Nicki Minaj: Hip-Hop Queen?

Young Money artist Nicki Minaj has nary an album out but is the hottest female in the rap game already?
How could this happen?
How could a lyrical novice with barely two mixtapes and a handful of features be a serious contender for hip-hop queen?
Call it good timing.
The female rap crown has been passed around like a spliff at a concert, with no artist with enough momentum and support to carry fans from one album to the next. Only in the pop and R&B markets have female artists been able to grow their fan base in a very slow and dliberate way.
Nicky's "Beam Me Up Scotty" has endeared her to fans, but it's her association with the hottest name in rap, a lil guy by the name of Dwayne that has mad her into a rap superstar.
Will she be able to turn the popularity she has into actual album sales? Time will tell, but one thing we do know, and that is that fickle fans' wallets are as light as a rock right about now.


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Why Toronto is taking over U.S. music scene

Long a staple on mainstream radio, Canadian music artists, mostly from Toronto, are taking over the air waves across the United States.
Newcomer Melanie Fiona's "It Kills Me" is the No. 1 song this winter, knocking Mr. "sex inventor" Trey Songz from the top perch (even with a hot remix out) that he's held down for a month now.
But even before Fiona's meteoric rise on the charts, Young Money rapper Drake, who also hails from the T.O. had the summer's only true anthem, "Best I Ever Had," which was also a No. 1 single. (And dude didn't even have an album.)
Is T.O. taking over?
Another Toronto artist Keisha Chante, a decent singer and artist in her own right, landed the coveted role of Aaliyah for the "Rock the Boat" singer's biopic, which is due in late 2010.
If Chante can pull it off, then it will catapult her to instant stardom across the world, easily making her the world's No. 1 female star.
When did this seismic shift take place? T.O. used to be a sleepy little city that deferred to New York City for coolness. What's up?
Well, folks, while New York music scene has been in flux, T.O. has been on the grind. And it's show time.

Young Money releases long-awaited album

Lil Wayne's first stab at moguldom has arrived in stores as of today. Young Money, the only supergroup in rap, has released its long-awaited album. While the members of Young Money read like a Parliament Funkadelic album, the essentials are that Wayne himself, Nicki Minaj and that mixtape king, Drake, are assembled here for a few verses interspersed with up-and-comers.
Can the public put up with another ensemble piece from a group of rappers who are still trying to find their audience? Record sales will tell.
But the outfit has something for everyone, or everygirl, that's for sure. If you like Barbies, or thugs or clever wordplay or singing, it seems to cover all bases, everything except an old English lady singing in the background.
But will it sell 1 million in the first week? Susan Boyle just did.

Would hip-hop sully Sade's image?

This month music fans were treated with new music from the sultry sound of the husky-yet-suave vocals of British-Nigerian singer Sade.
The "Smooth Operator" star is back after a decade hiatus that has seen the music industry almost tank. But unlike any other time before her, Sade is entering a music business pock-marked with hip-hop stars that sound like singers and singers that sound like rappers.
The question of features from hot rappers is a real one.
Word is that Drake even pushed his new music back so that he could make a plea to have Sade sing on it. Of course, Lil Wayne can't be far behind him, nor can Gucci Mane. But what would happen if Sade let the rappers gangbang the track?
Would it be magic or a mistake?
In essence, would hip-hop sully or dirty the image and soulfurl sound of the regal Sade?

Barbie-Q: Nicki Minaj puts on pounds as album awaits

When Nicki Minaj first hit the scene a couple of years ago, the hip-hop community was beside themselves at how this "model chick" who looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine or a video vixen could have rap skills lethal as swords.
While the male-dominated music industry sneered at her she continued to hone her craft, and in August of this year was finally inducted into Young Money, the hottest rap outfit since the 1990s power trio of Bad Boy, Death Row and Suave House.
With the ascension of label mate Drake , Nicki Minaj has seen the pressure rise as her album approaches. What has also risen is her waistline.
Nicki is getting thicki.
Of course, we could say the New York-born rapper is not the size she was when she started, but who is? (Seen E-40 lately?) But it may explain why Nicki has calmed down the sex appeal talk recently in interviews and even, in her latest ryhmes. Don't get me wrong, she's still "Barbie" or whatever she calls herself. But it's just that we now know that she likes her Barbie-Q.

Masia One: Not your average lady mic killa

With the state of female emceeing at an all-time low these days, Masia One, hailing from T.O., hopes to bring a little light to the situation. The Filipino rapper wants the U.S. to take her seriously, and she's doing it without showing her flesh or rapping about how ill the nana.
Masia, who has a flow similar to sLadybug Mecca from Digable Planet, is youth-oriented though. She and rapper Eternia are on an Ontario tour to reach 10,000 girls. The "Because I Am A Girl" tour will be televised -- think "Sesame Street" meets "MTV Raps" - the women will be able to reach a wider audience.
Maybe Chi-town, New York, ATL could ask for a visit from the duo? Lord knows, the youngens -- from the little girls that stuff tissue in their shirts to make them look more mature, to the boys who use pencil mascara to draw hair on their lips -- need all the help they can get.
Masia One is the illest. And you can put that on your "sideburns".

Check out Masia One's flow

Mariko and Tommi 'HoustonLantaVegas' (Drake)

Nicki Minaj Can't Be Lil Kim, Doesn't Want to

After testing the waters this summer with her third mixtape chock full of sexual references and innuendo reminiscient of rapper Lil Kim, Young Money artist Nicki Minaj has noticeably pulled back on the sex talk.
Not only was there a small backlash from Lil Kim fans that felt she was biting hard, but evidently the vibe and character that she was portraying was not separate enough for Universal to ante up.
But they finally did, after Minaj did a round of interviews downplaying the sexual aspect of her persona and music.
She's set to drop her official LP in 2010.
Are you a customer?

Why Music Catering to Women Wins

A few years ago, rapper Nas released an album titled "Hip Hop is Dead." What it really should have been called is "Gangsta Rap is Dead".
While the chauvinism, and degradation may have died down just a bit, truthfully, it's just gotten a lot smoooover. It doesn't take a rocket scientist, or Don Cornelius for that matter, to realize that women prefer softer music with less harsh lyrics than their male counterparts.
Think about it: The hottest rapper in the game right now is a sing-songy dude from Canada that raps about relationships and the stressfulness of being a young icon.
The days of directly sexual lyrics - aside from Ying Yang Twins and Akon -- may be largely behind us.

RnBCristo 'Bria's Interlude' (Drake)

J-Rice "Best I Ever Had" (Drake)

Hip-Hop: Original Style vs. Now

The first thing you notice are the boots: Huge, shiny joints.
The better to boot-stomp emcees with a quickness, they say.
Hip-hop style has changed greatly since the music has been around since the late 1970s.
Back in the day the rappers --excuse me, emcees -- use to dress.
The hair was always funky; pants were unique in more than 10 ways; the shirt or coat was in itself a work of art.
About the only thing similar to the styles of today are the huge shades, which have changed little after enjoying a resurgence a few years ago.

The fad of today is to let your drawers show. It can 't be any old way either; your drawers must hang down no lower than 10.5 inches (see Soulja Boy Tell em). The female rappers actually have stepped their game up, the few that even bother to wear clothes these days.
About the most exciting thing happening now is the shaved-head-look circulating among female stars (of course you have to line it up properly.
The male rappers back in the day dressed dynamic, spectacular. They had their clothes made instead of simply wearing the latest collection from the hot designer of the day.
That's when hip-hop was real.
That's when hip-hop was fresh.

ItsMsSherbie: 'Brand New' (Drake)

"Brand New" by Drake (MiizTiina)

Nicki Minaj: The New Lil Kim?

Young Money rapper Nicki Minaj has taken the baton from Lil Kim (even re-enacting her famous squatting pose for her debut album) and added a spicy flavor to female emceeing. Can she, aligned with Lil Wayne's click, ascend to the heights of Kim and Junior M.A.F.I.A. in the Bad Boys hey days?