True to form, Minaj comes out of the gate swinging. The album’s opener ‘Ganja Burns’ is a smooth and sultry ballad with an underlying layer of an almost reggaetón influence. It’s an infectious and memorable track that hooks listeners into the guts of Minaj’s heart and soul.
‘Majesty’ has the makings of an instant radio classic. Bass-heavy verses cut with a soulful chorus, at its core it’s raw talent interspersed with expert composition. As a whole, it’s less of the venomous diss-track that it sounds and more of an empowered warning, the Queen has returned. That’s for sure.
With such a huge tracklist there are incredible moments of unparalleled creativity, but there is also a somewhat meandering, less engaging middle. Nonetheless, the whole album speaks to the empire that Minaj has built, her versatile range from songstress to hardcore rapper awards an awe-inspiring quality to her work. With this era Minaj takes no prisoners, and makes no apologies.
8/10
