The vocals go from the tough to the sweet (to the very, very sweet at times) and the beats go from heavy to so light you would think they were going to pop. To this effect, it is impossible to say she did anything but succeed. Nicki Minaj went into making Reloaded with a mind to put out a diverse record with something for any taste. It is not a weak track sonically, but the lyrics are paper thin and the beat feels hollow and uninspired. Tracks like “Gun Shot” and “Masquerade” fall flat as examples of the saccharin pop vocals that make listening to Top 40 music a drag. “Turn Me On” in particular is a shameless attempt at profiting from the popularity of Rihanna’s dance pop sound. “Ice my wristes, then I piss on bitches / You can suck my disnick if you take this jizz-this” she continues in “Stupid Hoe.”įorays into R&B territory feel like forced attempts at making singles for Clear Channel stations. Minaj channels all the machismo contained in much contemporary hip-hop into her own brand of asexual (bisexual?) music. “I’m Angelina, you Jennifer / Come on bitch, you see where Brad at.” “Stupid Hoe” also delivers some classic sass directed at an unknown rival. “Bitches ain’t shit and they ain’t say nothin’ / A hundred motherfuckers can’t tell me nothing,” Minaj snarls on “Beez in the Trap.” When Minaj says “bitch,” it is like any male rapper representing himself and undercutting the credibility of his competition. People have long criticized rap for its often misogynistic overtones, and Minaj herself reappropriates lyrics that would give any third-wave feminist night terrors into catchy raps. Minaj turns words like “bitch” and “ho” from meaning female or promiscuous female to meaning a weak person, a hater or anything else, really. Minaj cites female rappers like Missy Eliot, who she admires for saying whatever she wants however she wants, as influences, but takes their talent and adds a tough offensiveness that has been absent from female rap. She strikes gold when she raps on dicks and coke, and of course, when she trash talks. One of the things that make Minaj a respectable presence in contemporary music is her willingness to challenge norms. Minaj is at her strongest on Reloaded at her meanest and dirtiest. In “Roman Holiday,” an upbeat chorus repeats, “Take your medication Roman / Take a short vacation Roman / You’ll be okay.” Other voices of Minaj attempt to help out the gay man inside Minaj throughout the record.