Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Album Review

Pressure, can Nicki Minaj create the same level of material and excitement she brings to her features on her own full length album? Was the doubt that surrounded the release of Nicki’s debut Pink Friday. With an army of barbie’s around her drafted from her mixtapes and guest appearances  Nicki had to raise to high expectations and prove that she could hold her own.

The Young Money front woman expands herself from her most recognisable aggressive style of delivery and a host of characters. Nicki shows her otherwise hidden reflective side in tracks Save Me and Old Nicki were she sings about the tribulations of balancing her new found fame. Trying to maintain her personal growth while keeping hold of what made her fans love her when her was underground when she is growing into the main stream artist that she has the potential to be.  

“Did I chase the gilts and glamour money fame and power, then if so that will go down forever as my lamest hour” – Old Nicki

 “I drove for miles to find you, to find self. Feels like I’ve been driving for miles I still cant seem to silence the voices in my head. Please won’t you save me?” – Save Me

‘But you was underground I was main stream, now I live the life that we would day dream” – Old Nicki

Nicki shows her lyrical skills in tracks; I’m The Best, Did it On’Em, Here I Am and Eminem assisted track Romans Revenge. Where Nicki takes shots at Lil’Kim who publicly hasn’t taken a liking to Nick’s success

“So fuck I look like getting back to a has-been yeah, I said it, has-been”

“is it my fault that all of you bitches gone? shoulda sent a thank you note, you little ho now I’ma wrap your coffin with a bow N-N-N-Nicki, she’s just mad ’cause you took the spot word, that bitch mad ’cause I took the spot?” Ouch

While tracks like Check It Out and Your Love (which Nicki herself admits she isn’t a fan of) seem to limit her as the lyricist she has proven herself to gain pop success.
Pink Friday has tried to cover all bases from underground hard core hip-hop heads to main stream pop radio listeners. Has Nicki tried to stretch herself to thin in this album being a jack of all genres but a master of none? This LP will be a regular on the playlists but struggle to gain long term recondition of the not easily impressed hip-hop heads.

This LP leaves the gate open to curiosity in what Nicki has in store for her next album. It’s evident that Pink Friday has only scratched the surface of Miss. Minaj

The Vinyl Box Rating:  ***

Predicted first week sales for Pink Friday:

 385,000 units (US)

Genius Vs. Insanity: Kanye West Edition

Genius and insanity are one of the same. What happens when the thing that builds someone up to be great is the same thing that tears them down before they are fully understood or appreciated?

Often the complexity of an individual’s mind is admired as long as we stay at its surface. When we try and deepen our knowledge to explore what inspires these expressions, we discover what we can’t understand or control. Whatever we as society experience as unfamiliar we outcast, this is where the theory of groupthink enters and why we accept it limiting are minds.

Is Kanye just one of the biggest Casualties of Group Think, an example to show how the media has the power to totally tell us how to act and what to think.

If you ask 10 people how they feel about Kanye West you will receive 2 different answers asshole and genius. Although if you ask how many of the individuals actually own a Kanye west album, watched a video or non-baits interview then most of the asshole comments prove invalid. Isn’t an artist’s individuality what makes them what they are and the reason they inspire?

Kanye was dropped from Lady GaGa’s tour for the Taylor swift incident. Was this huge deficit justified for voicing the same opinion that was on everyone’s mind whether they were present in that room or watching at home, they just chose not to voice their thoughts.

During Kanye’s Today Show interview the main focus was George bush reacting to Kanye’s comments on him being a racist and the Taylor Swift incident. While Kanye was explaining these moments, on a split screen the videos clips were being played which is common practice during an interview. Matthew Lauer promoted words regret and sorry into his explanations while staff talked loud enough to be heard in the back ground. The outcome of this interview caused Kanye to subsequently cancel his live performance later on that week. Who is to blame, The Today Show for prompting a false apology or Kanye for allowing the interview to be conducted knowing the line of questioning? The outcome of the interview is an all too familiar result of Kanye’s public image being more tarnished in the vulnerable state than it already stands.

 “Because of what I’ve been though it’s, brought me to become a way more expressive artist, you can’t take anything away from me at this point. What are you going to do? Go to my Mamma’s house, I don’t have no mamma”

How much of an impact mentally, is it for a male to be raised solely by women, his mother, both maternal and paternal grandmothers to pass away within a year of each other. All while believing you are partly responsible for your mother’s death? Your very way of life in your foundation, security and boundaries disappears. People grieve in differently ways some disconcert themselves while others try and submerge themselves into their work before they fully deal with their emotions. It was clear from the themes of his “Glow In The dark Tour” and “808 & Heartbreak” album that he had not mentally dealt with death of the most important people in his life. His song themes changed from “Champion” and “Celebration” to “Heartless” and “Paranoid” it was evident that grief counselling was needed. If he had received counselling would the Kanye against the world and Kanye is crazy attitude be at the level it is now, I don’t’ believe so.

“I don’t say please look at my art, people come to me, so how can you attack me you came to me”

When Kanye’s film runaway was released it gave us in insight into his complexity, interpreting everyday life into a world that is initially so far gone. Although once we accept the fact that the phoenix can represent any outcast, it immediately becomes present. The biggest killer of imagination is growing old, a child’s imagination has no inhibitions when you can capture that into adult hood there are no ceilings. If the mind is exposed, even the smallest seedling of imagination and inspiration has no limits.

Hopefully we can stop stamping people crazy or strange, but take an interest on why people are the way they are.  You can only beat somebody down so much before they fall from the ledge.

“Michael Jackson Died For the Sins of Our Media”

By Venessa Byron

 

Mary J. Bilge Concert Review 02 Arena 02/11/2010

The foundation of a Mary J. Blige concert lays in her personal no hold connection with the woman from the front row to furthest corner of the arena speaking directly to her soul. “Music Saved My Life” and I’m going to sing like it was my last. Mary J. Blige Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul lived up to that statement at The 02 Arena on Tuesday November 2^nd 2010. The relationship people have with Mary’s music while in their homes, cars and 3am realisations of self is taken to another level in her presence.  

Mary J performed 30 of her biggest hits echoed by the audience, most who have followed her voice all the way from the baseball caps of “The 411” to the confident woman living and loving life in the fitted black cat suit on the stage.

Mary was joined by her dancers to open the show with up tempo songs “The One” “MJB Da MVP” “Good Love” “I Feel Good” and U.K Top 10 hit “Each Tear” from her new album “Stronger”. The audience was brought to their feet and others had formed a dance floor behind the control box holding glasses of wine as she reminisced on hits such as “I’m Going Down” “Be Happy” and “My Life”. All she needed was a stage and that microphone no need for complex and distracting stag design just raw emotion, vocals and lessons learned.

After a quick costume change Mary, her signature tattoo’s and thigh high 6 inch boots broke down in true New York City style “Real Love” “Not Gone Gone Cry” “Good Woman Down” and “Enough Crying”. Mary’s most emotionally charged song brought her to her knees and the audience standing on their seats was a track from her 2003 album “Love and Life” called “Your Child” about receiving a knock on the door one evening with a woman holding a baby with eyes just like her partner.

Mary’s set included broken down versions of songs “Be without you” and Chaka Khan cover “Sweet Thing” while pointing the microphone towards the audience trying to hit that signature Chaka note.

The show was closed with her classic dance tracks “Family Affair”, her #1 2008 hit “Just Fine” the ushers and security members giving up on the task of trying keeping people in out of the ails and the makeshift dance floor. I think the defining moment knowing Mary had an amazing show when the whole Journalist box were dancing like nobody was watching. Jay-Z and Beyoncé are sitting amongst the crowd and nobody even looks back to notice they are their because there eyes are glued to the stage.

Mary proved her ability to connect with each and every audience member, so when you see a flyer for a Mary.J concert you already know you won’t find the same atmosphere anywhere els.


Concert Reviews Coming Month Of November
Yonlanda Brown
John Legend and The Roots

Concert Reviews Coming Month Of December
Melanie Fiona
(see The Vinyl Box's first post to learn more about Melanie Fiona her music and short review of her July concert)