Joey Bada$$ - B4.Da.$$ ALBUM REVIEW

As hip hop continues it's search for the MC that will bring New York back to dominance like the old days, a strong argument can be made that Brooklyn's own Joey Bada$$ is a strong candidate for that MC. Since his emergence, no other rapper's bandwagon and/or fan base grew larger and larger with each release. People, including myself, became immediately hooked to his vintage boom bap/old school style of music. Which also drew plenty of praise and recognition from many veteran rappers from those days who know that sound the best. After two stellar mixtapes as well as a group mixtape with Pro Era, the wait is now over. Here is his debut album B4.Da.$$ (pronounced Before The Money). Now of course many, like myself, had high expectations for this album because of his previous work. His debut mixtape 1999 you can argue is one of the top five mixtapes released since 2010. That would then be followed by Summer Knight$ and the Pro Era mixtape PEEP: The Aprocalypse. Both just as dope. Now, this album I thought overall met my expectations. You pretty much get the same thing he gave you on the mixtapes. Dope lyrics and flow, original vintage sounding production and more stories to tell. At first listen you will probably say to yourself that this sounds just like his mixtapes to the point where the album sounds like one. I thought this at first too. But after multiple listens, I caught more of his words and his content and it is much different that what we got from 1999 and Summer Knight$. The only thing I guess I could say is there's a huge lack of energy on this album. But then again, Joey never really been an "energetic" rapper. He has a true laid back, quiet and calm demeanor which is kinda uncharacteristic for a Brooklyn kid.  Well anyway, it's time for the break down so here it is:

1. Save The Children

It begins with the DJ announcing Joey as if he's coming to the stage to perform. He spits two awesomely dope verse with such clever word play: "and I ain't acting on the scene niggas scream/the actions ain't screened just well schemed". I love the the sample on the hook as well how it says "black democrats, black educators, black entertainers, black businessmen". You know things we want to see our children become. This almost sounds like a freestyle when you hear it. Great intro track.

2. Greenbax (interlude)

3. Paper Trail$

Once I saw that this was produced by DJ Premier I instantly knew I was gonna like this. Of course, I was not let down. This was one of two favorite beats on the album. I especially loves the way the beat comes in and drops. Joey kicks some dope lyrics about how money has changed him in negative ways. Also how things were better before (which plays right into the album's title and theme). There's also a very heavy Wu-Tang influence in this song too as he references them often on here. Love this.

4. Piece Of Mind

On this song, Joey is talking to a friend of his that's locked up. He shares a song with him over the phone that's dedicated to him. I liked this concept a lot because it reminds me of what Nas did on "One Love". But Joey's is more of a dedication track whereas Nas's song was a written letter. I like the play on words in the title as well because it's going along perfectly with what Joey is talking about. Giving his friend a "piece of his mind" about how to maintain a "peace of mind" while locked down. Dope track.

5. Big Dusty

This is the first single to my surprise. Although this doesn't sound to radio friendly to be a single, it's still one of the better songs on the album. So many of Joey's music gives me an instant nostalgic feeling because of his throwback 90's sound. But no song on the album gave me that feeling more than this. From his flow, his words and especially the production. It was slower and mellow but so sharp and on point. Much props to Kirk Knight the producer. Awesome single.

6. Hazeus View

The hits just keep coming. Here's another favorite. Kirk Knight comes through again with an awesome beat. It's a bit faster and much catchier than the previous track. When I listen to the words, especially in the hook, it sounds like he speaking religiously. Trying to connect with Jesus and be closer to him and away from trouble in the streets. I could be wrong about that but that what it sounds like to me. 

7. Like Me (featuring BJ The Chicago Kid)

I love the smoothness of this song. It's produced by the great J. Dilla and has a slow, soulful jazz sound. Lyrically it sound like he's talking about a wide range of things. From political issues in the world to his own personal issues. BJ The Chicago Kid gives it that extra soul on the hook. This is dope.

8. Belly Of The Beast (featuring Chronixx)

For those that didn't know, Joey has some island in him (both his parents are from Jamaica and St. Lucia as he mentions on this album). So here her kinda embraces on this very dark and dreary beat. But most of the island sound comes from Chronixx who's a reggae artist. It sounds like he's painting a picture of what life is like living in Brooklyn. Living in the "belly of the beast". Pretty cool song.

9. No. 99

This song was cool to me because it had two really dope samples. The first is the bass line from A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" which gives it the energy it has. The second is the drum pattern from Jimi Hendrix's "Little Miss Lover". I said in the intro there was very little to no energy on this album but this is probably the most energetic song on here. Overall I like it. Dope beat with cool samples.

10. Christ Conscious

Released as another single, Joey gets religious a bit here as well. But that's really only on the hook when he's talking about being on the lord's good side (similar to the topic in "Hazeus View"). The rest of the song he just spits some aggressive bars about street survival for the most part. Not sure if I would deem this single worthy but dope nonetheless.

11. On & On (featuring Maverick Sabre and Dyemond Lewis)

Now here is where we see some emotion come out of  Joey. He starts this off by talking to his mother who he mentioned quite a bit on this album. But then he goes into talking about all the pain and hardships that he's been through since being in the rap game. Most notably the passing of his friend Capital Steez. This as well as the anxiety of being an only child and having his boys being the only real family or brothers that he has. It's an emotional outpouring that I myself can't recall ever hearing from him. A very moving song here.

12. Escape 120 (featuring Raury)

I loved so many songs on this album. But this is probably the song that I liked the least of every song. Doesn't mean it was a bad song overall, just bad in comparison to the rest of this album. I normally like Chuck Strangers production but here it was just off. Joey's flow on here felt kinda forced. As if he himself wasn't feeling this beat. What makes this listenable though is the guest verse from Raury who sounds almost exactly like Andre 3000. Much to the point where I had to double check the album credits. I mean I'd like to think that this will grow on but... I don't know.

13. Black Beetles

Here we get more emotional talk but not as much as before. He talks about battling self-esteem issues that he's had even before rapping. Also going on talking about the demons of the rap game and how it isn't as fabulous as he thought it would be. Production wise Chuck Strangers redeemed himself from the previous track with the beat here. It had a very sad and sorrowful feel which fit well with Joey's words. Nice track.

14. O.C.B.

The acronym stand for Only Child Blues. This goes back to what he was talking about on "On & On". The major anxiety he has about being an only child. Talking about dealing with it growing up as a kid to dealing with it now. Many people think being an only child is a good thing but at times it isn't. You feel alone and like an outcast when at school and outside amongst other kids. Anyone in the same boat will definitely relate to this one.

15. Curry Chicken

Now what I get from this is that this is pretty much a dedication song to his mom. Reminiscing on memories, telling her things he promised he'd do for her once he got money, thanking her and just showing her a lot of affection. It's clear by listening to this album that he's really close to his mother. I can relate because I'm real close to mines too. Statik Selektah does a well...okay job with the beat. He's got better ones on here. Now you might ask yourself "why the title"? Apparently curry chicken is his favorite dish that his mom cooks. Cool song.

16. Run Up On Ya (featuring Action Bronson and Elle Varner) [BONUS TRACK]

For the life of me, I have no idea why this is a bonus track. This is easily one of the top three songs on the album. Mostly because of the cool guest features. Action Bronson kicks some dope witty lyrics while Elle Varner graces the hook with her beautiful voice. This is mostly Joey talking about the women and how he gets at them. I loved this beat too. Well done Statik Selektah. This actually sounds more like a single than anything he did bring out as a single. Love this song.

17. Teach Me (featuring Kiesza) [BONUS TRACK]

Boy...I'm seriously on the fence with this one. There were a few times on this album Joey stepped out of his comfort zone but here he leaps out of it. The beat has this fast paced dancy feel (which of course goes Kiesza hook singing about dancing). It just wasn't Joey's style at all. He made the other "out of comfort zone" songs work but this one...ehh. This one I can understand why it's a bonus track. However, this does have huge single potential if it wasn't one already. Again, I don't where I stand with this one yet. I need more time.

In closing, I'm very impressed overall with this debut. Joey Bada$$ gave us a more in depth look at who he is, where he's from and his overall background. All while still giving us that old school lyrical style that he gave us on the mixtapes. I give it a final grade of a B+. There's a reason why Joey titled this album Before The Money. Sometime the rap game ain't what you always dream it will be. With more publicity, more money, more women, comes more problems. Things are sometimes better the way it was before the fame. Or "before the money" in this case. I don't think this will haunt Joey for long tho considering his talent. But like Biggie said, more money more problems. Let's see how he handles it from here on out. End.

Lyrics: A-

Production: B+

Collaboration: B-

Originality: B+

Concept(s): B+

Final Grade: B+

ALSO CHECK OUT
Joey Bada$$ - Summer Knight$ MIXTAPE REVIEW

CREDITS

Executive Producers

Jo-Vaughn Scott

Jonny Shipes

Lead Artist

Jo-Vaughn Scott

Production

Patrick Baril

Lee Bannon

Christopher Martin

Freddie Joachim

Kirk Knight

James Yancey

Chauncey Hollis

Chuck Strangers

Sam Baker

Collaboration

Bryan Sledge

Jamar McNaughton Jr.

Michael Stafford

Dyemond Lewis

Raury Tullis

Arian Asllani

Gabrielle Varner

Kiesa Rae Ellestad

Label

Pro Era/Cinematic Music Group/Relentless Records

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

Kevin Gates

Luca Brasi 2

Available now on DatPiff

Mic's Web Chick Of The Week

Tiera Cakes

San Francisco, CA

Instagram: @bombshellcakees

COMING SOON...

Copyright 2015. Mic Navarro's Corner.

micnavarro.blogspot.com

@mic_navarro on Instagram

Rae Sremmurd - Sremm Life ALBUM REVIEW

It's a fact that many of us hip hop fans prefer more..."real hip hop". Dope lyrics, dope production and plenty of originality and creativity. But while we want our hip hop to be more serious, shouldn't we find the time to just listen to more fun hip hop and enjoy ourselves? To dance, have a good time and everything. There are plenty of rappers in the game today that know how to get the party started. Meet Rae Sremmurd. Let me make a little comparison. Remember Kid-N-Play? Some of you much, much younger fans may only know them from the House Party movies. But back in the day they were one of hip hop's most entertaining and fun groups. With their party songs and their cool dance moves. Kriss Kross was another duo like that too (the guys that made "Jump" you know them). Rae Sremmurd looks to be the 2015 version of them The group is made up of Swae Lee and Slim Jimmy. Brothers from Mississippi. 2014 was a big year for the two. They arguably had the biggest club record of the year in "No Flex Zone". Which was followed by the just as popular "No Type".  Well after dominating the clubs in 2014 with just two songs, 2015 starts with them finally dropping their debut after a year long wait. This their debut album Sremm Life. Now before even listening to this I pretty much knew was I was about to get into. I was not expecting dope lyrics, I was not expecting dope production, originality or creativity. I pretty much expected the worst when it came to those credentials. All I was expecting was an album full of party singles with catchy hooks...and that's exactly what I got. This album is nothing really but one big club/party mix of songs. Full of trap inspired production (courtesy of Mike Will Made-It mostly), twerking anthems, and celebrating the life of fame. Flaunting and what not. Basically, what you hear on "No Flex Zone" and "No Type" is what you hear on this entire album. That said, here's the break down:

1. Lit Like Bic (intro)

Like I said in the introduction, Mike Will Made-It pretty much saves this album from complete disaster with his production. It starts here. This is your common trunk bumping production with plenty of trap inspired bass. Lyrically of course there's nothing worth quoting. Just the two being braggadocios and cocky. This is cool if you feel like blowing a fuse in your car speakers.

2. Unlock The Swag (featuring Jace of Two-9)

If there is one word that has been completely overused and worn out, it is swag. This song quickly reminded me how much I hate that word. Their repetitive use of it on the hook gave me a serious migraine. Their flow on this slow paced beat was just as bad as the hook. Jace's guest verse, while it wasn't nothing special, was lyrically dope compared to the brothers. This is a song overall that I like to pretend I never heard.

3. No Flex Zone

Well...there's not much I have to say about this. Y'all already know. Without a doubt 2014's biggest club/party song. The sheer catchiness of the hook and the beat started a flex zone movement. From creative "flexing" dance moves, to t-shirts, to Internet memes and so on. The remix with Nicki Minaj is probably better seeing as how that was one of her best verses last year. Overall this is a fun song to geek out to at parties but I don't want to hear it anywhere else.

4. My X

As of late, rappers have really enjoyed making a songs about "old hoes" they used to be involved with. Here's another one. They're pretty much bragging to the chick about how big and famous they are and how rich they are now after they split up with the chick. Making her look stupid for leaving. But again, they bring nothing lyrically, the hook is more repetitive madness and is another song saved by production. Props to Young Chop. Production wise this is one for the whip. If only you could turn down the vocals though...

5. This Could Be Us

So...after just talking about their "old hoes", laughing at them and "shining on them", they activate their simp mode here and now want to start wifing chicks. I don't understand why some rappers switch back and forth like this. But anyway, I don't like this either. Sounds like a desperate attempt at a decent love song that they want to become a single. Just cause you take a popular Internet meme phrase and make it a lovey dovey track doesn't guarantee likes fellas. Not even Mike-Will Made-It could save this one. Not all love songs sound good over trap inspired beats. This one made it's way to the recycle bin quickly too.

6. Come Get Her

Okay...so we went from "shining on ex's", to wanting to wife them up, to now showing love for strippers. Boy you can tell these dudes are barely legal. They so confused when it comes to women. The one thing that makes this song laughable is the hook. It sounds like Slim Jimmy (I think that's who it is. Can't tell the difference) is actually trying to sing. At this point in the album, singing is the last thing I want to hear from them. Can't do this song either. 

7. Up Like Trump

Here's yet another song saved by production. Thank you Sonny Digital. The beat has a bounce to it that I think the twerkers will love. But again, they ain't talking about nothing at all. Just bragging. This song is for the most part forgettable as well.

8. Throw Sum Mo (featuring Nicki Minaj and Young Thug)

Well...would you believe the first song that actually sounds half way decent is the one with notable guest features. It has a very catchy tune and a rhythm that twerkers will love as well. Mike Will Made-It comes through again. Nick is only on the hook, which was alright. But then Young Thug, even he sounds lyrically superior to Slim Jimmy and Swae Lee...okay maybe not. Still, this song is tolerable to say the least. This most likely will be the next single if it isn't already.

9. YNO (featuring Big Sean)

This has one of those slower, almost chopped and screwed sounding trap beats that a lot of people love. They might like this one too. The title is an acronym for "young niggas on" and it's once again they are flaunting and bragging. Man you would think these dudes were billionaires the way the brag. Then Big Sean dropped his lyrical level to theirs with some off the wall corny lines: "and I got dough, that shit is stashed in the crib/and it won't leave the house like it's fucking DGiornio". Beat is cool and that's pretty much it.

10. No Type

Their second single from 2014 that was just as big as "No Flex Zone". Again y'all know about this so I don't need to say much. However I gotta agree with what a lot of people say about the hook. The first time I heard this and I heard him say "I don't got no type/bad bitches is the only thing that I like", I laughed hysterically. He tells us he has no type then proceeds to tell us his type. But whatever, they're young. It happens. I do prefer "No Flex Zone" over this though.

11. Safe Sex Pey Checks

Prior to hearing this I thought to myself that maybe they might do something creative with a song topic. With the whole "safe sex" thing and all. Considering how this album sounds up to this point I have no idea why I thought that. This is just another party record with another decent Mike Will beat just like the others. Talking about getting drunk, partying and getting money. I'm not even gonna mention how they tried to flip the hook of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" into something about drinking. Again, cool for parties, but not for my car, laptop, or phone. 

In closing, if you need music for your next party or just feel like dancing and having fun, this is the album for you. If you looking for lyrics, solid production and dope concepts, delete this album right now. Production is what carried this album for a lot of songs which for some artists, is not a good thing. I give this a final grade of a D+. Despite the grade, I can't really rip on this album like that. Rae Sremmurd are still very young and are gonna make the kind of music people in their age group (16-20) will like. They will definitely like this no doubt about it. But for someone like me and others like me, it does nothing unless I'm out at the club. Are they the new Kid-N-Play? Or the new Kriss Kross? Perhaps. We'll see how far the flaunting and the "flexing" gets them. End. 

Lyrics: D+

Production: C+

Collaboration: D+

Originality: E

Concept(s): D-

Final Grade: D+

CREDITS

Executive Producers

Khalif Brown

Aaquil Brown

Michael Williams
Pierre Slaughter

Lead Artists

Khalif Brown

Aaquil Brown

Production

Michael Williams

Tyree Pittman

Sonny Uwaeauoke

Kenneth Coby
Carlton Mays

Collaboration

Jason Harris

Onika Maraj

Jeffrey Williams

Sean Anderson

Label

EarDrummers/Interscope Records

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

Kevin Gates

Luca Brasi 2

Available now on DatPiff

Mic's Web Chick Of The Week

Tiera Cakes

San Francisco, CA

Instagram: @bombshellcakees

COMING SOON...

Joey Bada$$
B4.Da.$$

Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo & Youth

Jazmine Sullivan

Reality Show

Copyright 2015. Mic Navarro's Corner.

micnavarro.blogspot.com

@mic_navarro on Instagram

Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier - PRhyme ALBUM REVIEW

Question: What do you get when you take one of the dopest lyricists of today and pair him with one of hip hop's most prolific producers of all time? You get a music experience every true hip hop head has been waiting for. When word got out that Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier were getting together for a collaborative album, everyone including myself immediately became over excited. Even though the original rumor was it would be a Slaughterhouse/DJ Premier album (which still may happen). Now this is not the first time these two have gotten together. Some of my favorite Royce Da 5'9" songs of all time are produced by DJ Premier. "Boom", "Hip Hop", "Second Place" and so on. So based on that history and their track records individually, it should be easy to understand why this project is so anticipated. This is their debut album under the group name PRhyme. It only took me one listen to find out that this album exceeded way past my expectations. This was a damn near perfect album. I mean this album was so good for it to be so simple and straight to the point. Dope lyrics and dope production. That's pretty much all you get. But here's what was interesting about the production. While I thought I was gonna get those typical throwback boom bap styled DJ Premier beats (and I did), some of them were experimental. Containing samples and various instrumentation courtesy of another dope producer, Adrian Younge. It's something you don't often hear from DJ Premier's production but it was done well. Another thing that caught my eye was the impressive list of guest features. For a very short nine track album, this album has quite a few dope MC's featured on it that only made me even more anxious to hear this album. So with this said, let's get to the break down:

1. PRhyme

We begin right off the back with awesome production. I love the drum and snare combo on here. As well as the faint guitar strings. Royce brings some lyrical fire here (he does the whole album). He touches a bit on how he kind of an underdog in the rap when he shouldn't be. Talking about his little bit of recognition after recent hits with Eminem and how life has changed for him since. Dope intro here.

2. Dat Sound Good (featuring Ab-Soul and Mac Miller)

This is one of a couple songs that has that true authentic DJ Premier sound. Dope scratches on the hook and all (even though a lot of the songs have that). But here we begin with the first of excellent collaborators. Ab-Soul's verse was an absolute lyrical beat down: ("toying with the squad that's how you get sent to God dog,/you know it's backwards to go against God dog", "whoever gets a whiff of the base is loaded like the World Series/Steve Jobs died now the world Siri's"). Royce, as he does through the whole album, displays his lyrical wittiness and humor: ("somebody nudge the reverend/tell him I'm selling that white girl like I'm Starbucks, Uggs and leggings"). Mac Miller though not as lyrical as the other two, had a really dope flow and more laid back demeanor. Epic song. The title says it all.

3. U Looz

This is pretty much a minute and a half interlude of nothing but Royce just spitting dope lyrics. Again, this has that genuine Premier sound on the production. I like how Premier kinda starts to rap and he and Royce just laugh and talk. You can tell these two have great chemistry and vibe well with each other. Dope for such a short track.

4. You Should Know (featuring Dwele)

This one grew on me after a couple of listens. This is another one where you can definitely hear Adrian Younge's instrumentation within the beat. I like Dwele's hook on here as well. Despite the fact that he only says three words. The scratching on this hook is probably the best of the album. But overall, dope beat, dope lyrics. Dope song.

5. Courtesy

On an album that doesn't have not one song that sounds single worthy, this is actually the first single. The tempo on this beat is a bit...flatter than the others I guess you could say. Doesn't have the same kind of energy. But still a good beat nonetheless. Like on the intro, Royce again finds himself being an underdog and only getting recognition due to his ties with Eminem and Slaughterhouse. 

6. Wishin' (featuring Common)

No song on here showed true creativity more when it came to production. The beat switches back and forth from an aggressive uptempo pace to a calmer, mellow and more soulful sounding beat. I just loved how Common raps on the calm and mellow part then the beat immediately switches to the fast paced beat and Royce just goes off on a aggressive lyrical tirade. This is definitely something I'm not used to hearing from DJ Premier and it was awesome. Definitely one of my favorites of the album.

7. To Me, To You (featuring Jay Electronica)

Now when it came to awesome samples, this took the crown. It samples a song by Adrian Younge and Rebecca Jordan called "It's Me". A song Common also impressively sampled on his last album ("7 Deadly Sins"). But I think he got one up'd here by Royce. He continues his lyrical humor: "the last time I got pulled over for drunk driving I took the breathalyzer out the cops hand and tried to drink it", "your boo told me what she wanted to do to me/before she dropped down to two knees and blew me like an opportunity". Then Jay Electronica drops an awesome verse kicking nothing but pure knowledge as he does so well. The instrumentation in this was great as well with the loud organs. This was hands down my favorite song on the album.

8. Underground Kings (featuring Schoolboy Q and Killer Mike)

Now things get a bit more...harder. First off this beat sounds like nothing you've ever heard from DJ Premier. Even more than the other songs. It's gritty, dirty, grimy, and just has a violent feel to it. While Royce was yet again dope on here, the features made this track. Schoolboy Q went back to that gritty hardcore rap style that I love hearing from here. While Killer Mike literally murdered this track lyrically. Makes me think back to that awesome Run The Jewels 2 album. This is the definition of hardcore if I ever seen it.

9. Microphone Preem (featuring Slaughterhouse)

Of course, there was no way Royce could do this album without getting the squad on here. This is the part two to a song from Slaughterhouse's debut album called "Microphone". I gotta say, as much as I love part one, this might be better. The beat has a serious old school sound on the drum pattern. Sounds very similar to Eric B. & Rakim's "Microphone Fiend". Which goes right with the title and theme. But this is just Slaughterhouse being Slaughterhouse. Nothing but straight bars from all of them. If this is what a Slaughterhouse/DJ Premier album is gonna sound like then we're gonna be in for a real treat.

In closing, this is without question one of 2014's best albums. You all now see why I had to put it in my top ten on 2014. This is a true hip hop heads album. Nothing but dope lyrics over dope instrumentals. I give this a final grade of a A. For anyone who's a fan of Gang Starr, this should surely resurrect the feeling you got hearing a new Gang Starr album (although let's get it straight, Royce is not trying to replace the late Guru. He says that himself on this album). It also adds on to this new trend of MC/Producer groups and albums. From Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P), to Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, now to PRhyme. I sincerely hope this is not the end. I already want to hear PRhyme 2. As well as the Slaughterhouse joint. These two are an underground hip hop match made in heaven. End.

Lyrics: A

Production: A+

Collaboration: A

Originality: A-

Concept(s): B+

Final Grade: A

CREDITS

Executive Producer

Christopher Martin

Ryan Montgomery

Lead Artist

Ryan Montgomery

Production

Christopher Martin

Collaboration

Herbert Stevens

Malcolm McCormick

Adwele Gardner

Lonnie Lynn

Timothy Thedford

Quincy Hanley

Michael Render

Joell Ortiz

Joseph Budden

Domonick Wickliffe

Label

PRhyme Records

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

French Montana

Mac & Cheese 4: The Appetizer

Available now on DatPiff

Mic's Web Chick Of The Week

Jasmine

Denver, CO

Instagram: @jamminpatrice

COMING SOON...

Rae Sremmurd
Sremm Life

Joey Bada$$
B4.Da.$$

Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo & Youth

Copyright 2015. Mic Navarro's Corner.

micnavarro.blogspot.com

@mic_navarro on Instagram

Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint ALBUM REVIEW

Well...let the debate begin. Is Nicki Minaj the queen of hip hop? Has she done enough and/or accomplished enough in her short career to be given this title? While I myself may not be the biggest fan of hers, it's really hard to argue against her being labeled the queen. In such a short time, Nicki Minaj has already accomplished more than a large number of female rappers have ever. Billboard chart toppers, record sales, awards, the list goes on. I mean I can't remember the last female rapper to make the hip hop Forbes list in the top five. But I don't have to go any further with that. Y'all already knew that stuff. 2014 was a...rocky year for Young Money to say the least. So did Nicki end the year on a good note for them with this release? Let's see. This is her third album The Pinkprint. Now I have to admit, I was very nervous going into this listening session. Why? Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. That was her sophomore album that dropped in 2012. It's an album I'd like to pretend doesn't even exist. Not only was that album the worst of 2012, you can argue it was probably the worst in the last five years. The album was just a cluttered, confused mess of pop, techno and R&B with very little actual hip hop. Nothing about it was at all good musically. Well, with a huge sigh of relief, I can honestly say she made up for that huge mistake big time. I thought The Pinkprint, in short, is her best project to date. I was literally taken back and surprised by how good this album actually was. It was the perfect combination of lyrics (which she has stepped up) and solid production. What also caught me by surprise is the stories she had to tell and letting out a more emotional Nicki. A side I don't think no one is used to seeing out of her. It sounded like she took her time with this and put together the album that she probably been wanting to make since day one. Well with that, let's begin the break down:

1. All Things Go

Right off the back the album gets off to an emotional start. She's talking about a wide range of emotional and personal issues. From the ups and downs of her career, to her complicated relationship with her family, the murder of her cousin, her relationship with her mother as well as referencing an abortion she went through. It's really quite shocking to hear all of this. She's never opened up about this and you would think someone as happy as her would never have went through this. Production was pretty cool here too. It starts off slow then leads right into the drums and snares. Fits well with the mood of this song. Props to Boi-1da. Nice intro song overall.

2. I Lied

This is nothing but a straight up R&B ballad with very little rapping. The tempo of the beat is somewhat fast but slow enough for a R&B song. It sounds like she's admitting to lying to a guy so she could stay with him and "keep him from breaking her heart" as she says on the hook. I wanna believe this has a lot to do with her recent break up with her boyfriend but I'm not entirely sure. Anyway, her singing on here wasn't that bad. In fact throughout the whole album her singing is tolerable for the most part. But this is cool I guess. If you're into this kind of R&B.

3. The Crying Game (featuring Jessie Ware)

One thing that was pretty dope about this album was Nicki's transitioning between rapping and singing. She does an excellent job with it here. Mixing up a dope flow and lyrics with soothing R&B vocals. Props to Jessie Ware who delivers a very dark yet soulful hook. She's not credited on the album but I decided to credit her here. This is another song where I feel like she's reflecting on her now ex-boyfriend. Seems to me like she misses him and can't get over him still. That's women for you. Overall the song is nice.

4. Get On Your Knees (featuring Ariana Grande)

Here we have a slow fusion of rap, pop and a dash of trap. She's mostly talking about being dominant over her man. Specifically in the bedroom. Telling him what to do, how to please her and so on. Ariana Grande's hook was probably the best thing about this. It's one of the better hooks on this whole album. So for you girls who like the rule the relationship and/or the bedroom, here's your anthem.

5. Feeling Myself (featuring Beyonce')

Here is the first of many, many singles and it's the only one that's totally saved by production. I like the whistling like sound over the drums and heavy bass. Hit-Boy gets all the credit here. The lyrics are nothing but your typical braggadocios lyrics from Nicki. What I didn't like was Beyonce's lazy hook. Y'all know how I feel about these repetitive hooks. Didn't like it at all. Even "Flawless" has a better hook than this and I really didn't even like that hook or the song for that matter. This will just be another song females will look to to boost their confidence and will also become a popular hashtag caption for Instagram pics.

6. Only (featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown)

Now here's the second of the singles and it's really nothing but your typical Young Money bragging fest. Nothing special at all. The production is very simplistic but still isn't that bad. I honestly laughed when I first heard this on radio. It just sounds like Nicki trying her hardest to convince us that she never slept with Drake or Wayne. As does Drake and Wayne about Nicki (Drake says a little too much regarding sleeping with Nicki though). Well whatever the case, this is alright for a single. Not something I could listen to all the time though.

7. Want Some More

Time for some trunk music. The only song that sounds the closest to trap music, it's one of my favorite beats on the album. Had me nodding my head in the car when I first heard it. It kinda took me back to how I felt the first time I heard "Did It On 'Em" from her first album. Much props to the three man team of Zaytoven, Metro Boomin and Hitmaka for this one. Lyrically it's nothing but her yet again "feeling herself" and being braggadocios. Specifically daring her peers to come at her in any way. She's just stroking her ego all over this album. Her punch lines, while she has stepped them up, there were a few that left me face palming ("these bitches  suck so I nicknamed these bitches BJ"). But anyway this song was dope. Especially the beat.

8. Four Door Aventador

Although I haven't chose one yet, this maybe my favorite song on the album. First the production. I loved the low-toned snap heavy sound. Has a throwback feel to it. The stand out thing on this song however is her flow. Which mimics Biggie's flow. I know how some of you get hen these rappers try to flow like Biggie but it wasn't that bad compared to others. The hook while very simple was actually pretty cool too. This overall is one of those "vibe" songs. That you could just chill, relax and just nod your head to. Dope song.

9. Favorite (featuring Jeremih)

After four straight songs of her spraying her cockiness everywhere, here she gets back mushy love stuff. Talking about being number one in her man's life. Over everything and everyone else. I'm not really feeling this however. Not that this song is terrible but it's just not my cup of tea. I didn't like the production here or Jeremih's hook. I typically don't like these kind of songs from male rappers. So of course coming from a female rapper I definitely wouldn't like it. But you ladies may like it I'm sure.

10. Buy A Heart (featuring Meek Mill)

Man...I can't explain how much this song caught me off guard. First off it is another mushy love song that I wasn't quite feeling either (although it's a slight bit better than the previous song). But here's what threw me off. Meek Mill. He is on this hook singing. Singing! He is one of the last rappers that should ever try to attempt singing. That was terrible (his verse wasn't nothing special either). Then, listening to the lyrics from both of them, is there something going on between these two? I mean I don't know if I'm late on a rumor or not but there's a huge amount of flirting going on with each other here. I don't know but anyway, this song to me was a big time miss. 

11. Trini Dem Girls (featuring Lunchmoney Lewis)

Of course every now and then Nicki likes to bring out her island/Jamaican side. She does it here with this hip hop/reggae/dance hall fusion song. It's nothing much but a song to dance and/or "dutty wine" to. Again, another song that's not really my cup of tea but a lot of people who like this kinda music will love this.

12. Anaconda

Yet another single and the biggest one of them all. Probably the biggest of 2014 period. We all remember how she broke the Internet with the promo art for the song and the very revealing video (see below). Yeah all of that was nice, but once again the song is just not for me. I mean yeah the Sir Mix-A-Lot sample was nice. A bit extra but still alright. The lyrics are probably the worst of every song on the album (which isn't a big deal considering what this song is about). This is nothing really but another twerk anthem filled with a bunch of today's sexual lingo. Leave it to Nicki to keep the twerking freak fest going. 

13. The Night Is Still Young

Here we got a 80% pop/20% hip hop song that sadly...made me flash back to Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. This kinda had a sound that those songs generated with the uptempo clap happy dance/techno drums. However this song is better than anything on that album. Lyrically she just rapping/singing about a wild and fun night out at the club and out on the town. Though I find this song barely average, one good thing I can see is that this could be a huge crossover hit in various pop culture markets. Movies and commercials especially. I could definitely see this being in like a commercial promoting a liquor beverage with everybody partying and what not. But anyway, it's just barely average for me.

14. Pills-N-Potions

Now this was the official first single that had a lot of people on the fence about. Including myself. It's a ballad styled R&B/hip hop blend with a heavy but slow drums and pianos that give a mystifying feel. Honestly, her best R&B vocals came on this song. She sings the hook really well in almost like a soft whispering tone. Fitting right with the mood of the production. On the rap verses, it all depends on how you listen to it to determine what she's talking about. What I hear is her expressing how much she still loves someone even though they did her wrong. You can get that from the hook alone. As a single I was on the fence about it, but this actually sounds a lot better on context with the album.

15. Bed Of Lies (featuring Skylar Grey)

Finally, we're at the last single. This is the part of the album where everything starts slowing down and starts losing it's steam (it started with "Pills-N-Potions"). It's another hip hop/pop blend but actually more on the hip hop side. Skylar Grey brings the pop element with a well done hook. The production was actually done well too. Filled with heavy hip hop drums and bass on Nicki's part and soft keys on Skylar Grey's part. Lyrically she again talking about her ex-lover and what sounds like to me the reason for their break up. It's clear she still rattled by it and may still be in love with this guy. This is a decent overall track though.

16. Grand Piano

Now through the whole album, I didn't have much negative things to say about her singing. But here we have the only sing that straight up R&B and honestly, this maybe the worst song on the album. Her singing on here sounded so forced. Especially when she tries to hit the high notes. It's as if she's trying her hardest to convince us that she can really sing. Makes me think of American Idol contestants. The production is nothing but piano and violins. No drums, no bass nothing. Also, yet again, we're back to this dude again. Her ex. I don't think she'll ever get over him. We'll be hearing about this for a while I'm sure. 

Well in closing, I was very very surprised by this album. It was way better than I could have ever imagined. I honestly believe this is the album Nicki Minaj fans have been waiting for since day one. I give this a final grade of a B+. I think Nicki Minaj realized the mistake she made with her last album and knew she had to make up for it. She owed it to her fans. It's why she went back to her natural look and ditched the pop/dance music and went back to her mixtape roots. I think (well I would hope) she realized this is who she really is. She is the lyrical "punchline princess" that we were introduced to in 2008/09. Hopefully her and her music stays this way from this point on. After all, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was not an album the queen of hip hop would make. The Pinkprint is. Now Ms. Minaj, you can put on your crown and take your seat back on the queens throne. End.

Lyrics: B+

Production: B+

Collaboration: B

Originality: B-

Concept(s): C+

Final Grade: B+

CREDITS

Executive Producers

Onika Maraj

Dwayne Carter

Bryan Williams

Ronald Williams

Lead Artist

Onika Maraj

Production

Matthew Samuels

Anderson Hernandez

Allen Ritter

Michael Williams

Andrew Wansel

Warren Felder

Lukasz Gottwald

Henry Walter

Chauncey Hollis

Jeremy Coleman

Xavier Dotson

Christian Ward

Leland Wayne

Parker Ighile

Darhyl Camper, Jr.

Rob Holladay

Armond Redmen

Jamal Jones

Marcos Palacios

Ernest Clark

Daniel Johnson

Alexander Grant

Breyan Stanley Isaac

Vinay Vyas

Justin Davey

William Adams

Keith Harris

Collaboration

Jessica Ware

Ariana Grande-Butera

Beyonce' Knowles

Aubrey Graham

Dwayne Carter

Christopher Brown

Jeremih Felton

Robert Williams

Gamal Lewis

Holly Hafermann

Label

Young Money/Cash Money/Republic Records

Mic's Mixtape Of The Week

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Mac & Cheese 4: The Appetizer

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Denver, CO

Instagram: @jamminpatrice

COMING SOON...

PRhyme (Royce Da 5'9" & DJ Premier)
PRhyme

Rae Sremmurd
Sremm Life

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