Nicki Minaj is one of the greatest to ever do it. Her presence in the rap game changed female rap forever. On November 22nd, 2010, Minaj released her debut album Pink Friday, and has been running the charts ever since. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, and is certified triple platinum.
In honor of “Pink Friday” turning nine, I’ve decided to compile a a list of the top nine tracks off the album. Hopefully you’ll be transported to 2010 all over again.
- Did It On ‘Em
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I may be just a tad bit biased because “Did It On Em” is the song that turned me into a Barb. Hearing it instantly takes me back to ten year old me, rapping bar for bar in my room. Minaj holds nothing back on this very explicit song, rapping her infamous “All these b—— is my sons” right off the bat. Although Nicki did what she had to do on this song, it’s her then boyfriend, Safaree’s adlibs that make this track the standout of the album. Lines like “I don’t know what layaway look like/b—-, I can’t even spell welfare” are why Safaree boosted this song to the number one spot.
- Roman’s Revenge
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If you thought “Did It On Em” took it there, then “Roman’s Revenge” pushed it over the edge. Nicki brings her alter ego Roman out for this track, and let’s just say he murked it. First of all, the beat makes you want to get up and fight. Nicki’s aggressive flow with lines like “I’m a bad b—-, I’m a c—/and I’ll kick that h-, punt” are what make Roman the favorite ego of a lot of Barbs. Roman lets you know that he’s not one to be messed with, and rightfully so. Eminem is featured on the song, and he’s known for his over the top, raunchy lyrics. Trust me when I say he did not disappoint. Em matched Nicki’s energy and brought two iconic verses.
- Moment 4 Life
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This track samples Sly, Slick and Wicked’s “Confessin’ A Feeling” and features global superstar Drake. The song is about two kids who aspired to be rappers and made “Moment 4 Life” to document their success.
- Your Love
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Nicki uses a style of sing-rap on “Your Love.” The track was originally released in June of 2010 as the album’s lead track. The song is more of a slow love song, a change from Nicki’s general up tempo songs.
- Muny
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“Muny” begins with guitar chords that are reminiscent of a rock song. This track is all about, you guessed it, money. Nicki boasts that she’s “Top five tax bracket in the population,” an accomplishment that I would make an entire song about too.
- Super Bass
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Love it or hate it, but “Super Bass” is the song that catapulted Nicki into super stardom. The song is a pop crossover, expanded her audience to more than just Black people. The chorus, sung by Ester Dean, is probably the most catchy hook off the entire album.
- Fly
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Nicki paired up with pop icon, Rihanna on this track. I always get excited when we get 2/3 of the imaginary girl group, RNB (Rihanna, Nicki, and Beyonce) on one track. “Fly” is one of those hopeful tracks, telling a story of coming out on top throughout all of the struggle Nicki’s been through.
- Right Thru Me
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“Right Thru Me” is the love song that I didn’t know I needed. Ten year old me was really in me feelings every time I heard this song. Nicki raps to her partner in confusion about how he knows her so well. She wants to know “how [does he] do that s—.” Although they argue non-stop, she wants to know how he’s still able to make her smile.
- Blazin
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This album has amazing feature after amazing feature. “Blazin” doesn’t disappoint with Kanye coming on the track to spice things up. The fact the Nicki can keep up with people like Kanye and Eminem on tracks (although some think she outraps them) just shows that Nicki is 100% the queen of rap.