Nicki Minaj has come a long way from the days when she was an underground rapper who gained popularity due to her explicit lyrics and grungy persona. In 2010, she was one of the most featured rappers aside from her mentor and label-mate (Lil Wayne and Drake). 2010 also saw the release of her breakthrough debut album Pink Friday. It has been two years since her debut and Nicki Minaj has been heavily criticised for using hip-hop as a come up because her music has somewhat distanced itself from hip-hop and has become more mainstram pop, in which she has responded that she is influenced by all types of music so she does not want to be confined to a particular genre (fair enough).
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is not different from her debut, in most parts it sounds like a continuation as oppose to a sequel starring her alter-ego Roman (whom she uses less of). The musical direction and song styling is similar to that of her debut. She raps where wants to rap, she sings where she wants to sing and experiments with electro and pop sounds where she wants to. I do however give her credit for wanting to capture her pre-barbie days on songs like Hov Lane and I Am Your Leader(Featuring Cam'ron and Rick Ross). Highlights of the album however include the infectious Beez In The Trap, Young Forever, Sex In The Lounge(Featuring Lil' Wayne and Bobby V) and my personal favourite Roman Holiday. For her pop audience, i think they would appreciate songs like Automatic, Fire Burns and Marilyn Monroe.
Nicki might be the only female rapper at the moment who is enjoying mainstream success but with up-coming acts like Azelia Banks, Iggy Azelea and Brianna on her tail - I think she needs to re-think her strategy and create music and build a career that would have generations to come talking about her legacy. This album in no way shows any artistic growth and I think it is more of a strategy to keep her afloat. If you enjoyed her debut you would equally enjoy this one.
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