Nicki Minaj has been the highest selling female rapper (and one of the highest selling period) of the last few years. However, Cardi B is the woman to be right now. Her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, was certified gold by the RIAA on the first day of its release. As expected, there has been a reported beef between the two ladies. So, it comes as no surprise that Nicki Minaj decided to drop two new singles (“Barbie Tinz” and “Chun-Li”), the same week as Cardi B’s album release. Honestly, she has big shoes to fill. Cardi B’s debut is solid and I’ve been keeping it on heavy rotation since Friday. Do Nicki Minaj’s new singles stack up against Cardi B’s new music? Could this be the beginning of a feud between the two hottest female rappers in Hip Hop right now? Let’s get into it.

“Barbie Tingz” is more of the same, lyrically. Nicki Minaj boasts about being part of the biggest three rappers in Hip Hop (her, Lil Wayne and Drake), other women that still try to copy her and exes who can’t get over her. There are no blatant shots at Cardi B, except for the one questionable line when she says, “Still on that show getting no chips, time to dip”. The production is reminiscent of the early days of Hip Hop, with a more fierce delivery similar to Nicki Minaj’s mixtape days. Overall, this is a harmless club track that doesn’t showcase any new songwriting milestones, but is still  enjoyable. She teased a snippet of the music video on Tidal. It’s basically her scantily clad against a white background. There’s also another scene with her showcasing a colorful, plastic outfit. A knock off version is dancing around as her shadow. 

“Chun-Li” is more aggressive, with a darker tone. The song is filled with fading horns and a thumping bass drum line. She boldly claims that she is King Kong and has helped saved rap music (“They need rapper like me/So they can get on their $#%^&#$ keyboards and make me the bad guy). Of the two tracks, I see this one being more of the underground hit. Something about this song gives me Mobb Deep vibes…..featuring Lil Kim. I find it hilarious how Nicki Minaj always talks about other females copying her. Ironically, much of her style is modeled after Lil Kim.

Does Cardi B have anything to worry about? Not necessarily. I don’t see her flame diminishing anytime soon. However, Nicki Minaj will likely be able to add a couple more hits to her resume with these two songs. She played it safe here and stuck to a formula that has proven to work for her in the past. She’ll have to pull out a few tricks for her next album to take down Cardi B.

Hear “Chun-Li” and “Barbie Tingz” for yourself on Tidal or Spotify. What are your thoughts on her new singles?

Oh and if you’ve heard Cardi B’s “Be Careful” or ever gone through a breakup, you’ll love this post from John Patrick Adams. Check it out – Be Careful. 

Many current fans of Cardi B, per the “Bodak Yellow” craze, believe she appeared over night. However, she has actually paid her dues prior to her debut studio LP. The 13 song set, Invasion of Privacy, was preceded by two mix tapes, Gangsta B!tch Vol 1 (2016) and Gangsta B!tch Vol 2 (2017). She is not ashamed to reveal her personal life and frequently talks about her days as a stripper. So, it seems that her debut album title is a bit inaccurate. Cardi B is about as real as they come. However, her appearance on SNL this past Saturday proved that she has even more to share.

Cardi B debuted the first performance of the quickly plucked fan favorite “Be Careful”, which samples Lauryn Hill’s “Ex Factor” on SNL. Social media has been set ablaze by the baby bump she also debuted from her fiance Offset, from the group Migos. Is there anything left for her to keep private now? Cardi B has catapulted to become Hip Hip’s “it” chic to be right now. She pays homage to her Afro Latina roots on songs like the spicy dance cut, “I Like It”. The song features Bad Bunny and J Balvin. She slams the naysayers on the gut punching intro, “Get Up 10”. While that song may be too street for radio play, “Best Life” is a pop friendly gem that offers inspiration to anyone trying to live a better life; not to mention a lyrically clever feature from Chance the Rapper. 

Migos was a shoe in for a collaboration, but it was definitely a worthy one. “Drip” is one of the slickest songs on the album. “Bickenhead” takes a page from the Three Six Mafia classic “Chickenhead”. The song is a nostalgic moment that gives detailed instructions on how to….well, you just have to hear it for yourself. Kehlani’s soft, melodic tones mesh perfectly with Cardi B’s aggressive lyrics on the pleading “Ring”. She shows her vulnerable side even more on the transparent, “Thru Your Phone”, featuring SZA. She’s hurt but scorned and warns her man that he may turn her into Left Eye. 

Cardi B’s appeal feels like she’s a woman that you already know really well. She’s that firecracker friend that will fight if she has to, but also has a soft heart. Songs like the infectiously ambitious “Money Bag” and the YG assisted bass thumping anthem, “She Bad” really showcase her rugged side. Oh and let’s not forget “Bartier Cardi” featuring 21 Savage. Try to listen to this one and not have it stuck in your head. She stands up for female empowerment on the album’s closer, “I Do” featuring SZA. She proclaims that her *ahem* is so good, she says her own name during sex. Don’t mistake it. She also signs her own checks too. 

Invasion of Privacy is well on its way to becoming next week’s No. 1 selling album in the country, with projected sales in upwards of 200,000. What’s your favorite song from her new album? Can she prove she’s much more than a one (monster) hit wonder? Looks like she will definitely be here to stay for a while. 

The number eight signifies new beginnings. For veteran singer Toni Braxton, this couldn’t be more appropriate. Sex & Cigarettes is her first solo studio album since 2010’s Pulse. A lifetime of events have happened since then. She has become a symbol of triumph for lupus, starred in the hit reality TV series about her family (Braxton Family Values) and released a Grammy Award winning duets album with Babyface. Then there was the biopic about her life. Oh, let’s not forget her recent engagement to Hip Hop mogul. Birdman. 

Toni Braxton has previously conveyed her disdain for the music industry. There was a time when she wanted to retire. Now, she’s back and sounds like she never left. “Deadwood,” the album’s first single, details her vulnerable side (as does much of the album). She acknowledges that an ex lover has her feeling down, but she will get him back. The title track that is a tender ballad that calls out a cheater’s inconsiderate flaunting of his not so secret love affair. “At least try and lie to me. Instead, you come straight to our bed smelling like sex and cigarettes,” she coos. 

“Long As I Live” is classic 90s Toni Braxton. The music video premiered on Braxton Family Values and she still looks better than many women half her age. She’s reminiscent of a past lover here and realizes she still isn’t over him. The album is only 30 minutes long, which some fans may find disheartening. However, I think it was a smart move to adjust with the times. Plus, it likely eliminated some of the filler tracks. One thing that has changed is how blunt Toni Braxton is this time around. She clearly isn’t up for mincing words on songs like “FOH”. “Boy you must be suicidal. Is that bitch right there beside you?” she sings. It only gets grittier from there. Ironically, the tender production suggests quote the opposite approach. 

“Sorry” is another sad, love song that finds Toni Braxton angrily singing about her shoulda, woulda, coulda’s of leaving a bad relationship. There is one feature on the album, from Colbie Caillat on “My Heart”. This is one of the most lyrically interesting songs on the project, which is no surprise because Babyface had a hand in it. Toni Braxton is the one apologizing this time, because she’s incapable of really giving love back to a man that loves her dearly. “Coping” details the aftermath of a breakup and showcases her vulnerability again. “Missin'” closes out the album on a much needed uptempo note. The C “Tricky” Stewart produced track has a current sound with an easy listening, dance appeal. 

Kudos are in order for Toni Braxton sticking to her signature sound. Nonetheless, with a clever album title like Sex & Cigarettes, I expected a little more of an audible roller coaster. A couple of more uptempo tracks like her classics “He Wasn’t Man Enough” or “You’re Makin’ Me High” would have really set off the album. Either way, it’s still a great listen from an artist who clearly isn’t done making her own brand of great music. 

Wale has always been in a class of his own in Hip Hop. He’s not overly conscious, yet he avoids falling into the trendy trap trenches. His style is somewhere in the middle, sprinkled with elements of pop and poetic appeal. Wale has quietly delivered some of Hip Hop’s most poignant hits in recent years, including “Bad”, “Lotus Flower Bomb” and “The Matrimony”. Although he may have pushed the issue for his own recognition in the past, his rhymes back it up. His 2015 full length LP, The Album About Nothing, didn’t take home any Grammy award wins. However, he would have been well deserving if he won. After all, he had enough clout to snag Seinfield to be his sidekick throughout the entire album.

The underappreciated rapper dropped a new, 4 song EP, entitled It’s Complicated, last week. He kicks in with strong lyrical content on the title track. The melancholy song details why relationships are so difficult for him. “Don’t ask me about my love life,” he says. He’s cautious to fully submerge himself in love (“You show too much of your heart, I promise they confiscate it”). The song honestly would have had just as much effect if he performed it acapella. Then he glides into Black Bonnie, with Jocques (the EP’s only featured artist). This track is a contrast to its predecessor. Here, Wale raps about having the perfect queen by his side, his “Black Bonnie”.

None of the songs on It’s Complicated are pop friendly. However, the intricately placed bird chirps and slightly mid tempo BPM of “Effortless” is the closest to a mass appeal offering. The song has some reminiscent elements of the LL Cool J classic, “Around The Way Girl”. He closes out the EP with “Let It Go”, an R&B infused internal battle about…..yep, you guessed it. Relationships. Wale raps that relationships should all be like yachts that we get on and off in timely order. There’s no word yet on when his next studio LP will drop, but this will keep his fans’ attention for a while.

Janelle Monae hasn’t released a studio album in five years. Although that’s an eternity in today’s music business, she hasn’t exactly been silent. Plus, her last release, The Electric Lady was a double disc effort. Meanwhile, she hasn’t been resting on her laurels. We have seen her in hit films like Hidden Figures, continue her stint as a premier Cover Girl model and become an outspoken advocate against social injustice. Everything she touches seems to turn to gold.

Now, Janelle Monae is back with some new music. She simultaneously released two new singles, “Django Jane” and “Make Me Feel”. Let’s start with the fiercely bold, “Django Jane”. The music video features a “highly melanated” Janelle Monae walking through what looks like an abandoned warehouse. She has a strong group of females (all dressed in suits, similarly to her) dancing along with her. The song showcases her Hip Hop side, as she spits some impressive rhymes. This song really showcases her range as an artist and her militant side.

However, “Make Me Feel” finds Janelle Monae crooning in her signature airy growl. She’s more feminine and overtly sexual here. Even her attire is more form fitting and colorful. The production sounds like a recycled Prince song that just barely missed the cut from the final track list. Nevertheless, it’s a compliment to one of the select few artist who could even dare to embody Prince’s musical genius and pull it off well. He must have approved, since he co-wrote the song and reportedly worked with Monae on a good portion of her album. The music video clip (reminiscent of Prince’s “Kiss” music video) perpetuates the all female empowerment. She even playfully flirts with the women in the video. At one point she even exchanges smirks and gazes with an equally sexy replica of her self. She looks amazing, so who can blame her?

Look for new album, Dirty Computer, on April 27th. The set is confirmed to be accompanied by a film as well (likely in the form of conceptual music videos for each song). Janelle Monae continues to prove her creative flare stands out far above the rest of the pack. I’m more than excited to hear what her new body of music sounds like.

“A glow happens after the fire has been lit. It’s the evidence the fire has been present,” Vanessa Hill says on “#CantLetGo”, the opening track of her EP, Mood: #Glow.  Her infectious concoction of futuristic sounding soul is definitely nothing short of the type of glow the music industry needs right now. I saw pictures from her EP release party earlier this year on several of my friends’ timelines. So, I had to see what her music was about. Vanessa Hill acknowledges our need to be loved, over layered production on the EP’s kickoff song. 1k Phew is the only guest artist on the project. His flow is memorable and has a great rhythm. 

“#GottaGetIt” is a bass thumping hustler’s anthem. This is the type of song you turn on in the morning to start your day and stay motivated. Vanessa Hill doesn’t mind if people call her selfish, if it means she’s following her dreams. Her style, much like her EP cover artwork suggests, is something out of this world. She has the kind of chameleon like voice that can cleverly slip into different genres. Her unique vocals and delivery cannot be denied. 

However, on “#WeAintComeToPlay”, she showcases a softer approach, vocally. Don’t mistake it though. Lyrically, this is the boldest track on Mood: #Glow. “We ain’t really got a lot of patience. We ain’t really looking for no favors,” she sings. She closes out the EP with beautiful guitar driven ballad,”#LiveItUp”. Vanessa Hill’s light and airy voice encourages all to seize the moment. Although her voice has an angelic vibe, she exudes the confidence of a seasoned artist. I definitely can’t wait to hear more music from Vanessa Hill soon.

Download her debut EP, Mood: #Glow, on all digital retailers. Watch out for her or remember that I told you so later.