If this is Pink Friday, then I hope Monday comes soon

Genre: Rap
Cash Money
Running Time: 50:59

For many musicians, the struggle to hit it big can last a lifetime. For Nicki Minaj, all it took was a few mixtapes, a dash of personality, and a little luck.

Minaj started gathering steam in 2009 with her Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape before hitting it big with Young Money Entertainment.

That led to the release of her solo debut, Pink Friday. With an eclectic image and a major wave of hype, Minaj looks to hurdle her way to the top of the hip-hop landscape. But is Pink Friday really all that? In a word, no.

After having heard the album, I feel that most of the hype about Minaj is wrapped up in her marketing, wardrobe, and image. It's easy to see that's she's trying to portray the tough badass girl, but that's a trail that has been blazed before.

Her lyrics make it seem like she's all concerned about image. On "I'm the Best," she's bragging that she's got two shows in Brooklyn and Dallas, before flying off to the Buckingham Palace. On "Did It on 'Em," she says that if she had a dick, she would pull it out and piss on them. Who are they? Even after reading the lyrics I'm not totally sure, but you can be damn certain they're going to get pissed on.

But Minaj does have her moments. She looks back at her former self on "Dear Old Nicki" while she's trying to convince herslef to keep going on "Save Me." Her beats are bland, basic club techno at best and downright grating at worst.

The absolute bottom of the barrel comes on Check it Out with will.i.am. from the Black Eyed Peas. Annoying repetitive autotune vocals, with an aggravating bouncy beat makes me want to rage.

I will admit that Minaj is able to establish a decent flow for the most part. She really gets it going on tracks like "Last Chance" and "Dear Old Nicki." But in a year that saw album releases from Nas, Kanye, and Big Boi, you could do much better for your dollar.

The guest spots are decent, but can't disguise the fact that Minaj has trouble standing on her own. Eminem has a solid verse on "Roman's Revenge," but ultimately doesn't add much to the mix. I've honestly never thought Drake was that great of a rapper. Rihanna and Kanye have the best guest spots, on "Fly" and "Blazin" respectively. Will.i.am, as I have stated before, could and should fall off a cliff with all due haste.

So ultimately, this isn't a horrible CD. It's definitely listenable and there are a few tracks I can definitely dig but Minaj at this point is basically a one trick pony. There's not much variation in her formula from song to song, and honstely Eve and Missy Elliot have done this type of thing better. I see some potential in Minaj, but it's going to take some major changes in direction for her to get there.

Score: 55/100

Kanye's Fantasy? To twist the very fabric of rap

Genre: Rap
Def Jam/Rock-A-Fella
Running Time: 68:44

The rap game sure has changed over the years.

Back in the days of Chuck D and Slick Rick, rap was all about the message. Whether it be about social change or just simple storytelling, rappers were respected for the what they had to say. But now, as some folks might say, the game done changed.

These days it seems like the goal in delivering a rap album is to project a larger than life statement of who you are. The focus has shifted from the content of the message to the actual deliver of the message itself.

It's about trying to paint your ego on the fabric of rap. And no one exemplifies this better than Kanye West.

Although his brash persona has likely rubbed many people the wrong way, it's tough to knock his skills as a rapper and producer. After the moody autotune nightmare that was 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye began promising a return to "uplifting Kanye music."  

In an attempt to mend his image he started the Good Friday series, in which he released a new track each week leading up to the release of his album.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy isn't what I'd call uplifting, but it is a return to form.

You can tell by listening to this album that Kanye thinks he's God's gift to music. But he may not be far from the truth.

Kanye is at the top of his game, combining great flow and delivery with catchy hooks and elaborate arrangements. There's a definite club feel to many of the tracks, but it sounds fresh and original.

"Power" is reminiscent of "Jesus Walks," particularly in terms of the background chanting and general tone of the song. It also features an expertly placed sample from King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man."

"Gorgeous" features a moody guest spot from Kid Cudi while Kanye hammers it home with slightly distorted vocals. Raekwon also drops a great verse. And "Hell of a Life" is propelled by one of West's funkiest beats while he weaves the tale of how he fell in love with a porn star.

But Kanye is perhaps at his best when he's joined by his friends. "All of the Lights" features a stunning guest spot from Rihanna while Kanye raps over shimmering club beats. He warns that anyone who disrespects him is going to get taken down to "that ghetto university."

The visceral Rick Ross tags along for "Devil in a New Dress," while "Lost in the World" has folk singer Bon Iver awash in autotune.

And then there is "Monster." This track plays out like a who's who of rap in 2010. Rick Ross and Bon Iver deliver short opening statements before giving way to Kanye and Jay-Z. Jay-Z breaks out with a sing-songy type verse which sounds great, but he gets out-dueled by both Kanye and Nicki Minaj.

And speaking of Nicki Minaj, one of the breakout new stars of 2010 shows she's for real. Minaj drops a splintering verse in which she challenges the notion she's a rookie.

If I had a fantasy about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I would wish that the lyrics on this album were as solid as the rest of the music. 90 percent of it is utterly meaningless. A lot of what he writes is just all about sex, although there are a few funny moments here and there.

There are a few tracks where it sounds like Kanye is trying to a little too hard. The hook in "Devil in a New Dress" - "The way you look should be a sin, you my sensation" tends to get repetitive.

Then there is "Runaway," which cracks the nine minute mark with an extended instrumental outro. Sometimes I want to smack Kanye for trying to make a nine minute rap song, but the outro provides the album with even more diversity.

I'm not too huge on "So Appalled" because of the beats. The softer approach just really isn't my thing here.

But as it is, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a sure contender for rap album of 2010. Kanye has done more than just producing a simple rap album; he has developed a beautiful sound collage, and it's a very bold statement.

He's certainly moved on from being a college dropout. But anyone who overlooks Kanye anytime soon can expect to be dragged off to that ghetto university.

Score: 88/100