A Review of Nicki Minaj's "Queen"

Initial Thoughts:

Nearly four years after her 2014 album "The Pinkprint," the self proclaimed queen of rap Nicki Minaj finally drops her fourth studio album titled "Queen," an album many people had been anticipating. The rollout for the album had been one of the messiest rollouts I have ever seen. The album was initially supposed to be released in late June, with Nicki Minaj dropping two singles to lead up to the album titled "Barbie Tingz" and "Chun Li" before being pushed back to August 10th. I didn't like "Barbie Tingz" (which we won't be hearing on the album) because it didn't have a consistent sound as Nicki kept switching her flows while never really getting settled in the flow she used in the moment. I will get into my "Chun Li" analysis during the review because we will hear it on the album. I liked Nicki Minaj's verses on the A$AP Ferg's "Plain Jane (Remix)" and Lil Uzi Vert's "The Way Life Goes (Remix)."For this August 10th release, we got two more singles titled "Bed" featuring Ariana Grande and "Rich Sex" featuring Lil Wayne which I will get into during the actual review. Then, there were rumors swirling about the album potentially being pushed back again to August 17th. Long story short, eventually the album got released on August 10th at 12pm because it wasn't ready for the traditional 12am release. If you haven't heard Nicki Minaj (Where have you been) I would describe a typical Nicki Minaj song as a song that doesn't have a consistent sound. Expect a lot of quick beat, cadence and flow switches. Now, let's get to the track list! "Queen" has nineteen songs including features with Eminem, Labrinth, Lil Wayne, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Swae Lee, Future and Foxy Brown. " All these artists are either legends or on their way to being close to that status, so I'm expecting amazing things from them. Now let's get to the review! 👂🏾

Review 👂🏾

Ganja Burns
On this song we get a bit of Dancehall or Soca beat. Nicki's gives us a solid first verse with a nice flow. I have an issue with the hook because at times I hear more of the beat than the actual lyrics. I love the content in the second verse where Nicki raps about being dedicated about what you want and not feeling like the you are the shit because of who you think you are. However, there's one line that some may interpret as a diss to some female rappers mainly, Cardi B,

"Unlike a lot of these hoes whetherwack or lit
At least I can say I wrote every rap I spit"

It's not a secret that Cardi B amongst many rappers isn't the only writer on their verses. Mix this with the rumored friction between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj and I can see why some people may think this is a shot at Cardi B. At the end of the song we have Nicki Minaj singing which I could have done without. Overall a solid intro song.
+1

Majesty (ft. Eminem & Labrinth)
This song is one of the songs I found to be interesting because of the features on it. Nicki and Eminem have a good chemistry but, the role of Labrinth is what I found myself wondering about. As I'm listening to the song everything seems to fit together with the beat with heavy piano. I could do without the Eminem interlude though. This Eminem verse is a standard Eminem verse, in other words it's a really good verse. The way Eminem switches flows during his verse is seamless. I could also do without the Nicki verse and outro after the Eminem verse. I think the song would have been more impactful if it ended after the Eminem verse. Overall a good song but, the Eminem interlude, the third Nicki verse and outro take away from the song.
+1

Barbie Dreams
This song is filled with bars and playful jabs. One of my favorites being,
"I tried to fuck 50 for a powerful hour
But all that nigga wanna do is talk Power for hours"
which references 50 Cent's hit show "Power" on Starz. Another one of my favorite lines is,
"Used to fuck with Young Thug, I ain't addressin' this shit
C-caught him in my dressing room, stealin' dresses and shit,"
This line references the cover art on Young Thug's 2016 project "JEFFERY," where he famously posed in an elegant dress. The beat has a nice mellow guitar and smooth drum which gives a calming vibe. The beat is from a Notorious B.I.G. (R.I.P.) song titled "Just Playing (Dreams)" where B.I.G. is also saying things that would be considered out of line as he talks about how he wants to "fuck an R&B bitch" but, he's just playing and saying it for jokes. I love the first two verses on this song however, the third verse sounds like a completely different song. This song is fine with two verses or maybe a third with the same cadence and theme. After the second hook, we get the little second of silence when a song is over and a totally new beat comes on. This beat has a different vibe, more bass, and we have slight change in cadence from Nicki. This verse feels like totally different song which takes away from the regular two verses because the whole flow of the song is interrupted and the structure of the song is destroyed. The verse is a good verse but, it has no place on this song at all.
+1

Rich Sex (ft. Lil Wayne)
This song has a similar piano to the piano we hear in the beginning of "100 Sticks" by G-Herbo and Southside featuring Young Thug. The third verse from "Barbie Dreams" belongs on this song more than it does on "Barbie Dreams." As a single this song doesn't blow me away. I like the piano beat with the bass coming in and out of it. The Lil Wayne verse was solid as well as Nicki's verse. One issue I have with Nicki is she has still been giving us the same content since her first album.
As rappers age over their career we see their content change with a prime examples being JAY-Z and Eminem. There isn't much new content on this album so far, it's just about how Nicki thinks she's better than some people and how Nicki wants to fuck someone. We live in a world where many things have happened over the course of her almost four year absence. The fact that she still doesn't have anything new to talk about is tiring to me, especially when she is a rapper who prides herself on wordplay and bars.
+.5

Hard White
I enjoy the beat's high hats, tempo and bass and I like the cadence Nicki uses on the hook. This song has more lines that can lead people to believe Nicki is throwing shots at Cardi B. When Nicki raps,
"Uh, I ain't never played a hoe osition
I ain't ever have to strip to get the pole position
Hoes is dissin'? Okay, these hoes is wishin'
You're in no position to come for O's position"
We know Cardi B used to be a stripper and we also know that many people are of the opinion that Cardi B has become the new female face of hip-hop. These lines where Nicki talks about not having to strip and "you're in position to come for O's position" are clearly directed at someone and some people would assume it to be Cardi B.
+1

Bed (ft. Ariana Grande)
Ariana Grande came correct with the great vocals on this hook. The beat is a bit of a slow dancehall type beat. The verses from Nicki are solid however, the content is once again about a sexual situation.
+1

Thought I Knew You (ft. The Weeknd)
The Weeknd did his thing on this song. The beat is sounds a bit like it's from the trap genre. I enjoyed the content in this song, and both artists did what they are known for. I thought this was the perfect song for Nicki to sing on.
+1

Run & Hide
I enjoy the trend of singing Nicki Minaj as she sings beautifully on this song. The content in the song is good because everyone can relate to trusting someone and that trust being broken. A good emotional song from Nicki Minaj.
+1

Chun Swae (ft. Swae Lee)
"IF YOUNG METRO DON'T TRUST YOU, IMMA SHOOT YOU!" The flow Nicki Minaj uses at the beginning of the first verse was a bit too slow for this beat. However, Nicki speeds up her flow which made the verse sound better and she continues the flow in the second verse. The Swae Lee hook and verse was okay but, the hook sounds better the third time when the volume of the beat is turned down. I could do without the outro on this song.
+1

Chun-Li
Chun-Li had two good verses but some repetitive parts such as,
"Bitch, it's King Kong, yes, it's King Kong
Bitch, it's King Kong, this is King Kong
Chinese ink on, Siamese links on
Call me 2 Chainz, name go ding dong
Bitch, it's King Kong, yes, I'm King Kong
This is King Kong? Yes, Miss King Kong."
I could do without the interludes in between the verses. I like the beat as it has a soft bass and a "no music" tempo on the high hats. The song is an average song.
+1

LLC
This hook is a bit catchy. The first verse adds to my critique of her content.
"Pink Friday had Eminem, spit hard but I'm feminine
Iconic trio on Monster, Goblins and Gremlins
What's left that I didn't do? You bit the forbidden fruit
You thought you'd get my spot? Who the fuck was kiddin' you?"
Hip-hop, like sports is a "what have you done for me lately" type of genre. While Nicki did do all these things, the truth is she has been gone for the most part for three plus years, and in those three plus years many things have happened. Content wise I find Nicki to be lacking because of lines like this where she could be saying real shit about the world or personal shit instead of looking for validation by stating events that happened eight years ago. While she should feel great about what she has done in her career, what else are you going to do in this career? I feel Nicki has a lot of growing to do in the realm of content. I enjoy how Nicki raps fast towards the end of this first verse. The beat has a background that sounds a bit like a Samsung timer alert with a soft bass and a drum that sounds a bit like a drum you would find in a marching band. The song is average, the flow and beat are good but, the content is lacking.
+.5

Good Form
This song has a fast paced tempo, with high hats, piano and bass. The flow Nicki uses on this song is great for this beat. However, once again the content in this song is the same content Nicki has been giving us since her debut album "Pink Friday." Once again the content given in the hook is sexual with the lines,
"I tell him eat the cookie 'cause it's good for him
And when he eat the cookie he got good form
He know I don't ever cheat because I'm good to him
Might gotta have his baby, nurses yellin' push for him."
After a while, the content can get a bit tiring.
+.5

Nip Tuck
A slower paced song where Nicki Minaj takes the opportunity to sing. The beat sounds like a slow pop beat which is great for the cadence Nicki Minaj uses as she's singing. The content in this song is better as she talks about the end of relationship.
+1

2 Lit 2 Late Interlude
A good interlude where Nicki sings about someone trying to do things but the timing is too late.
+1

Come See About Me
This beat feels straight out of a high school dance scene. I like this vibe with the slow high hats. This is the best Nicki has sung on this album this far. It's refreshing to hear a true love song on an album that has been saturated with songs about lust. I love the content in this song.
+1.5

Sir (ft. Future)
"ZAYTOVEN!" "METRO BOOMIN WANT SOME MORE NIGGA!" The beat has a background sound of wind chimes and a a lot of soft bass. Overall this song has a chill vibe. The slow flows on this song work great with this beat. The Nicki verse was a solid one and the content was perfect for the vibe of the song. Future also came through and did his thing.
+1

Miami
The flow Nicki uses pairs well with the vibe of the beat. There's a fluctuation between a soft bass and hard bass, especially during the hook which is paired with a fast paced high hat. The interludes work better on a song with this calm vibe. A good song from Nicki.
+1

Coco Chanel (ft. Foxy Brown)
This beat has a tempo that reminds me of "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee. The beat is a Dancehall or Soca beat which is nice. There’s a heavy bass during the hook that takes away from the lyrics of Nicki Minaj's hook. Foxy Brown's verse didn't take away from the song but, didn't add to the song either. The content of the verses is better than in previous songs.
+1

Inspirations Outro
While certain songs earlier in the album should have been split up, I thought there was no need to make this another track. Everything about the song is exactly the same as "Coco Chanel" except for the Foxy Brown feature. The transition between these last two songs isn't even noticeable unless you are look at the words change as the songs do.
+0

"Queen"
Raw Score: 15/19 | 78.9%
Quality Score: 17/19 | 89.5%

While it is clear Nicki Minaj can still rap at a high level, I was expecting a lot more out of this album. Her nearly four year absence, led me to believe we would get a new Nicki in terms of content but, this was not the case. A rapper of her caliber who can play with words to the point where she could be considered a lyricist should have more to talk about instead of how great she thinks she is or lust. I would like to see more growth from her in her content. Again, she can still rap very well and sing very well but, I thought this project felt a bit rushed in spots because of how some of the songs were structured. Two examples of this are the third verse that sounds like another song on "Barbie Dreams" and "Coco Chanel" and "Inspirations Outro" being the exact same song in terms of beat, flow and cadence. The three standout songs to me are "Barbie Dreams," Thought I Knew You" featuring The Weeknd and "Come See About Me." Overall, an average project from Nicki Minaj. Go stream Nicki Minaj's "Queen" today on your favorite streaming platform. Also, don't forget to follow Oldmilktheblog on Instagram @Oldmilktheblog!