Roman's Revenge
Encyclopedia
"Roman's Revenge" is a song performed by Trinidad
ian rapper Nicki Minaj
from her debut studio album Pink Friday
. It was written by Minaj and rapper Eminem
, who is also featured in the song, and was produced by Swizz Beatz
. It was released exclusively on October 30, 2010 through the US iTunes store
, as a promotional release preceding the album's release. The song initiated a feud between Lil' Kim
and Minaj, where many people felt the song was directed at Lil' Kim and regarded around her feelings towards Minaj's rise to fame. The song references Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, and Eminem
's alter-ego, Slim Shady.
The song garnered very positive reviews from critics, most of which praised the song as a stand-out track on the album. However, the Eminem's parts in the song also gained negative reception and attention due to Eminem's homophobic and anti-gay lyrics. Most even questioned Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski as an angry-gay-male and Minaj's large gay fan-base. An official remix featuring Minaj's mentor, Lil Wayne
, was released to the US iTunes store
on January 19, 2011 and was sent to US Urban contemporary
and Urban adult contemporary
radio stations on February 8, 2011.
accent as Roman's mother. Minaj told MTV News
that she was thinking of collaborating with Eminem for a while and in the end simply asked him. She said,
Minaj performed the song live during VH1's Diva's Support the Troops for the men and women of the military. The song was accompanied by other singles from the rapper's debut album and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with Katy Perry
.
After winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
at at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
, she said that "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."
. The songs begins with a series of digital effects and ominous strings, that Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
compared to "some old video game". After the introduction of digital effects, the song quickly starts with "a hiccuping series of computerized samples pushed forward by sporadic, tinny electronic drums" and only rests during "occasional baths of warm keyboards brightening." The beat of the song lays an intense dark energy with weighty knock of the drums and bass line. The "clattering" instrumental creates an angry tone for the most aggressive run of tracks. Swizz production for the track is mainly surrounded by pulsating strings that allows for both rappers to exchange verse's in violent ways, and adds to the drama of the song.
Lyrically, the song has been described as "unrelenting", "bonkers", "angry" and "outrageous". Minaj's lyrics have been described as intense and incisive. However, Eminem's lyrics have been described as being similar to his earlier work and contains misogyny and homophobia. Many critics question Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, as being an "angry gay male" because it was expected that the rappers would go toe-to-toe in-between verses. The song makes references to Disney's Princess Jasmine
and Aladdin, iPods, and New York Giant Eli Manning
as well as the song "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest
. The latter is referenced through the line "Rawr, rawr like a dungeon dragon" which is taken from Busta Rhymes
' verse in "Scenario."
called the song "merciless", as Nicki/Roman tears into the song with lyrics firing at whoever they are meant to be fired at. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
praised the songs eerie and vulgar tone, referring to Minaj's tone of voice as "thrilling, quivering & edge-of-panic." Margaret Wappler of Los Angeles Times
complemented Minaj's "huffing and puffing" at Eminem's alter-ego, while both characters exchange violent lyrics. Praising the song the main track of the album, Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork Media
complimented the song as aggressive and pointed out Eminem's use of "recycling his Shady-circa-99 persona." Jesse Cataldo of Slant dissected the track while attempting to understand Roman Zolanski as a "less carefully identified sliver of herself than the embodiment of what makes her appealing." Cataldo additionally added that the song gets "violently up in your face."
While many critics praised the song, they dismissed and negatively reviewed the anti-gay slurs rapped by guest-feature Eminem. Idolator positively reviewed the song as an "experiment," while praising the verse's of Minaj while dismissing Eminem's "typical misogyny and homophobia." Marc Hogan of Spin
praised the song for noting Minaj's capabilities to "compete with the big boys" in rap. He noted that Eminem and Minaj trade verses over "pulsating Swizz Beatz strings". Although Eminem makes a "killer blow" with an anti-gay slur on gay-friendly Minaj's track", Minaj retaliates with "outlandish British accent." Zach Baron and Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
both debated on the track, praising it as well as dismissing the anti-gay lyrics by Eminem. Zach Baron praised Minaj for upstaging Eminem by stating that the guest-feature deserved to be shown up by Minaj as she additionally add's more character into the song with additional voice-changes. Rich Juzwiak approached the song as the gay-male-alter-ego Roman Zolanski verses the anti-gay Slim Shady, and praised Minaj/Zolanski for "winning the battle." Juzwiak later questioned Minaj's alter-ego Roman as an "angry gay-male," stating that Roman's character should have gone ahead with knocking Eminem for his past "anti-gay-epithet," and his 'piss-on-women misogyny."
, who has been in disputes with Minaj since the beginning of her career. Mariel Concepcion of Billboard
dissected the song stating "Nicki Minaj's highly-talked about "Roman's Revenge" track hit the net over the weekend, and the Harajuku Barbie appears to be taking jabs at Lil' Kim." Lil' Kim fired back at the song at a club-concert, stating "I will erase this bitch’s social security number. First of all, I don’t even need a record right now and I’d kill that bitch with my old shit. My records ain’t just enter the charts, they made history. What the fuck is this bullshit, this shit come and go!" Minaj later stated in an interview on The Wendy Williams Show
that, "They know what I'm talking about. See that's the thing when you put out records; you know only the 'guilty ones' feel like you're talking about them. So you know, if you have nothing to worry about, if you haven't came out saying stuff, if you never came out saying your ungrateful bullshit then you wouldn't worry about it."
In response to "Roman's Revenge", Lil' Kim released "Black Friday
" which debuted on DJ Absolut’s Hot 97 show on Thanksgiving Day. The song samples Pharoahe Monch’s instrumental from “Simon Says" and takes lyrical jabs at Minaj, stating "This ain’t a championship fight, I been the greatest/ See the fact is, what you doing, I did it/ Lames tryna clone my style and run wit it/ That’s cool, I was the first one wit it/ You’s a Lil’ Kim wannabe, you just hate to admit it.”
created a remix for the song, in which he takes credit for his sampled line "Rah, rah, like a dungeon dragon." Rap-Up
later confirmed that Lil Wayne
had been in the studio with Minaj creating a remix of the song that would later be released as a single. The remix was officially released to iTunes
on January 19, 2011 and later sent to urban radio on February 8, 2011. Many critics complimented the song's remix, while others favored the original with Eminem.
described Wayne's verse "hungry." Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy gave the song a positive review calling the song thrilling to listen to, and appreciating Wayne's addition stating that his earlier prison sentencing did not affect Wayne's "lyrical acumen or his culinary tastes." Ryan additionally appreciated the collaboration between both label-mates. Jayson Rodriguez of MTV stated that after Wayne's jail-sentencing, he "made up" for his absence by assisting Minaj on a remix of one of her best cuts off Pink Friday.
Reviewing Wayne's lyrical content of the remix, Latifah Muhammad of The Boombox stated that Wayne delves "in between one explicit metaphor after another" as he quickly reclaims his position at the top of the "rap game." While callings Wayne's addition to the song "wild-eyed," Karen Civil of Idolator favored the original song over the remix of the track. Opposite of Civil, Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media enjoyed Wayne's addition and complimented the remix as "a definite upgrade in every way." Breihan continued to compliment Wayne as a perfect gentleman in comparison to the original with Eminem, and stated that Wayne "sounds unbelievably happy to be on a track again," as every other rapper should feel nervous with Wayne back.
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
ian rapper Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
from her debut studio album Pink Friday
Pink Friday
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by hip hop recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe editions through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown. The intended lead single from the album, "Massive Attack", flopped...
. It was written by Minaj and rapper Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, who is also featured in the song, and was produced by Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
. It was released exclusively on October 30, 2010 through the US iTunes store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, as a promotional release preceding the album's release. The song initiated a feud between Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
and Minaj, where many people felt the song was directed at Lil' Kim and regarded around her feelings towards Minaj's rise to fame. The song references Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, and Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's alter-ego, Slim Shady.
The song garnered very positive reviews from critics, most of which praised the song as a stand-out track on the album. However, the Eminem's parts in the song also gained negative reception and attention due to Eminem's homophobic and anti-gay lyrics. Most even questioned Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski as an angry-gay-male and Minaj's large gay fan-base. An official remix featuring Minaj's mentor, Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, was released to the US iTunes store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on January 19, 2011 and was sent to US Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
and Urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
radio stations on February 8, 2011.
Background
The song features both Nicki Minaj and Eminem rapping as their alter-egos. Minaj raps as Roman Zolanski whilst Eminem raps as his well-known alter-ego Slim Shady. The song also marks the debut of Minaj's additional alter-ego, Martha Zolanski, who can be heard in the end of the song screaming in a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
accent as Roman's mother. Minaj told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that she was thinking of collaborating with Eminem for a while and in the end simply asked him. She said,
Minaj performed the song live during VH1's Diva's Support the Troops for the men and women of the military. The song was accompanied by other singles from the rapper's debut album and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
.
After winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video was first given out at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards. The award, according to MTV, was originally intended for hip-hop-inspired songs, not necessarily actual hip-hop music videos . This explains the recognition of non-hip-hop songs such as "Thong...
at at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards
2011 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards took place on August 28, at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. On July 20, the nominees were announced...
, she said that "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."
Composition
The song features both rappers exchanging bars over a "spastic beat" produced by Swizz BeatzSwizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
. The songs begins with a series of digital effects and ominous strings, that Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
compared to "some old video game". After the introduction of digital effects, the song quickly starts with "a hiccuping series of computerized samples pushed forward by sporadic, tinny electronic drums" and only rests during "occasional baths of warm keyboards brightening." The beat of the song lays an intense dark energy with weighty knock of the drums and bass line. The "clattering" instrumental creates an angry tone for the most aggressive run of tracks. Swizz production for the track is mainly surrounded by pulsating strings that allows for both rappers to exchange verse's in violent ways, and adds to the drama of the song.
Lyrically, the song has been described as "unrelenting", "bonkers", "angry" and "outrageous". Minaj's lyrics have been described as intense and incisive. However, Eminem's lyrics have been described as being similar to his earlier work and contains misogyny and homophobia. Many critics question Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, as being an "angry gay male" because it was expected that the rappers would go toe-to-toe in-between verses. The song makes references to Disney's Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine
Princess Jasmine is a fictional character and one of the main characters of the 1992 film Aladdin and its sequels, The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves . She is voiced by Linda Larkin, with her singing voice performed by Lea Salonga in the first film and Disney Princess...
and Aladdin, iPods, and New York Giant Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
as well as the song "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
. The latter is referenced through the line "Rawr, rawr like a dungeon dragon" which is taken from Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
' verse in "Scenario."
Critics
The song garnered very positive reviews from critics, most of which praised the hectic beat and violent tone of voice exchanged between both rappers. David Jeffries of AllMusic called the song the key track of the album, referring to Minaj as a savage as she "roars like a tiger" while standing up to Eminem. Brad Wete of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the song "merciless", as Nicki/Roman tears into the song with lyrics firing at whoever they are meant to be fired at. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praised the songs eerie and vulgar tone, referring to Minaj's tone of voice as "thrilling, quivering & edge-of-panic." Margaret Wappler of Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
complemented Minaj's "huffing and puffing" at Eminem's alter-ego, while both characters exchange violent lyrics. Praising the song the main track of the album, Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
complimented the song as aggressive and pointed out Eminem's use of "recycling his Shady-circa-99 persona." Jesse Cataldo of Slant dissected the track while attempting to understand Roman Zolanski as a "less carefully identified sliver of herself than the embodiment of what makes her appealing." Cataldo additionally added that the song gets "violently up in your face."
While many critics praised the song, they dismissed and negatively reviewed the anti-gay slurs rapped by guest-feature Eminem. Idolator positively reviewed the song as an "experiment," while praising the verse's of Minaj while dismissing Eminem's "typical misogyny and homophobia." Marc Hogan of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
praised the song for noting Minaj's capabilities to "compete with the big boys" in rap. He noted that Eminem and Minaj trade verses over "pulsating Swizz Beatz strings". Although Eminem makes a "killer blow" with an anti-gay slur on gay-friendly Minaj's track", Minaj retaliates with "outlandish British accent." Zach Baron and Rich Juzwiak of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
both debated on the track, praising it as well as dismissing the anti-gay lyrics by Eminem. Zach Baron praised Minaj for upstaging Eminem by stating that the guest-feature deserved to be shown up by Minaj as she additionally add's more character into the song with additional voice-changes. Rich Juzwiak approached the song as the gay-male-alter-ego Roman Zolanski verses the anti-gay Slim Shady, and praised Minaj/Zolanski for "winning the battle." Juzwiak later questioned Minaj's alter-ego Roman as an "angry gay-male," stating that Roman's character should have gone ahead with knocking Eminem for his past "anti-gay-epithet," and his 'piss-on-women misogyny."
Lil' Kim diss
Many critics considered the song a "diss" towards Lil' KimLil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, who has been in disputes with Minaj since the beginning of her career. Mariel Concepcion of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
dissected the song stating "Nicki Minaj's highly-talked about "Roman's Revenge" track hit the net over the weekend, and the Harajuku Barbie appears to be taking jabs at Lil' Kim." Lil' Kim fired back at the song at a club-concert, stating "I will erase this bitch’s social security number. First of all, I don’t even need a record right now and I’d kill that bitch with my old shit. My records ain’t just enter the charts, they made history. What the fuck is this bullshit, this shit come and go!" Minaj later stated in an interview on The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show
The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Wendy Williams that premiered on July 14, 2008, as six-week sneak peek, in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. The test run was picked up for a full season that began its run on July 13, 2009 in over 70% of the country in...
that, "They know what I'm talking about. See that's the thing when you put out records; you know only the 'guilty ones' feel like you're talking about them. So you know, if you have nothing to worry about, if you haven't came out saying stuff, if you never came out saying your ungrateful bullshit then you wouldn't worry about it."
In response to "Roman's Revenge", Lil' Kim released "Black Friday
Black Friday (Lil' Kim mixtape)
Black Friday is the second mixtape by American hip hop recording artist Lil' Kim. It is a response to Nicki Minaj's song "Roman's Revenge",Lil' Kim is just a fuckin' bitch sparking a feud between her and Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2011 for purchase via PayPal...
" which debuted on DJ Absolut’s Hot 97 show on Thanksgiving Day. The song samples Pharoahe Monch’s instrumental from “Simon Says" and takes lyrical jabs at Minaj, stating "This ain’t a championship fight, I been the greatest/ See the fact is, what you doing, I did it/ Lames tryna clone my style and run wit it/ That’s cool, I was the first one wit it/ You’s a Lil’ Kim wannabe, you just hate to admit it.”
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from Pink Friday liner notes.- Vocals: Nicki MinajNicki MinajOnika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
(rap) - Writing: O. Maraj, M. Mathers, K. Dean, T. Smith
- Recording: Ariel Chobaz
- Assisted by: Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter
- Mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
: Ariel Chobaz- Assisted by: Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter
- Additional vocals: Safaree "SB" Samuels
- Producing: Swizz BeatzSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
29 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
125 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
56 |
| US Hot Rap Songs Hot Rap Songs Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
23 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
85 |
Lil Wayne remix
A remix to the original song of the same name was created by many rappers, most of which replaced original guest Eminem and kept Minaj's original verses. Rapper Busta RhymesBusta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
created a remix for the song, in which he takes credit for his sampled line "Rah, rah, like a dungeon dragon." Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
later confirmed that Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
had been in the studio with Minaj creating a remix of the song that would later be released as a single. The remix was officially released to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on January 19, 2011 and later sent to urban radio on February 8, 2011. Many critics complimented the song's remix, while others favored the original with Eminem.
Critical reception
The song garnered positive to mixed reviews by critics, most of which found it refreshing to find Wayne working with Minaj after his jail-sentencing, but were in favor of the original Eminem-track instead. During the songs release, Rap-UpRap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
described Wayne's verse "hungry." Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy gave the song a positive review calling the song thrilling to listen to, and appreciating Wayne's addition stating that his earlier prison sentencing did not affect Wayne's "lyrical acumen or his culinary tastes." Ryan additionally appreciated the collaboration between both label-mates. Jayson Rodriguez of MTV stated that after Wayne's jail-sentencing, he "made up" for his absence by assisting Minaj on a remix of one of her best cuts off Pink Friday.
Reviewing Wayne's lyrical content of the remix, Latifah Muhammad of The Boombox stated that Wayne delves "in between one explicit metaphor after another" as he quickly reclaims his position at the top of the "rap game." While callings Wayne's addition to the song "wild-eyed," Karen Civil of Idolator favored the original song over the remix of the track. Opposite of Civil, Tom Breihan of Pitchfork Media enjoyed Wayne's addition and complimented the remix as "a definite upgrade in every way." Breihan continued to compliment Wayne as a perfect gentleman in comparison to the original with Eminem, and stated that Wayne "sounds unbelievably happy to be on a track again," as every other rapper should feel nervous with Wayne back.
Release history and radio adds
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | January 19, 2011 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Young Money, Cash Money Cash Money Records Cash Money Records is a record label founded by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Universal Republic Records as of 2011... , Universal Motown |
| February 8, 2011 | Urban contemporary Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... radio |