This month, Nicki Minaj returned with her highly anticipated fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2. Her first release in over five years serves as a sequel to her 2010 debut. J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Drake, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, 50 Cent, and more feature on the star-studded tracklist. Pink Friday 2 has already shattered charting records. Nicki Minaj recently surpassed Foxy Brown as the female rapper with the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. She also landed 14 different songs from the album on the Hot 100.
Throughout the 22-song tracklist, fans might notice some familiar samples. From Blondie to Waka Flocka Flame, the album includes nods to many notable tracks. Some of these tracks creatively flip older works while others use samples for the sake of nostalgia. Today, we are highlighting the best and worst samples on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2.
Best: “Are You Gone Already”
The intro to Pink Friday 2 samples Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” Finneas, Eilish's brother wrote and produced "When the Party's Over," and is also the sole producer of "Are You Gone Already." The album opener speeds up Billie Eilish’s delicate hums and whispering lyrics for almost an entire minute, setting the tone for Nicki Minaj to deliver a heartfelt verse about the birth of her son and her father’s subsequent passing. The sample is also repurposed for the song’s chorus, allowing for a compelling and transparent introduction to Pink Friday 2.
Worst: “Pink Friday Girls”
A pop-heavy album, Pink Friday 2 basks in its commercial appeal with its use of popular samples. Among these notable samples is Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” on “Pink Friday Girls.” The inclusion of Lauper’s classic single is instantly recognizable within the first few seconds of Minaj’s track. Produced by J Reid, the sample dominates “Pink Friday Girls,” with just a simple loop of the lead melody. The tempo, percussion, and Nicki’s performance are forcefully formulaic as her cadence is almost identical to “Super Bass.” The song may nod to the hit single from the first Pink Friday, but “Pink Friday Girls” relies too heavily on nostalgia.
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Best: “Barbie Dangerous”
Nicki Minaj last sampled The Notorious B.I.G. on “Barbie Dreams” from Queen, putting her own spin on “Just Playing (Dreams).” She does the same to Biggie and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's “Notorious Thugs” on “Barbie Dangerous.” Producers Hollywood Cole, Tate Kobang, and YG! Beats modernize the hip-hop classic just enough so that the song does not rely too much on its sample. Nicki Minaj skillfully raps while emulating Biggie's double-time flow from “Notorious Thugs.” Fans might notice similarities between her rapping on this song and her duet with Meek Mill, “All Eyes On You.” The major difference between her repeated use of a flow on this track versus “Pink Friday Girls” is that it is an homage to Biggie rather than an attempt to capitalize on a famous pop sample.
Worst: “Everybody” feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Like many other songs on Pink Friday 2, “Everybody” uses a famous sample as its backbone to become an immediate hit. The ear-grabbing sample of Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” combined with the Jersey club beat makes sense for today’s musical climate, but that is ultimately what defines the song. Lil Uzi Vert is a natural fit for the song due to the success of his Jersey club track, “Just Wanna Rock.” However, the sample combined with the beat feels like an overwhelming attempt to catch onto the TikTok trends of today. Nicki Minaj rides the beat well, utilizing the catchy vocal loop of “Move Your Feet,” but becomes increasingly stale as the song progresses.
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Best: “Pink Birthday”
“Pink Birthday” flips undoubtedly one of the most creative samples on Pink Friday 2. Produced by Boi-1da and others, the song samples Travis Scott’s “Pornography,” the opening track from Rodeo. Travis’s auto-tuned melodies are skillfully chopped and looped into a hard-hitting trap beat, over which Nicki Minaj harmonizes and raps. “Pink Birthday” takes such a small portion of the very end of “Pornography,” completely reimagining it into a melodic rap song. Upon her album’s release, Nicki expressed gratitude for Travis’s clearing of the sample.
Worst: “Super Freaky Girl”
Rick James’s “Super Freak” has been sampled numerous times in hip hop, most notably in MC Hammer’s massive hit, “U Can’t Touch This." JAY-Z also sampled it for “Kingdom Come.” As a popular single in its own right that has been reworked for classic rap songs, one cannot deny that Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” leans too heavily into the notoriety of its sample. Flipping "Super Freak" almost guarantees a hit, but its uncanny resemblance to previous hits like "Anaconda" makes it incredibly predictable. While Nicki Minaj’s knack for making popular songs her own is commendable, “Super Freaky Girl” fails to transcend its sample in this instance.
Best: “Red Ruby Da Sleeze”
“Red Ruby Da Sleeze” strikes a perfect balance between familiarity and intrigue. It prominently samples Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh).” What makes the song work so well is that Go Grizzly and Cheeze Beatz built around the sample instead of making it the sole characteristic of the beat. The “Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh” melody becomes haunting as it is pitched down, looped, and buried in powerful 808s. It allows Nicki Minaj to spit some of her toughest bars on the album and showcase her versatility with a catchy sung chorus. The sample does not outshine her vocal performance but her vocal performance accentuates the bars, making it the main focus.
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