For the longest time, even now, it is hard to be a female rapper; they constantly go through rap culture which consists of sexism and sexual harassment. Many are seen just for their body, and they get objectified. They do not have the same likelihood of becoming a popular rapper as men. They are often pushed off to the side and their songs were never put on the mainstream.

Nicki Minaj, a name you’ve probably heard somewhere, known as the “Queen of Rap,” paved the way for many female rappers nowadays. She is the creator of many hit songs like “Superbass” and “Starships.” Most of her iconic songs came from an album called “Pink Friday” which is known for the variety of genres included, becoming an iconic album. Still to this day, it is popular and listened to. After 13 years of constant questions, if there will ever be a part two, it has finally come. Released on December 8, 2023, the album immediately hit the charts with hits like “FTCU,” “Everybody,” and many more.

She has been in the industry for 16 years and is still one of the most notable female rappers. She is very well known, partly because of the controversies that have arisen throughout the years. One constant controversy is her continuous drama with up-and-coming female rappers; she tries to put them down for no reason instead of supporting them for their hard work. Though she has become problematic, her album is still very successful.

As I had been anticipating this album for months now, I listened to it the day it was released while I was getting ready for school, and some songs caught my attention. The song that had me listening to it on repeat was “Everybody” featuring Lil Uzi Vert. I liked the energy the song gave; it was very upbeat and brought up my mood.

Though she put out an amazing album, I was still disappointed; I expected more after all the wait. It wasn’t able to capture the iconicness of the first “Pink Friday” album.

After discussing with a few individuals, I discovered that others share the same perspective as me. A freshman from Foothill High School, Julian Thornberg, expressed the same disappointment.

“I was a little disappointed. I was expecting songs similarly structured to “Pink Friday 1.” I also expected more catchy and viral-sounding songs to where no song on the album is a skip, and the whole thing needed to feel like a first big album. I believe she should have had more personas in her songs. I wanted a Chun Li part two and I just wanted her to explore her music as much as possible and as far as it can go,” Thornberg said.

Minaj had many alter egos as a form of escaping reality when she was younger. But as she started the music industry, she used it as a way to make her mark and represent herself. Some of her personas are Roman, Harajuku Barbie, Nicki Lewinsky, Martha Zolanski and many more. To understand why people liked her alter egos so much, I will give a few details about her most popular ones. Harajuku Barbie first appeared in “Pink Friday 1;” she was a playful character and loved wearing pink. She was more soft spoken than the rest. Another one of Minaj’s alter egos is Roman, my personal favorite, who is more on the aggressive side and was born in London.

Many people grew up with her music, so in October 2023 when she announced “Pink Friday 2,” people were excited, especially her fan base, the “Barbs.”

“I do believe it was worth the wait to have another publicity stunt and to be the most popular artist and to win awards but the songs themselves are fine,” Thornberg said.

Thornberg feels as if Minaj just used the title to get some hype and fame into the album. It does not capture much of the same energy “Pink Friday 1″did.

A frequent topic that gets brought up is “Where were her personas?” Personally I was waiting for Roman, but was disappointed to find that he was not there.

Another freshman from Segerstrom High School, Melina Contreras, also found herself confused that Minaj’s personas were not in the album.

“I do believe that her personas should have been shown more; I was expecting some Harajuku Barbie,” Contreras said.

“I did expect all of her personas and I was a little disappointed,” Thornberg said.

Many found themselves dissatisfied because her personas were one of the reasons people gravitated towards her. They liked the variety she gave; not only did she give music but also entertainment. When the two albums were compared both Thornberg and Contreras agreed that “Pink Friday” is better than “Pink Friday 2.”

“Personally I prefer the first Pink Friday because it also consists of some of my favorite songs,” Contreras said.

“Pink Friday 2” is a well thought out album, but I and many others think it did not capture the same vibe as “Pink Friday.” With this album she shows that she has grown as a musician.