Pink Friday 2

by Nicki Minaj

Overview

On her debut studio album, 2010's Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj made it clear she could do it all. The bloodthirsty rap powers she'd displayed on her earlier mixtapes were so abundant she had to organize them as separate characters, but she also had no problem singing sugary hooks or following scandalous diss tracks with bouncy pop tunes designed for the charts. Thirteen years later, Minaj is still striking out in all directions on Pink Friday 2, a sequel to her breakthrough that sees her continuing to stretch her range. First, there's the pop; several tracks reiterate a formula that's resulted in multiple hits for Minaj, that of building out on ubiquitous songs from the past. Her hypersexual rhymes on "Super Freaky Girl" are a tailored fit for the familiar groove of Rick James' "Super Freak" that the song is based on, while "Pink Friday Girls" leans heavily on Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "My Life" samples Blondie's biggest song, "Heart of Glass." The seething rap tracks happen mostly in the album's first act, with concise burners like "Barbie Dangerous" and "FTCU" leading to more nuanced production on the moody J. Cole-aided "Let Me Calm Down" and the infectious meanness of "Big Difference." Minaj imprints herself onto bumpy, island-tinged R&B on "Needle" (featuring Drake, naturally), boisterous club on "Everybody," deep trap on the Future duet "Nicki Hendrix," and banging dancehall on "Forward from Trini," with help from Jamaican artists Skillibeng and Skeng. The swings between genres are less jarring than when Minaj lets her guard down emotionally. The album begins on a surprisingly mournful note with "Are You Gone Already," a song that reframes Billie Eilish's vaporous "when the party's over" as a vulnerable expression of loss. The album's closing moments are similarly glum, with the devotional track "Blessings" giving way to melancholic pop on the indie-flavored "Last Time I Saw You" and ending with the yearning sadness of "Just the Memories." ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	12/08/2023
Label:	Island / Republic
UPC:	0602458812756
Rank:	9528

Tracks

1. Just the Memories
2. Big Difference
3. Ruby REd Da Sleaze
4. My Life
5. RNB
6. Falling 4 U
7. Last Time I Saw You
8. Everybody
9. Super Freaky Girl
10. Bahm Bahm

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Nicki Minaj   Primary Artist,Vocals
Skeng   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Tate Kobang   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Tasha Cobbs Leonard   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Drake   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Future   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Skillibeng   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Lil Uzi Vert   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
50 Cent   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Keyshia Cole   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Lil Wayne   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Monica   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Lourdiz   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
J. Cole   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Southside   Vocals (Background)
Beau Nox   Vocals (Background)
Keisha Renee   Vocals (Background)
Nana Fofie   Vocals (Background)
Rahiem Hurlock   Voices
Waka Flocka Flame   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Derrick Milano   Composer,Producer
Chase Lieberman   Composer
Jesper Mortensen   Composer
Jess Carp   Producer
Gavin Valencia   Composer
Dystinkt Beats   Producer
BNYX   Producer,Programming
Boogz   Programming,Producer
Lesidney Ragland   Composer
TooDope   Producer,Programming
Bryan Montesano   A&R
Christian Beau Anastasiou Astrop   Composer
Kuji   Producer,Programming
Ofer Shaul Ishai   Composer
Darryon Bunton   Composer
DB!   Producer
Alex Bak   Composer,Producer,Programming
Grant Horton   Assistant Engineer
Malibu Babie   Composer,Producer,Programming
Rowan Melhado   Composer
Nico Fabito   Assistant Engineer
Amir Sims   Composer
Nayvadius Wilburn   Composer
B Ham   Producer,Programming
Vaughn Oliver   Composer,Producer,Programming
Teddy Mendez   Composer
Victoria Monet   Composer
Lumidee Cedeno   Composer
Isaac de Boni   Composer
Irvin Whitlow   Composer
Johann Deterville   Composer
Steven Marsden   Composer
Slade da Monsta   Producer,Programming
Beau Nox   Producer,Programming
Sebastian Loers   Composer
Jacob Spitzer   Assistant Engineer
Kevin Andre Price   Composer
Kirsten Allyssa Spencer   Composer
Connor Rinoski   Recording
Jack Letchinger   Assistant Engineer
116   Producer,Programming
Alexx Nielsen   Assistant Engineer
Apollo Parker   Producer,Programming
Basbeats   Producer,Programming
BoogzDaBeast   Producer,Programming
Cheeze Beatz   Producer,Programming
Jessica Lynn Carpenter   Composer
Lyn Marshall   Composer
Shubhkarman Pruthi   Composer
Kevaun Douglas   Composer
Melio Sounds   Producer,Programming
Robert Regeiro   Assistant Engineer
Boogzdabeast   Producer,Programming
Tyler Sheppard   Recording
Symere Woods   Composer
Finneas O'Connell   Composer,Producer,Programming
Keanu Beats   Producer,Programming
Yogi   Programming,Programming,Programming
Kuldeep Chudasama   Recording
Tasha Cobbs Leonard   Composer
Joshua Goods   Composer
Rocco Valdes   Composer
Aubrey Graham   Composer
Noah Shebib   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Christopher Wallace   Composer
DJ Smallz 732   Producer,Programming
Alyssa Lourdiz Cantu   Composer
ATL Jacob   Producer,Programming
Jacob Canady   Composer
Joseph L’Etranger   Composer,Producer,Programming
Keanu Torres   Composer
Colin Franken   Composer
OJ Finessey   Producer,Programming
YG! Beats   Producer,Programming
Bryce Bordone   Mixing Assistant
Tomislav Ratesic   Composer
Georges Konan   Composer
Eli Heisler   Mixing Assistant
Josiah Muhammad   Composer
Aubry "Big Juice" Delaine   Vocal Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Fierce   Producer,Programming
Cristal Viramontes   Vocal Engineer
Hollywood Cole   Producer,Programming
YogiTheProducer   Producer,Programming
Frankie Bash   Producer,Programming
Emwah Warmington   Composer
Hendrix Smoke   Producer,Programming
Derrick Miller   Composer
Benjamin Saint Fort   Composer
Sadpony   Producer,Programming
Jeremy Reid   Composer,Producer,Programming
Lukasz Gottwald   Composer
Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke   Composer
Michael Mule   Composer
Onika Maraj   Composer
James Dean   Composer
Noel Cadastre   Mixing,Recording
Matthew Samuels   Composer
Joshua Adams   Composer
Bone Collector   Producer,Programming
Drop Top   Producer
Steven Howse   Composer
Joshua Luellen   Composer
Juaquin Malphurs   Composer
Marcus Slade   Composer
Jermaine Cole   Composer
Clint Gibbs   Recording
Jacques Webster   Composer
FNZ   Producer,Programming
LunchMoney Lewis   Composer
Jeremiah Raisen   Composer
Manny Galvez   Vocal Engineer
Ryan Vojtesak   Composer
Leland Wayne   Composer
Sean Momberger   Composer,Producer
Darryl McCorkell   Composer
Shane Lindstrom   Composer
Kendall Taylor   Composer
Habib Defoundoux   Composer,Producer,Programming
J Reid   Producer,Programming
Tate Kobang   Producer,Programming
Ruby Smith   Mixing Assistant
Rick James   Composer
Mike Dean   Composer
Charlie Handsome   Producer,Programming
Isaiah Henry   Composer
Brandon Hamlin   Composer
Murda Beatz   Producer,Programming
Go Grizzly   Producer,Programming
Jahmal Gwin   Composer,Producer,Programming
Bryon McCane   Composer
Rahiem Hurlock   Composer
Kalani Thompson   Recording
Justin Tranter   Composer
Vincent "Life" Shaw   Composer,Producer,Programming
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Alonzo Miller   Composer
Chris Athens   Mastering Engineer
Chris Stein   Composer
Kameron Cole   Composer
Pat Thrall   Engineer
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Debbie Harry   Composer
Ryan Ogren   Composer
Ron Fair   Producer,Recording,Vocal Producer
Robert Hazard   Composer
Sean Combs   Composer
Jerry Butler   Composer
bone collector   Producer,Programming
Boi-1da   Producer,Programming,Drum Programming
Rob Kinelski   Mixing
Moses Davis   Composer
Joshua Berkman   A&R
Dwayne Carter   Composer
Steven Jordan   Composer
Don Cannon   Composer,Producer
KEVIN DOUGLAS WOOD   Composer
Peter Mellin   Composer
Dr. Luke   Producer,Programming
Frank Holland   Assistant Engineer
Curtis Jackson   Composer
Justin Raisen   Composer,Producer
John Glover   Composer
Wendy Goldstein   A&R
Eddie Perez   Composer
Cory Williams   Assistant Engineer
Aaron Joseph   Composer,Producer,Programming
Colin York   Composer
Anthony Henderson   Composer
John Bristol   Composer
Dave Kelly   Composer
Daniel Sheehy   Vocal Engineer