"Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj - Pop Song Review

**Edited on 9/22/14 for spelling and grammar issues. Added music video in the video discussion.**

Nicki Minaj: The NYC female rapper has been all over the place the last few years with teaming up with Justin Bieber on,”Beauty and a Beat”, and producing her own pop material on the last album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. This album spawn the hits of (“Starships, Pound the Alarm, and Va Va Voom”). In 2014 the female rapper has been relatively quiet letting her main competitor ,Iggy Azalea, take the spotlight from her.

July 2014 everything changed for Nicki.  She released a song with Ariana Grande, and Jessie J called, “Bang Bang.”  In this song she had me excited to see what the Queens ,New York rapper would be up to next. Her flow on that song was fast, fierce, and full of energy. It almost made me forget that she has some bad songs that have come out recently.  I’ll just forget that “Stupid Hoe” and “Beez in the Trap” happen.  Her new hit “Anaconda” well let’s just say isn't very good.  

For starters let’s take a look at the beat. It is a copy and paste sample from the one of the most well known booty jams of the 90s, “Baby got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot.  I’m not against sampling , but when it is done this lazy it makes me think we ran out of ideas for instrumentals in music. It is filled with obnoxious alarms, buzzing sounds, and typical hand claps of current hip hop production.  It makes me think of a jackhammer listening to this garbage. Not as bad as will.i.am production mind you, that is listening to a dump truck backing up. 

The chorus is a sample from “Baby got Back” specifically the line “My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns hun.”  I will give the song credit here  as it has gotten stuck in my head in a few occasions, but no thanks to Nicki.   It is due to the repetition of the line, “My anaconda don’t” which is loop three times.

Hearing this song makes me really just want me to listen to “Baby got Back” it is far better song than this atrocity. Sir Mix-A -Lot brings a lot more to the table: funnier lyrics, decent word play, and leaves a lasting memorable impression.  I could never call Sir Mix-A-Lot boring on that song with the energy he brings to the table.

Nicki Minaj does an impression of the valley girl in the beginning of “Baby got Back.”  In Becky's case she does it better.  If Becky were part of the song I bet she says something like this “OMG Becky listen to that sample it is so… repetitive, and lazy…. I mean the music and the video are just like that. Who understands those 2010s musicians? “

The lyrics are based on short stories based on Nicki’s past.  The first verse talks about a guy name Troy who she used to score drugs from in exchange for sexual favors.  The same is true of the second of the verse except substitute Michael for Troy.  While these stories can be interesting the beat utterly distracts from what Nicki is saying. 

The third verse I don’t what the f**k this is. Nicki is shouting random crap to fill time in the song.  In this section she calls out white girls who don’t have a big ass like she does.  It is stupid, annoying, and wasn't need in this song. The song runs four minutes which could have been cut to three minutes by omitting this section.

I should talk about the music video too. It is like a combination of Katy Perry’s “Roar” jungle theme video with Nicki Minaj just shaking her ass the whole time. It doesn't impress me since I have seen many many many times before. Once you watch one Nicki Minaj video you have seen them all.

 The song didn’t need a pornographic music video to do well. It is like the record company has no faith in Nicki Minaj to sell the song, so they rely on her ass. One final thought on the music video Drake is added to the mix so it creates controversy. Honestly Drake looks like he is holding his nose after Nicki Minaj crop dusted him in mid lap dance movement.

I hope Sir Mix-A-Lot gets a big check from Nicki Minaj. His song deserves far better than this garbage.

Final review the song gets a (1.5/5)

-Awful beat

- Lazy sampling

- Boring music video

Final thought: The fart remix was far better than this, and a lot juicier. (Next time sample fart noises, Nicki, just remember to hold your nose.)