By Not only is the queen back from her long break. Nicki Minaj has returned to the music scene and re-released her mixtape ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’, which has not only placed all eyes on Nicki but has reminded everyone that she is the only current queen of Hip/Hop-Rap. This mixtape features many prominent artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, G Herbo, Skillibeng and many more.
‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ was initially released in 2009. However, Nicki decided to re-release the mixtape with five added songs that didn’t feature on the original ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’. Two of those tracks are ‘Chiraq’ featuring G Herbo and ‘Boss Ass B*tch’ remix featuring PTAF, which was released years ago. The three other songs are new releases. These songs are ‘Seeing Me’ featuring Drake and Lil Wayne, ‘Fractions’ and a remix of Skillibeng’s Dancehall hit, ‘Crocodile Teeth’. This mixtape showcases why Nicki Minaj is beloved by her loyal fanbase. Not only does Nicki proclaim herself as the queen of Hip/Hop-Rap, but she also backs up her claim with the exuberant talent she displays in this mixtape. Her effervescent ambience, including the lyricism she exhibits in her tunes, has led to many songs on this mixtape, such as ‘Itty Bitty Piggy’ and ‘Envy’, becoming anthems for her fans to this day.
Another outstanding aspect of this project is how it reveals Nicki’s growth as an artist. Nicki Minaj has developed a versatile sound throughout her highly achieved career, where she has used different sounds to create classics. For example, in the ‘Best I Ever Had’ remix with Drake, she utilised her beautiful euphonious singing flow in the song, which packaged a heart-warming love anthem for many fans. In other tunes such as ‘Chiraq’ featuring Chicago rapper G Herbo, Nicki Minaj completely changed her flow to a gritty rap style. ‘Chiraq’ is a Drill song that uses a Chicago Drill type beat. Nicki successfully switched to a dark, menacing ambience, which fit the theme of a Chicago Drill tune. ‘Chiraq’ influenced the international music scene as it became an anthem for the streets and caused multiple rappers to remix the song.
In terms of her new music featured on the project, all three tunes have one common element. Which is the incredible talent Nicki is still capable of displaying in her music. The rapper manifests through her songs that she is still the queen and boss lady in the industry. The collaboration between Nicki, Drake and Lil Wayne for ‘Seeing Green’ presents Nicki laying down a splendid verse for the song. Her remix for Skillibeng ‘Crocodile Teeth’ again reveals the growth in her versatile sound. ‘Crocodile Teeth’ is a Dancehall song, a genre Nicki hasn’t been familiar with in her career. Nevertheless, she matches the captivating belligerent ambience Skillibeng brought to the track with her ferocious lyricism and her threatening flow, which packaged an enjoyable, fierce remix.
Overall, it’s great to hear music from Nicki Minaj, whether it’s new music she has recently released or old songs from past years she decided to re-release. Listening to her past tunes enables the fans to enjoy the vibrancy she introduced to the industry in the start of her career. Also, it highlights the magnificent impact she has in the music world because the majority of the project is old. However, it didn’t stop the fans from going wild over this release. ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ is a perfect example of “old being gold”. This project shows why Nicki Minaj is the queen of Hip/Hop-Rap and, the quality of music throughout the years have raised the bar high for other artists to reach.
Check out ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ below.
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