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

Eminem recovers nicely on Relapse followup

Genre: Rap
Aftermath Records
Running Time: 77:06

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Eminem released some of rap's greatest albums. The Slim Shady LP and the Eminem Show were startling displays of Em's lyric writing, and his mastery of rhyme and flow. But it was his 2000 album, Marshall Mathers LP, and all the controversy surrounding it that lifted Mathers to superstardom.

Which is why it was no surprise that when the rapper made his comeback with 2009's Relapse album that there was a lot of buzz. In the opinions of many, he fell far short of the mark. Which is part of what makes Recovery so interesting. Just when it looked like Mathers was done, he returns with a remarkable return to form that is sure to shush the critics.

One of the great things about Recovery is that Mathers has regained his old form in terms of rhythm, flow, and delivery. The tacky accents that marred Relapse are gone. Even better, he's ditched a lot of old topics he discussed on previous albums.

No more Kim, no more drama with his mom, no Ken Kaniff, and no more cussouts from Steve Berman. It's great to see him try to move on because those were subjects that were honestly run into the ground.

So, you may wonder, if Mr. Mathers isn't discussing his family issues, etc., then what exactly does he rap about? Well, that's kind of the kicker. He doesn't have all that much to say. Some of his most interesting material sees him discussing the turmoil he was going through while he was trying to ditch drugs. On "Talking To Myself," Em reveals that he considered recording diss tracks against Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

He also admits that his last two albums, Recovery and 2004's Encore, weren't that great.

Outside that, a lot of his subject matter revolves around - what else? Women. Either he's banging your girlfriend or he's being ditched by one. In some respects it's interesting, because he talks about relationships on this album in a way that he hasn't done since his debut, Infinite.

But there are a long run of tracks where he gets a little too into the melodrama of bad relationships. Save it, Em. I have a feeling I'll get plenty of that when I review the Taylor Swift CD.

Eminem's lyric writing skills just aren't what they used to be. Some of them are just downright corny. On "Not Afraid," he says he's going to go into a club and lift up the liquor stand because he's "raising the bar." Get it? It's a steep decline for the man who used to stand out like an orange hat with a green bill. Also, he talks about dicks a lot.

There are a couple of other things he does on this album I find interesting. First, his voice sounds a little different on this album. It's like they pumped his vocals up a little too much in the mix. Not a huge deal, but it would have been better if they'd toned it down a little in production.

I haven't heard Em use samples of other songs very often, but he does it on a couple of tracks here to varying degrees of success. On "Going Through Changes," he samples Black Sabbath's "Changes." I don't think it works to well; Ozzy's voice sounds totally out of place on a rap song. However, on "No Love," he uses a sample of Haddaway's "Don't Hurt Me" to summon his inner mojo. It's very effective at giving the track a club feel without being tacky.

Other highlights include "Cold Wind Blows," which may be the album's best song, with its sing-along chorus. "Won't Back Down" has a clunky but infectious beat with loud drums. On "Almost Famous," he waves a Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel while name dropping Austin Powers and Verne Troyer, and other pop culture references.

"No Love" features Lil Wayne's southern drawl on full display. But the real stunner is Rihanna's performance on "Love the Way You Lie." The R&B/pop starlet brings the house down, while Em tales a tale of domestic violence. Overall, it's Em's most real and visceral album since The Eminem Show. It has some flaws, but it certainly is a solid addition to his catalog.

Score: 82/100