Nicki’s verse on Kanye’s “Monster” (2010)
Most hip-hop fans seem to agree that Kanye West’s 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was one of the better albums to come out in the last five years. Adding to its greatness, “Monster” is probably one of the more lyrical commercial singles to come out in that same time frame. Ross, Kanye, and Jay all did their thing lyrically, but Nicki, still relatively new to the commercial scene, definitely delivered the most lyrical and animated verse on the track. For some, this was the moment where they first took notice of Nicki’s lyrical prowess.
After going off for a few bars with a hybrid flow that sounds like a mixture of several countries with a little bit of Jamaica, Queens on the top, Nicki respectfully pays homage to her Caribbean roots by shouting out Mr. Tooonnnnnnyy Mattttttterhorrrn (Apologies for the King Addies flashback) and his popular hit single, “Dutty Wine.” For those that don’t know, the Dutty Wine was a popular dance that lead to numerous neck injuries. Possibly the reason for half of the bruk neck women in the official “Monster” video below. —Echo Slim