Nicki Minaj – Queen Reaction

3.8

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Has there been a worse rollout than the one Nicki Minaj just had for Queen? I’ll answer that for ya…no. The buildup to this release has been handled horrendously and that combined with her recent ‘meltdown’, has all served to overshadow what was a surprisingly good project. I had little hope for Queen after her string of woefully uninspiring singles but those weren’t good representatives of what she had actually cooked up and Queen is easily her best project in quite some time. Most of her bars are on point and can stand up to any rapper in the game (regardless of gender), she has genuinely compelling pop songs, her more straight up rap fare goes hard, and she has maybe the best flip of a Biggie record I’ve ever heard. It’s not all hits though, the second half could have used some trimming, but there’s more than enough here to remind everyone why she blew up to such extraordinary heights in the first place. It’s a shame though that she won’t just let the music speak for itself.

1

Travis Scott – ASTROWORLD Reaction

Travis Scott finally put together all of the pieces of his immense talent and crafted his most realized project yet. 'ASTROWORLD' is a complete experience from front to back that transports you to a world all of Scott's own making, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.

5

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2

Drake – Scorpion Reaction

It’s a good listen (Drake doesn’t put out bad listens), but there’s a whole lot that I like on 'Scorpion' but almost nothing I loved. I don’t think I’ve ever skipped through a Drake project as much as I have here. There’s still quotables for days but you gotta get through a lot of uninspired filler to get to it.

3

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3

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy Reaction

Cardi B's debut isn't great by any stretch of the imagination but it's not that bad either. It's a more listenable project than I expected and has more than a few noteworthy moments. I guess what really makes it a decent project is that all of her best songs sound like a more than serviceable approximation of whatever artist she's feeling in that moment. They say the best artists steal, so in that sense she's more than on her way.

3.3

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They done went to witch doctors to bury the Barbie
But I double back, kill bitches, bury the body
And that go for anybody, you’ll be thoroughly sorry
I could wage war or I come in peace like Gandhi
All my powers back now I’m scary to zombies
Bring the heat to her, sizzle ’em, ain’t talking Kalonji

– “Ganja Burns”

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Have you heard Queen? What’d you think about it? Did it surpass your expectations for the project, especially after its horrendous rollout? Should Nicki Minaj fall back more and let the music speak for itself? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the album.

Nicki Minaj – Queen Reaction

Conclusion

Nicki Minaj's latest wasn't all hits but it far exceeded expectations and there's more than enough present to remind everyone why she blew up to such extraordinary heights in the first place. It's a shame though that she won't just let the music speak for itself.

Fuego!!!

Barbie Dreams

Ganja Burns

Chun Swae

Nip Tuck

3.8

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