Nicki Minaj might be the Donald Trump of rap. She’s overly concerned with her position, her numbers, asserting her superiority, erasing those she dislikes from the past, and attempting to do the same for followers. It’s gotten to the point where she’s so insecure that detractors can expect physical threats from her blindly loyal fanbase on Twitter. Yet, as time goes by, her inferiority continues to fester. Her previously unchallenged position as “Queen of Rap” is clearly in question, and she’s not taking it lightly. She’s so shaken by the challenge she named her album Queen.

Last year Cardi B did what Nicki Minaj has yet to do: Reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Cardi reached the chart’s summit a second time just weeks ago, making her the only female rapper to achieve such a feat. Nicki is, as the kids who follow her say, pressed, and her jabs at Cardi throughout the album make that clear. After much delay and self-anticipation, the ironically titled Queen arrives to demonstrate why Minaj no longer holds said crown.

Make Female Rap Great Again

Let’s clear this up right here and right now: Every woman is a queen in her own right. Imagine if that had been the concept of Queen: Nicki celebrates herself as a queen but also her fellow women. Pack the album with unifying anthems that included everyone from Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott to Cardi B and Cupcakke all the way to Rihanna and Mary J. Blige. But Queen is about the singular, Minaj and done in the most selfish way possible. And it’s tragic. She’s always been about Nicki and no one else. The singular female narrative is tired and regressive. She’s the only one pushing it, and now that she’s not the only one, it makes her look insecure and insignificant. She proves she’s both on Queen, asserting the aforementioned dominance while attempting to diminish any other woman who wants to rap. Queen is filled with now-standard fair for a Minaj album. She asserts her (former) dominance, calls bitches her “sons”, sings with some auto-tune, and overloads her album to the point of nauseam.

One-Two Knockout

The album opens with “Ganja Burn”, a slow burner and well placed intro, solely by virtue of the beat. Nicki starts by taking a pot shot at Cardi B: “I double back, kill bitches, bury the Bardi” (it will be argued that she’s saying “body,” not Cardi’s nickname, though that’s exactly how she verbalized it). Then, she takes aim at the followers she alleges are stealing her style: “you can’t wear a Nicki wig and then be Nicki, that’s like a fat n***a thinkin’ he could be Biggie.” Putting herself next to Biggie, combined with collage after collage that prove a Nicki wig is nothing more than a revamped Kim wig make it clear: Nicki Minaj still wishes she were Lil’ Kim. It’s mind-boggling and laughable that she’s still so concerned with erasing Lil’ Kim’s legacy.

“Majesty” is great and problematic at the same. Despite having a massive LGBT fanbase, Minaj doesn’t have a great track record with the community. She continues that spotty track record by spitting “They switching like sissies now,” recalling her problematic “yeah they switch like faggots” from 2008’s “Dead Wrong” remake. Meanwhile, Eminem who co-produced the track delivers a head-spinning verse, with a rapid fire flow that eviscerates almost all other verses on the album. It’s exactly what to expect from Eminem.

Dreams… Of Being Lil’ Kim

As if it’s not clear enough after a few listens that Queen is dead on arrival, the album’s best song solidifies it. “Barbie Dreams” is a remake of The Notorious BIG’s classic and comedic “Dreams (Just Playin’)”. Nicki previously remade the track on her first mixtape Playtime is Over. It’s largely poignant, playful, and punching. However, the homophobic dig at Young Thug is again, problematic in 2018. As good as it is though, it’s just an update on a classic (that Lil’ Kim already eviscerated over 20 years ago on Hard Core), which Nicki already proved she could master 10 years ago.

If anything, it’s once again an example of Nicki doing something Lil’ Kim has already done, while skirting over an opportunity to acknowledge her. Yes, Biggie did it first, but Kim’s remake was crucial for women in hip hop. Kim straddling and riding a Biggie beat just as (if not more) ferociously, playfully, and sexually forwarded the mentality that women in rap can do it just as well as men. Nicki Minaj continuing to ignore Lil’ Kim forwards the Nicki Minaj agenda and regresses the one for unity in women in hip hop.

At the end of “Barbie Dreams” however, the beat switches and Nicki delivers her best verse of the album. Her flow is impeccable, and her bars are first class. Most importantly, she peels back her unrelenting desire to assert her dominance in her bars and simply lets the bars speak for themselves.

A Queen’s Size Matters, Too

Three out of Nicki Minaj’s four albums clock in at more than 15 songs, and every time it holds her back. She overloads her albums with throwaways and distractions from the better music. This is most evident on Queen. Songs like “Chun Swae”, “Run and Hide”, and “Hard White” (with another Cardi B jab) all weigh Queen down. Meanwhile interludes like the conclusion to “Barbie Dreams” and the “2 Lit 2 Late Interlude” would have thrived as full tracks. The Mike Will Made It production “Good Form” and Chris Braide co-production “Come See About Me” still manage to shine throughout the mess, but these memorable moments are few and far between.

Again concerned with asserting her dominance, she has the audacity to rap “Miss Aretha I think I passed her” on the clunky “Sir” featuring tour mate Future. Nicki is referencing her passing Aretha Franklin for the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s yet another glaring example of her Trump-esque concern with numbers and superiority. But, the joke’s on her just like Trump’s inaugural crowd-obsession. She may have the most participation trophies on the Hot 100, but again, not once has Nicki Minaj been able to reach the Hot 100’s summit.

One Last Nail In The Coffin

The album’s closer is one of both the best and worst. On “Coco Chanel” Nicki delivers some of her best bars and flows throughout Queen. Once again, she recalls Playtime Is Over. This time, it’s her killer “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” remake with Lil’ Wayne. As if those highs weren’t enough, she finally trades bars with the one and only Foxy Brown. Seeing Foxy’s name on the tracklist was extremely exciting. Foxy hasn’t appeared on a record since Rick Ross’ Deeper Than Rap in 2009. However, Foxy’s appearance is a huge letdown. She sounds out of breath as she chases (not rides) the beat. Simply put, Foxy sounds a mess. It’s tragic to hear one of the mightiest in rap, known for effortlessly overpowering her male peers, sounding so disastrous that it’s a wonder why she wasn’t removed. Based on the trajectory of Queen, perhaps it’s a foreshadowing of Nicki’s own future.

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In the latest Billboard issue, published today, it has been revealed that the song has finally reached a new peak of #9. After peaking just outside the top 10 at #11 a couple years ago, the Queen of Christmas finally gets her due and adds a new top 10 to her tally. The 28th to be exact.

Billboard reports that very few holiday songs have reached the top 10 and that Mariah’s smash is the only one to feature the word Christmas in its title out of them.

Some background info

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” was released in 1994 holiday season, as the first single from Mariah Carey’s first Christmas album, Merry Christmas.

Upon its release Billboard’s rules did not allow it to chart, as singles needed to have a commercial release to be able to enter the Hot 100. Nonetheless, the song proved to be a hit, reaching #12 on Hot 100 Airplay and the top 10 of the Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts.

The song first charted on the Hot 100 in 2000, after album tracks were allowed to enter the charts, and peaked at #83. A peak that was an unfair representation of how huge the song would become in the following seasons.

Starting with the 2005 holiday season, in fact, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” became more and more popular, even reaching #1 on the Digital Songs chart that year. The song topped the Hot 100 Recurrents chart every year, gaining more and more cultural significance.

The last few years

After Whitney Houston’s untimely passing in 2012, Billboard decided that older tracks could be allowed back into the Hot 100 as long as they had enough traction to be in the top 50.

That same year, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” reached a new peak of #21 and it’s been inching closer and closer to the top 10 ever since.

Finally, this year’s top 10 placement can be considered a small victory for Mariah and her fans. Hoping it can reach an even higher mark.. who knows, maybe even next week?

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The Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul

While Hip-Hop saw during the 90s a handful of women who gave the genre a breath of fresh air with their fierceness, the R&B world welcomed a different kind of Queen, one that was able to merge two worlds. Mary J. Blige was the woman to bring together the smooth tradition of R&B and Soul with the urban edge of Hip-Hop.

For this reason, she was crowned the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul by the critics and the public alike. It is a title she still proudly preserves, 25 years into a stellar career.

What’s the 411?

In 1992, a 21 years old Mary J. Blige made her debut in the record business with an album that quickly became an iconic landmark in R&B. What’s the 411? was released by Uptown Records, under the supervision of a young Sean Combs, who then went by the name of Puff Daddy.

As the executive producer of the album, he is to be credited with giving Mary the direction that would launch her and make her a star. She, however, deserves credit for her great talent. The soulful, sweet vocals she delivered on the album, paired with the hard hitting beats producers like Dave Hall delivered, masterfully shaped the genre.

Mary poured her heart and soul into songs such as “You Remind Me,” “Real Love” or “Love No Limit,” which became big hits and classics. Drawing comparisons to icons Chaka Khan (whose “Sweet Thing” she covered on this album) and Anita Baker, she infused new life to the sound of 80s Rhythm and Blues and earned her place among the greats.

A remixed version of the album was released the following year, featuring Rap verses from pretty much everyone that mattered in Hip-Hop at the time (Biggie, Crack Mack, Heavy D, Andre Harrell, Kid Capri, and more). This remix album helped to establish Mary as the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul.

My Life

As Mary’s journey in music progressed, she had to face her ups and downs. Written and recorded during a low point in her life, her sophomore record, My Life, appeared in 1994.

Once again Puff Daddy was the man behind it, but it was Mary’s struggle that was sapiently chronicled into the records she sang. Battling addiction, an abusive relationship and clinical depression, Mary once again took to music and her voice to express everything she kept inside and gave us gems such as a cover of “I’m Going Down,” “Mary Jane (All Night Long),” “I Love You,” “Be Happy” or the jazzy title track “My Life.”

In true Puff fashion, the numerous soul samples only reinforce the tie between the traditional R&B world of the 70s and 80s and the Hip-Hop edge Mary brought forward with her 90s sound. Mary was singing over the same sort of beats Puff would give to her Hip-Hop counterparts.

The album as thus been hailed as one of the greatest R&B records of the 90s and is widely regarded as a classic. Not only that, but her strong alliance with Puffy combined with the hardness of her sound and the honesty of her lyrics truly helped to crown her the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul. Mary might have sang her lyrics with soul, but the content had the same realness that defined the best of Hip-Hop.

The Late 90s

Even when Mary and Puffy parted ways in the second half of the decade, she still continued to merge and ride the line between Hip-Hop and R&B.

In 1996, her collaboration with Method Man on “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” earned Mary a Grammy award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. She was also featured on Jay-Z’s “Can’t Knock the Hustle” from his debut album Reasonable Doubt, which helped put him on the map. She was the first female singer to feature on a Jay-Z track.

On her 3rd album, 1997’s Share My World, Mary collaborated with Lil’ Kim and Nas on two of the album’s singles and most recognisable tracks, “I Can Love You” and “Love Is all We Need” respectively. This move helped bridge the gap between crossover R&B and Hip-Hop.

By the end of the decade, Mary J. Blige was a household name. With millions of records sold and with numerous collaborations, she had attracted the attention of the mainstream and international audiences, through her fusion of soulful R&B and Hip-Hop. She effortlessly continued to reign as the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul.

The 2000s

The new millenium started for Mary with the release of the acclaimed No More Drama in 2001. The album was the soundtrack of the singer’s hectic and distressed life and an attempt to finally break free from her personal struggles.

The first single “Family Affair,” produced by Dr. Dre became her biggest hit at that point. It was upbeat, fun and danceable, but also an example of how effortless it is for Mary to play with Hip-Hop and make it her own. Dr. Dre was one of Hip-Hop’s biggest names, but not only that, he represented the West Coast. By collaborating with him, Mary, an East Coast native, showed unity within the genre.

A Disco-flavored remix of “No More Drama” produced by P. Diddy and Mario Winans, hinted at a reunion between Mary and Diddy. The two of them officially reunited on the 2003 Love & Life album, which also saw collaborations with Method Man, Eve and 50 Cent.

Even when Mary found happiness and love, she continued to use her music to uplift other women and became the voice of those who struggled with bad relationships and just life in general. The Breakthrough, released in late 2005, saw Mary claim her throne as the reigning Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul once again with critical acclaim and commercial success.

The album’s biggest hit “Be Without You,” reportedly influenced by Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together,” is a spin on the Rap ballad with soulful vocals, relatable content and a melodic approach. Mary also reworked The Game’s “Hate It or Love It” to chronicle her journey in the industry and proclaim her royalty status on the chorus. Mary’s rap alter ego Brook Lynn also debuted on the hard hitting “Enough Cryin’,” serving a few bars of her own.

The Present

The current decade has given Mary J. Blige the opportunity to explore new territories with her music.

In 2014, she brought her sound to the UK and worked with up and coming British producers to revamp her image as an international star. The result was The London Sessions, which didn’t turn out to be a successful venture on the market, but proved that Mary still has the drive and passion of her early days.

Today, 25 years into her career, Mary is facing new personal struggles with her divorce from her husband, but she’s still perched on that throne she built for herself.

Strength of a Woman, her 13th album released earlier this year, contains some of her best work this decade. Songs like “Love Yourself” with Kanye West, or “U+Me (Love Lesson)” allow us to reminisce on the love we’ve always had for her. Meanwhile, a song like the DJ Khaled helmed “Glow Up” shows Mary’s ability to bridge the gap between generations, by featuring both the iconic Missy Elliott and newcomer Quavo of Migos. Not only that, but the fact that she featured Kanye on “Love Yourself” amidst a rather controversial year, shows that Mary truly has real love for the Hip-Hop Kings.

If she isn’t the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, then who is?

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