There are few mainstream rappers whom Nicki Minaj hasn't collaborated with, and on Friday (December 8), she crossed a few names off her dream list thanks to the release of her first LP since 2018. On Pink Friday 2, not only do we hear the Trinidadian reconnect with past frequent collaborators like Drake and Lil Wayne, but she and J. Cole also came together for the first time on a track called "Let Me Calm Down."
Overproduction by ATL Jacob, Hendrix Smoke, and Kujibeats, we hear both lyricists reflect on their problematic relationship dynamics. "My heart sayin' I love him while I'm screamin' that I hate him / And ain't no more debatin', this time, it's a ultimatum," Minaj begins her verse, pouring her heart into every word. "I wrote a line for you and it was beautiful / I made a sign for you to say you're beautiful / You're so, so irresistible / Take me to somewhere mystical," she continues on the chorus.
J. Cole and Nicki Minaj Collab for the First Time on "Let Me Calm Down"
For his part, Cole unsurprisingly continues his streak of killing every feature he's been on this year. "Uh, havin' her ain't for the faint of heart / She bad as f**k but hard to deal with, and it ain't her fault," he gasses up the woman in his life. "She got ambition like the ni**as, and the vision for herself / So she can't rest until she feel like she done made her mark."
Check out J. Cole and Nicki Minaj's penmanship on "Let Me Calm Down" above. If you're feeling the rap legends' first-ever collaboration, add it to your playlist on Spotify/Apple Music. For more HNHH release recommendations, check back in later this weekend.
Quotable Lyrics:
They talkin’ slick and make you wanna pull a Rated-R
You like her, love her like a brother, like a manager, an A&R
Plus a therapist when it start rainin’ hard
Her life was trauma filled, it left her with a tainted heart
[Via]