“Don’t abandon Pop music.”
The above, as fans of Rap queen Nicki Minaj will already know, is the advice oft given to the star by radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, a long-time critic/supporter of her material.
Now, in a conversation with DJ Vlad of ‘VLAD TV’, the tastemaker ‘broke down’ his reasons for begging the lyricist not to bid adieu to cuts of the Pop persuasion, urging her to ignore the “silent majority” seeking to stifle her versatility.
Peep his explanation below…
Here’s hoping his words don’t fall on deaf ears.
For, it would seem that when assessing her career, Minaj‘s critics conveniently forget that it was her versatility that saw her dominate radio with verses unleashed on cuts from all genres!
This, introducing her to audiences that continue to purchase her Hip Hop and Pop numbers alike. Audiences, who have now purchased over 1 million US copies of ‘Moment 4 Life’, half a million US copies of ‘Beez in the Trap’ and 7 million ‘Starships’ units worldwide.
Hopefully, in learning from her last era, Minaj learns to merge all of her influences to create a sound that’s both cohesive and honest to her, ignoring the critics who bash her for embracing the music she’s genuinely interested, while adoring emcees who’ve made quite the habit of spitting about lives they’ve never lived.
Easier said than done?
Sure it is. However, this is where the genius of smart writing/production would step in.
Writing and production, that would see her do away with the ebonics that made some of ‘Roman Reloaded‘s jams inaccessible to the Sophia Grace‘s of the world, and giving the likes of ‘Starships‘ some ‘flava’ by replacing its electric guitar with steel pans, and replacing its second verse with ‘Letting Go’ contribution.
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Nicki has great crossover appeal thats never been done by a female MC.
What he said was true, Because the people demanding her to do strictly hip-hop rap, arent going to purchase her record anyway….
Its the white pop girls that were buying her crossover music before and playing it around Beverly Hills and other suburbs!
exactly all thsoe people saying only do rap/hip hop music dont buy her s*** need evidience?
Only song that charted on hot 100 was “love more” every other major hip hop/rap song she did been bubbling under not charting.
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If she leaves pop music she will flop harder than she already is. Smh
Pink Friday was more rap than pop. You tried.
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the smash hit ‘ Super Bass’ on pink Friday
?
Superbass was a balanced blend of rap and pop. Besides,Nicki isn’t the only rap artist who sells well with pop music. Look at Eminem.
Nicholas is a pop act who happens to rap that’s it get over it you flop sh!t trash worry about beystruggle getting about hit B****.
I don’t think she’s gonna abandon pop music altogether. Her debut was very pop friendly but not as EDM driven as the cuts from her second album. She needs to find that perfect balance again.
I agree.
This Nikka always got his mouth open
Does he suck too? Cuz nowadays u neva know….
Nikkas be talking as much as females do!!
Not here for this flip-flopper anymore
Nicki is well versatile, so i don’t think she is going to abandon pop are any other gern she did, she just said on this album she is going to do more rapping. if it,s a pink friday 2.0 her first album, then that would be great to me. but ether why i am still supporting her.
This bitchh a FLOP!! Pfrr was a flop and so will this b!!
Nicki’s crossover to pop was amazing, she succeeded commercially, I’m lookin forward to the full on rap album though, looking ass n***** is my s***! I still don’t get all the hate for going the pop route? nobody complains when Kanye wants to sing auto tune in his songs etc etc
I’m glad nicki got the memo. Look at Gaga
I don’t think that she will completely abandon pop,she’ll just try to find the right blend,like Superbass or Fly. She’s just going back to her hip-hop roots,and for that,many of her fans appreciate that.(me included) If she takes her time with this project and strategises well,it might be her most successful era yet.
I think her fans were upset because most of them became Nicki fans during her mixtape days. I love Nicki but even I can admit that her crossover to pop music was drastic. I can understand why THEY felt some kind of way because that’s not the Nicki they fell in love with. I don’t want Nicki to go straight hip hop again, but I want her to remember the original mixtape Nicki fans this time. They deserve it.
Either way, On-gger is a disgrace to music
You’re a disgrace to the human race. Look at your avi
She gets most of her money and hits from pop music tho. Yall know pure rap fans dont buy music like they used to. That why people like em and drake have to have crossover appeal
Just like rihanna’s wall have to have crossover appeal #industrypussy
That don’t even sense you illiterate ass h**
I agree i think Nicki makes a great pop star tbh. She just needs to record more pop songs like beautiful sinner and vava voom.
Lil Kim crossed over before it was acceptable to do it. Notorious Kim (Platinum in 2.5 weeks) was panned by critics. Her record label hated the direction and cut most of the tracks. It remains her best selling album. Kim was labeled a sell out because she was in movies, fashion, magazine covers etc. She was blending Hip Hop, Rock & Roll, Pop and EDM before it was acceptable to. Educated yourself.
Let’s be real, Nicki is so successful because of her pop/EDM music. That’s why this Roman Reloaded album took what Super Bass started and ran with it and it didn’t pan out as well as I think she’d hoped.
Now in order to play damage control she’s trying to wear black hair aand show off her real hair and release more hard core(pun intended) music to bring the nostalgia of old nicki but what I don’t think she realizes is MAJORITY of the folks who bought Starships and Super Bass ARENT the ones screaming for old nicki. The ones (majority)purchasing her pop music are younger suburban (mostly white) kids who are totally on this bubble pop EDM craze. They don’t want old school, natural, hood nicki- that’s just NOT how majority of the world knows her nor How she debuted herself when she got big. Those suburban teens want and are used to wannaBE Notorious Kim Barbie, blonde wig, character costumes and makeup- that’s nicki Minaj to them.
So I guess it’s really up to Nicki. Do you wanna remain a pop rapper and get commercial success while making “fad” music that is not taken seriously by the true rap community. Or keep going on your “Labella mafia” kick, keep your hair black, be more hood in your music, toned down in your image and take it back to the “old” days with a chance you might lose some numbers.?
I would actually like to see nicki make a truly stellar, semi classic , rap album though. I think it’d be a good look for her. Maybe a after this La Bella Mafia era..
Yeah she makes very nice pop music i enjoyed both of her albums but i agree she should find the perfect balance between the pop and rap. Im here for another va va voom tbh.
I will slap the shitt outta u
It makes me mad that rap fans begged her to go back to old nicki and now tht she is doing it I can guarantee they wont be buying her album. She should just follow pink fridays blueprint and have at least 1 or 2 smash pop hits and then focus on pure rap or pop rap blend for the rest
Itll flop. She’s ovaahhh!!!
I highly doubt Nicki was or is ever going to abandon pop music. I’m also not sure if I’d agree with Charlemagne when he says the the people who want nicki to go back to her mixtape days won’t buy her music. Let’s not forget it was those same people who helped that album sell well over 1 million in the US alone. It was that same fan base that got her to where she is now. Sure, pop may be good for single sales and chart positions but honestly, if any artist has the choice to pick between album sales and single sales, they’d most definetly choose album sales, The thing about pop music is that its very fickle, you can be on top today and struggling tomorrow. So the real issue at hand I feel is that Nicki made a drastic change when she made her second album because it was so pop driven. Yeah, she had hardcore rap songs and such, but they weren’t nearly as good as the pop records or the rap records on her first release. Just like she shouldn’t abandon pop, she shouldn’t abandon her mixtape days either. People can say what they want but when it comes to being a rapper, longevity matters most. Jay Z didn’t get to where he is today by catering to a pop audience so early on in his career. Nicki just needs to find that balance and she’ll be fine. She had the perfect balance on her first album so if she goes that route she’ll be good.
I’m not even a Nicki fan, but it’s pathetic that she sounded better than Katy Perry singing that song. LOL When a rapper sings better than you, you suck.
the song is meant for high-pitched voiced women and yes, it fits for Nicki but she refused to sing the high notes….
If she keeps doing that gay ass “pop” s***, she’s gonna look like a true 2011 fad and flop. She better go more straight ahead hip hop if she warns to get back that real credibility that she lost by trying to appeal to the superficial and super fickle Kesha crowd. Recognize your roots and quit acting like a wannabe white girl.
Charlamagne that ugly ass rude son of a gun is telling the truth. If she doesn’t release a pop record as the lead single she’s going to flop just like the Re-Up. The Re-Up was combined with the original chart entry for PF:RR, which meant it charted with figures from both releases. Only god knows how much was actually sold! Your “street” audience has left the building for good plus Sophie and Rosie need a new nursery rhyme to sing on Ellen. Better make the right choice cause if you flop she’d be dragged through mug and rocks! BTW lookin’ Ass wasn’t a hot joint even by urban standards!
If she keeps on making pop music, then she deserves the “SELL OUT” label. And the urban market and media should totally shun and abandon her. Then see how loyal that pop crowd is after that. Artists who neglect their core for what’s trendy are destined to burn out fast. The choice is hers. It wasn’t the Gaga crowd that put her on.
Great advice….. but she and her label Cash Money YMCMB are no dummies!
Hopefully they choose the right path this era, and capitalize her brand from it!
Pop music is dying!
Along with Britney & Gagas careers….
HE is 100% right…..
Ya’ll late Birdman already told Billboard how the album will sound like. “”For the new album, she’s doing what she feels like doing and we’re supporting her. You hear a lot of growth in her music. She’s coming confident and hard. We expect for this to be one of the biggest [albums] from her. It’s more rap. This album is going to have a little bit of everything but more rap. I am sure some of the team will be on it. She’s still doing her thing, then getting features on it. She’s definitely coming this year. She hasn’t picked a date yet. What she did for Young Money is totally different then what she’s doing for her album. She’s more girlier. ‘Tha Carter V’ will definitely come before Nicki’s [album]. She’s still eager to learn. She never acts like she knows everything. She loves to learn and that’s the thing I respect the most about her. ” – Birdman
Honey she a flop…DEALBITCH!!!
WHO? Tha GOD? WTF
i just read a interview a few days birdman did, and he spilt the beans on the new nicki minaj era, and he says theirs no official release date, and it’ll feature the ymcm camp – and that her new album is more girl-ier!!
i cant wait to see what she has to offer this go round! dont let us down nick!
The bitchh eill flop at epic porportions honeh
I don’t see what the issue is,blacks always want to call people sell outs once they get successful. Nicki will be fine, it just seems like has reached her peak already. There’s has been no real buzz being generated from her, unless you count urban blogs.
If throwing out a pop single or two to catch the attention of causal single buyers works, then hey i’m not mad at her for keeping that formula. It’s just kind of jarring to create hardcore rap tracks around pop songs on the album.
Wasn’t her second album more “pop,” and didn’t she see a noticeable decline in sales as a result? Nicki is a Hip Hop artist first and foremost. THAT should be what defines her sound and how she is identified as an artist. Anything else should be extra.
There’s a reason why all these urban acts that jumped on the pop train between 2010 and 2012 are now trying to jump off of it; while almost apologetically looking to reconnect with their original urban fan base by returning to what they did before. The reason is because urban audiences WILL abandon you if you abandon them, as Nicki, Usher and Neyo all learned the hard way. And if doesn’t matter if half of their pop albums had urban/R&B/Hip Hop material of it. The bottom line is that the pop material was treated with more importance when it came to promotion and marketing, while the urban material was treated as an after thought…which still qualifies them as ultimately being sell-outs.
When you abandon or disrespect your core fanbase in favor of trying to appeal to a trendier audience, your career is in trouble…even if you managed to score some hits. The pop crowd sees Nicki as just another of-the-moment act, and best believe that they WILL move on from her the minute the next fad comes along. Urban audiences, if she treats them right, will keep her name in circulation for years to come…long after she peaks. Even though they may be struggling commercially, we’re still talking about names like Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Eve, Queen Latifah, etc., etc. Now name a pop act that debuted the same year any of them did who pop audiences still bother to talk about with reverence? You’d be hard pressed to. See where I’m going? The pop crowd is very, very fickle. They’ll buy 10 million of your s*** this year, and then not know your name 2 years later.
Furthermore, a GOOD and TRULY VERSATILE artist doesn’t pander. Michael Jackson made pop audiences come around to HIM, he didn’t go kissing up to them. Even when he made poppier songs like “Beat It,” he didn’t treat that like it was more important than “Bille Jean.” Which is exactly what Nicki and the rest of them do. No one likes a fake.
Anyway, Nicki can continue to make pop music…but if she’s smart, she’d lesson it considerably and put Hip Hop forefront on her next album, else she won’t be left with ANY audience.
Pleas keep your irrelevant essays that nobody will read….
Keep it to a minimum Ms.Thing!
You read it though. Mad because you wanna disagree but your pea brain couldn’t counter the points made?
I luv TGJ but… while ths blog is slowly turning into a POP MUSIC blog …
POP MUSIC is actually becoming more Urban…
the music cycle is changing again.. Urban is about to dominate.
Urban Musc is coming back… Y’all see Pharrell, & John Legend are beginning to make some noise on the Billboard 100
Nicki needs to do urban music too…. can we get some more urban posts please