for Kim in this petty war, although she unecessarily goes at pretty much everyone else in this track too (Diddy, Drake, Young Money etc.). However, major laughs at the end of the track with the Minaj impression!
A lively video for Keyshia’s latest single, as she adds a mainstream hip-hop feel to her track with this video.
Lots of colourful outfits, club/party scenes and nighttime cityscapes pretty much ticks the boxes for the pop chart fans, whilst Keyshia and Nicki’s personalities provide those elements with healthy doses of personality.
I’ve not heard her whole album myself, but many (including Indi) feel it was a letdown, which doesn’t make for good hype ahead of the official release. However, the track below is the iTunes bonus from Pink Friday, and is actually rather good.
Sampling The Big Pink’s Dominos (you’ll recognise it) to great effect, TBP’s hook is smartly left in the track, giving the song a much more rounded feel than Minaj’s usual material. Her verses are OK, as she switches between flows effectively, handling this alternative-influenced beat well. Highlights are certainly the beat and hook though, with JR Rotem serving up another top class production.
The much-anticipated collaboration from two of music’s biggest female stars lands, just a week before the album is set to be released.
For me, it’s pretty underwhelming. I expected something with a little more energy and a more defined style, but instead we’re given a track that’s all over the place from a genre perspective: the combination of pop vocals and lyrics with a hip-hop influenced production doesn’t work at all, and instead manifests itself as a disorienting ‘pop rap’ song. Considering this is supposed to be targeted to the mainstream, there really isn’t anything memorable from the verses either, whilst the hook largely consists of Rihanna making unidentified noises. The solitary highlight is the production itself, which I’d like to hear some rappers take on.
I personally can’t stand this girl but I couldn’t help but be anything other than curious at how a collabo with Em would turn out. The impression I get from Nicki is that she always has a strong production team behind her and in this instance we’ve got some pulsating, almost halloween-esq boardwork from Swizz Beatz. Em comes in to spit two year-2000 Slim Shady verses and for me absolutely steals the show with his high energy flows.
(@Ajay – Do I categorize Nicki as ‘hip-hop’ yeah? *cringes*)
After a few listens since it dropped, this has definitely grown on me and stands up as one of her strongest pieces of solo material. Whilst there isn’t much more solo material to compare it against, it still helps counter the claims that she can’t make good music on her own.
I was hasty in my criticism about the theme of the video when we got a behind-the-scenes look, as the characters add layers of emotion to the track, and hence a more personal connection with Minaj.
The key factor in achieving that connection is the ‘natural’ feel of the video : Nicki isn’t wearing any extravagant outfits or hairpieces, and it translates into adding an honest and genuine feel to the all-round experience. Add into that the likely familiarity of the relationship situation to many people, and you’ve got a potentially absorbing video that displays Minaj in a much more artistic light. Audio can be grabbed here.
Didn’t really take (waste) my time watching this video if I’m honest, no matter how great Nicki Minaj is to look at. I cannot stand this song at all, it’s definitely the worst song of the year. The sample is horribly used, neither act brings any semblance of their true talents to the table, and it’s just boring. Maybe I’ll watch it on mute.
However, I did notice that the video opens with what looks like a Beats By Dre iPod dock: YES PLEASE.
Audio can be grabbed here. Music fans, steer clear.
New leak from Nicki Minaj. Is this going to be on her new album, Pink Friday? I would certainly guess so what with the album due a release in a months time.
As for the song itself, well this certainly comes from the same tip as Massive Attack. In other words this track is tinged with crazy production, and is a bit all over the place (in a good way).
Nicki Minaj fans will love this, others will hate it. Download link below.
This list loses more respect year-by-year. If you’re not familiar, they pick the ‘top 10′ mainstream MCs based on ‘rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence’.
Realistically, they don’t. Some extended thoughts on the list are available after the click, as well as a revised list using the line-up they picked. I’m not going to dare to go into who I think should be on the list, as we’ll be here all day…
Stacked episode this week, with some huge mainstream singles alongside great material from underappreciated artists. Quality wise, it’s one of the strongest R&B Fridays of recent months for sure: one of those where you could easily grab everything on offer.
Minaj’s is typically insane, depicting her with no arms and extra long legs. It’s still quite likeable though, and her trademark pink is nicely represented through the various tones.
Really like the lonely, desolate central figure of Cudi in his artwork, especially when juxtaposed against the illuminated, busy and vibrant starlight background. Great use of opposite associations to signify Cudi’s schizophernic musical stylings.
In honesty, there’s no great insight on the video, especially as Minaj pretty much admits its your standard relationship story video.
However, this is worth a watch just to see how much she’s really maturing into her superstar status,and she really carries herself a lot better these days than when she broke onto the scene. Whilst I do love her craziness, it is good to see she can be normal too!
As Colin’s reputation soars, so does his ingenuity. He’s picked two great songs, meshed them with his own vocals and created a very likeable track: as Colin puts it, ‘it feels like I’ve created a musical Frankenstein. Fitting, I think. Enjoy this Bulletproof Monster‘.
Grabbing Nicki’s universally-praised (and show stealing) verse from Kanye’s recent Monster track, he’s certainly picked a captivating verse to weave around the unmistakable La Roux hook. It makes for a welcome refresh of both tracks, and serves to display Colin is just as talented behind the boards as he is with his vocals.
It seems the tagged up version of this track didn’t deter fans from getting involved, so you’ll be delighted to grab the mastered (albeit clean) version below.
I agree with Indi’s sentiments on this track’s potential: it will definitely be big with the mainstream crowd, and should shift some sales. However, I don’t think from a critical standpoint its anything above average, from the production through to the vocals/raps. Minaj fans will love this though, and I’m sure it will gain favour with the vast majority of you. Maybe a few more plays will convince me.
I lied a little: it’s not the entire Young Money crew, but is the majority of them.
Lil’ Twist, Lil’ Chuckee, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz and Nicki Minaj are the guests on the latest leak from Wayne’s upcoming ‘album’, and it’s not a bad one if I’m honest. Certainly not as pop-sounding as their previous collective tracks (Bedrock…), and gives each rapper a chance to be a little more aggressive. Minaj comes through with a good hook on this one, adding another skill to her repetoire with a well-delivered, catchy centrepoint.
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