Pink Friday
by Nicki Minaj
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 561 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 395 out of 561
  2. Mixed: 59 out of 561
  3. Negative: 107 out of 561
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  1. al3xlic0na
    Jan 7, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best Album Ever, she is the best female Rapper Alive, she got not competition at all, this is why new york times name her the most influential female rapper of all the time.… Expand
  2. wdaniel_v
    Aug 23, 2019
    10
    The album is the best debut of all decade, Super Bass is Diamond, is a Smash hit, Your Love, Save Me, Right Thru Me, the album deserved 90.
  3. AngeloVeluz12
    Dec 23, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It was her first album and she gave us bops and features with big artists. Who's doing it like Nicki Minaj?… Expand
  4. GirlieTop10
    Apr 21, 2021
    10
    One of the best debut albuns of the decade that was released. Nicki the queen of rap!!!!
  5. ManilaCritic
    Jun 20, 2011
    10
    One of the most awaited albums of 2011 and it did not disappoint. The album is consistent, charming, makes everyone know who Nicki Minaj is. It has attitude and amazing lyrics. She can definitely compete with the likes of Eminem, Jay-Z and Lil' Wayne. The highlights of the album include "Roman's Revenge", "Did It On'em", "Super Bass" and "I'm The Best".
  6. Mateo-Delemorte
    Jan 4, 2011
    9
    Love Nicki. While her album is great, I do not know how well it would do chart wise. But it is hard to find an artist and album where I can listen to the entire album and not weed out the tracks that won't last (for me), and Pink Friday makes that list. Her album is a bit different from what was heard prior to it's release, but that is not a bad thing. It can stand on it's own and is not aLove Nicki. While her album is great, I do not know how well it would do chart wise. But it is hard to find an artist and album where I can listen to the entire album and not weed out the tracks that won't last (for me), and Pink Friday makes that list. Her album is a bit different from what was heard prior to it's release, but that is not a bad thing. It can stand on it's own and is not a disappointment.… Expand
  7. Leeway
    Jun 4, 2011
    7
    Nicki Minaj Pink Friday has a few interesting songs so don't just judge her album yet.
    Her voice is uh....lets just say that she has her own style and rhythm.
    In Romans Revenge, she and Eminem both kind of took me by surprise...man! I'm pretty sure its hard to switch the tone in your voice in a drum beat. Super Bass and Moment 4 life: catchy beat, nicely put chorus and with the help of her    Nicki Minaj Pink Friday has a few interesting songs so don't just judge her album yet.
    Her voice is uh....lets just say that she has her own style and rhythm.
    In Romans Revenge, she and Eminem both kind of took me by surprise...man! I'm pretty sure its hard to switch the tone in your voice in a drum beat.
    Super Bass and Moment 4 life: catchy beat, nicely put chorus and with the help of her ever-switching voice.
    -6.8    … Expand
  8. Nadareda
    Aug 13, 2018
    10
    Queen of rap. The album who shooked the table and changed hip hop culture forever
  9. cynkam
    Jul 13, 2020
    10
    Best album of the 2010's. A mix of pop and rap thats certain to get you up and moving.
  10. GabroMuzik
    Nov 28, 2010
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Minaj has showed be a rapper with a great strength and talent.
    The first time that I loved the way that she raps with risk was in Kanye's Monster.
    After listening to the whole album and I think this girl certainly has nothing to envy to Missy Elliott (although I still think she is the best female rapper yet) Nicki's album don't surprise me, but i like her personal touch, her madness and her wordplay!
    Her album is too Pop and I think this album is not up to her potential!
    I expect more of her!    … Expand
  11. jmagicvamp
    Nov 29, 2010
    7
    I think it's easy to underestimate this album after all the hype, and while in places it doesn't, this album is a satisfying listen and a satisfactory debut, but while satisfactory, it doesn't reach any deeper than that. Rihanna, Drake, Eminem, Natasha Bedingfield and Kanye West provide some noteworthy cameos, but now the spotlight is on Nicki, and while this record has it faults, it'sI think it's easy to underestimate this album after all the hype, and while in places it doesn't, this album is a satisfying listen and a satisfactory debut, but while satisfactory, it doesn't reach any deeper than that. Rihanna, Drake, Eminem, Natasha Bedingfield and Kanye West provide some noteworthy cameos, but now the spotlight is on Nicki, and while this record has it faults, it's clearly a step in the right direction.… Expand
  12. OfficialCarlo
    Feb 16, 2011
    9
    Pink Friday is definitely and distinctively good. From catchy pop tunes "I'm the Best" to R&B "Last Chance", the album is neither hip-hop, pop nor R&B. It showcases Nicki Minaj vocal abilities that can rap and sing at the same times with artistic elements on it. There are few songs that actually bad and I don't have to mention it.
  13. okataka12
    Jan 2, 2011
    10
    An amazing album. Minaj had alot of pressure riding on this album And she honestly pulled through like a champion. Her play on words and her lyrical content truly symbolize the new age of rap. This album is flawless
  14. gabrielangel16
    Dec 29, 2010
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. shorty2klassy4u: This is an excellent album. It showcases that female rappers can rap about more than sex, what';s in their pants, money, clothes, and drugs. Nothing More!! Perfect Feat. and lyrics! Don't expected all of this ! Congratulations for Roman' Revenge Acid Diss! Moment 4 Life Is the Great Point!… Expand
  15. HollisterKen
    Jan 9, 2011
    10
    An exceedingly beautiful album. With her ingenious puns and wordplay, the Barbie is the the answer to rap counterpart of "Margaret Atwood". Those lessons at Laguardia unequivocally paid off, as Nicki's deliverance is extremely powerful. Her inflection, accentuates her music, and thus giving her music an edge. Songs such as "Did It On Em" is embedded with conceited lines of wittiness,An exceedingly beautiful album. With her ingenious puns and wordplay, the Barbie is the the answer to rap counterpart of "Margaret Atwood". Those lessons at Laguardia unequivocally paid off, as Nicki's deliverance is extremely powerful. Her inflection, accentuates her music, and thus giving her music an edge. Songs such as "Did It On Em" is embedded with conceited lines of wittiness,  whereas "Your Love" is a complete shift to sentimentality. With the multiple personas, Nicki is able to punctuate her story to us. She puts an innovative spin on rap, by incorporating different genres and musical influences. This is an revolutionary album, and you must "Check It Out".… Expand
  16. RogerSmith97
    Sep 29, 2011
    7
    1st Of All I Love Nicki...I Am Normally Not Picky.. This Time Will Be.
    Her Voice Is Very Different Than Anyone I Have Ever Heard (In A Good Way)
    Most Of The Songs Are Fine, Or Meh But Overall The Best Songs On Pink Friday Are:
    1. Super Bass
    2. Check It Out
    3. Your Love
    4. Romans Revenge
  17. ihavevocaloid
    Apr 15, 2015
    7
    A strong debut from Nicki Minaj. None of this album failed to live up to Nicki's outstanding verse on Kanye West's "Monster" (well... maybe... "Roman's Revenge"...) but most of it shows Nicki Minaj's talent as a rapper, as well as her vocals fit for singing (but not singing mediocre pop like "Super Bass" or "Check It Out"). The production is dull at times, but her rapping talent makes upA strong debut from Nicki Minaj. None of this album failed to live up to Nicki's outstanding verse on Kanye West's "Monster" (well... maybe... "Roman's Revenge"...) but most of it shows Nicki Minaj's talent as a rapper, as well as her vocals fit for singing (but not singing mediocre pop like "Super Bass" or "Check It Out"). The production is dull at times, but her rapping talent makes up for it. Grade: B. Highlights: "Roman's Revenge", "Save Me", "Moment 4 Life". Worst song: "Super Bass"… Expand
  18. Tim09
    Apr 7, 2015
    10
    This album was so good! Well done Nicki Minaj you surprised me with this album. I like the half singing and half rapping throughout the album, you have a really good voice
  19. BlakeWolfsSN
    Nov 23, 2010
    10
    Minaj excels at wordplay and rhyming. With this debut she also proves she can tell a story and stick to the point (a former sore area for her). The chopped up vocals are innovative and catchy. Her different personalities keep the listener on their toes. Lyrically, she is as impressive as any female rapper (all-time). The instrumentation is never sloppy but rarely exceeds modern hip-hopMinaj excels at wordplay and rhyming. With this debut she also proves she can tell a story and stick to the point (a former sore area for her). The chopped up vocals are innovative and catchy. Her different personalities keep the listener on their toes. Lyrically, she is as impressive as any female rapper (all-time). The instrumentation is never sloppy but rarely exceeds modern hip-hop expectations. That said, it was consistently pleasing enough to be better than the standard. She brings about the best lyricism from all of the featured rap acts (Kanye, will.i.am, Drake, Eminem). That said, I felt Rihanna's bit on "Fly" was average while Natasha Bedingfield's input in the last track was boring. Singing instead of rapping is a new turn for Nicki, but it never fails--just falls flat sometimes. Overall it is a great debut, with average-to-slightly-above average instrumentation and singing, and many of the best rap verses released all year.… Expand
  20. LanaDelRey
    Mar 24, 2013
    10
    The Best Rap Debut Of All Time! The Best Rap Album Of 2010!
    Every Song Is Special And Unique In It' s Own Way!
  21. shorty2klassy4u
    Nov 24, 2010
    10
    ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!! This is an excellent album. It showcases that female rappers can rap about more than sex, what';s in their pants, money, clothes, and drugs. Nicki Minaj brings substance in her lyrics which was totally unexpected. Listen and look past the obvious and see the depth. 5 STARS!!!
  22. YeahRight
    Nov 23, 2010
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow! This album is really awesome. Her rimes and manipulation of rimes are great and sometimes funny. She shows her beautiful voice during the touching ballad called Right Thru Me (completely written by Nicki Minaj). The song Dear Old Nicki is a great honor to the old underground rapper she was. We see her **** side on many times in album (ex. I'm The Best, Did It On 'Em, Check It Out). In general, we can say that Pink Friday is an autobiographical album that talks a lot about the artist in question, which is great. As a whole work, this album is way better than every songs listened separately. That's why my rating is so high. The only thing that I don't like that much on Pink Friday is the Did It On 'Em part of the album. It's a bit weird when I say it, because, alone, this song is good, it's only that it doesn't have it's place on the album. It should have been chosen as a Hidden Track or a Bonus song...… Expand
  23. AaronM
    Nov 29, 2010
    8
    The highest praise you can give a CD is that you can and want to listen to it over and over. Nicki Minaj provides such a CD. She doesn't go very hardcore except for like on Roman's Revenge, and she doesn't switch her flow up as much as she does on guest appearances. But still, she provides a unique (and often mellow) view into her own life, what she's about, and the drama she has had toThe highest praise you can give a CD is that you can and want to listen to it over and over. Nicki Minaj provides such a CD. She doesn't go very hardcore except for like on Roman's Revenge, and she doesn't switch her flow up as much as she does on guest appearances. But still, she provides a unique (and often mellow) view into her own life, what she's about, and the drama she has had to deal with as she has become successful - and that is enough to provide a solid debut album.… Expand
  24. vinzenzart
    Nov 23, 2010
    10
    i am disappointed. too much durcheinander in this album. she raps, sings and raps and doesnt know what to do overall. its an average album. i expected more.
  25. georgia_boy
    Nov 23, 2010
    9
    Nicki stayed consistent with her mixtapes.I liked each and every song on the album.i just think she could have provided a greater number of songs considering the time and amount of songs she releases daily.Her songs were good but Moment 4 life, Save Me,Fly,Blazin, stood out as classics excluding her singles.i think her Intro was great and her songs had much of the same message.She ofNicki stayed consistent with her mixtapes.I liked each and every song on the album.i just think she could have provided a greater number of songs considering the time and amount of songs she releases daily.Her songs were good but Moment 4 life, Save Me,Fly,Blazin, stood out as classics excluding her singles.i think her Intro was great and her songs had much of the same message.She of course did not live up to the hype since shes no Lil Wayne but she came close to iti would give a 10 but 9 due to the small number of songs.However the song quality and content is worth a 10… Expand
  26. iamtrent424
    Nov 24, 2010
    7
    This album was okay. I like her music style she mix pop dance rnb hip hop rap and electro on this album.I think this is a nice album to get better than what i expected. I thought this album was going be just like her mixtapes. I enjoy all the songs on this album. She really shock me with this album. This album was good compare to what I thought it was going. This album is a chart topperThis album was okay. I like her music style she mix pop dance rnb hip hop rap and electro on this album.I think this is a nice album to get better than what i expected. I thought this album was going be just like her mixtapes. I enjoy all the songs on this album. She really shock me with this album. This album was good compare to what I thought it was going. This album is a chart topper and its on my top 20 list for album of the year… Expand
  27. RhysHilson
    Nov 30, 2010
    8
    "Pink Friday" is a debut effort which doesn't quite reach the levels of the hype surrounding it's creating artist. It is nonetheless, a strong effort from the underground-to-mainstream rapstress. The album itself fails to create the personality-defying host of personas, rapping ridiculous bars in over-the-top voices style that Minaj has become famous for in her host of features throughout"Pink Friday" is a debut effort which doesn't quite reach the levels of the hype surrounding it's creating artist. It is nonetheless, a strong effort from the underground-to-mainstream rapstress. The album itself fails to create the personality-defying host of personas, rapping ridiculous bars in over-the-top voices style that Minaj has become famous for in her host of features throughout the course of 2009 and '10. Instead she wavers for an opening threat on the surprisingly light sounding "I'm The Best", while tearing apart competition from the past ("Roman's Revenge", "Did It On'em"). The 3 opening tracks imply an almost angry theme. "Right Thru Me", and most of the content onward, reveals a far more feminine, vulnerable side to a usually merciless Minaj. Where this innocence may lead to a more open, personal artist, the lack of Nicki we've come to know and love feels like an abandonment of her true urban nature, and, while there may be sparks of redemption on tracks like "Blazin", the bulk of this album may leave true Hip-Hop fans feeling cold. "Last Chance" deserves a separate mention, as the track is the most perplexing of the 13-Track Standard Set. The song, riddled with guitar riffs, boasts some of Minaj's best quirkiness and flow, and a feature from cited inspiration Natasha Bedingfield, who provides the hook and ad-libs, and, while it is apparent that Minaj is loving the collaboration, it creates a sort of "WTF!?" resolution to an already surprising effort. If the listener has indulged in the Physical Deluxe Edition, they are treated to 3 bonus tracks; "Super Bass", "Blow Ya Mind" and "Muny". "Super Bass", the Ester Dean-assisted banger, contains some of the recent-feature flow of Nicki Minaj, while providing a club-friendly hook, and is easily one of the best tracks of the album. "Blow Ya Mind", an elastic, interchanging song between Industrial Hip-Hop and Guitar and Synth melodies, is an odd track which shows Minaj proving she's "the baddest", while an uncredited singer croons over how fabulous she really is. "Muny", an awfully spelled, Hip-Hop take on the Madonna classic "Material Girl", is another highlight of the CD, providing an almost sing-a-along hook with a clap-a-long latter chorus. The iTunes Deluxe Edition also features "These Girls Fall Like Dominoes", a track that is titled after the chorus line of The Big Pink classic "Dominos", and a song which contains this very section as it's hook, is a J.R. Rotem produced anthem, which supplies a heavy list of celebrities Minaj is happy to mention (from the Kardashians to Grace Jones, M.I.A. to Mariah Carey), and a chorus that people who have never even heard of Minaj will be able to shout along to.

    Overall, "Pink Friday" is a swooning album of spastic, persona changing rap, vocoded singing (and some without), and a CD brimming with a personality that is determined to let her success continue, while playing it safe, straddling the Hip-Hop and Pop genres, while leaning more to the latter.    … Collapse
  28. curdey
    Dec 2, 2010
    10
    I'm so impressed by this record! I'm not usually a rap fan at all, but this album is virtually flawless! Not a single dud track - I've had this album on continuous repeat since first buying it. Highlights for me are Roman's Revenge, Save Me and Your Love.
  29. gingefisher
    Oct 16, 2011
    9
    A great album, so many different types of song, you have Save me, slow and yet so powerful, then your up beat Romans Revenge, I love this album, and reccomend it to all Minaj fans! Justr oen song is lame which is Here I am
  30. Yoshipie
    Feb 25, 2012
    7
    Fantastic album. One of the best female rappers of all time. Highlights of this album were "Fly (ft. Rihanna)" and of course, "Super Bass". Recommended for all girls out there.
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Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Most Discussed Album of 2010
13
#13 Most Shared Album of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 26
  3. Negative: 1 out of 26
  1. Uncut
    Sep 19, 2012
    60
    Her split personality makes for an oddly polarised debut. [Feb 2011, p.84]
  2. Village Voice
    Aug 2, 2011
    40
    Pink Friday is full of boring....the most confounding thing about Pink Friday is that it lacks style, lacks weirdness, whatever your opinions of how deeply that weirdness goes.
    Read full review
  3. Mojo
    Apr 12, 2011
    80
    Jamaica Queen;s potty-mouth hits rap home run on brutally enjoyable debut. [Feb. 2011, p. 105]
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