Nicki Minaj's Roman Empire

Switched on Pop

Nicki Minaj is one of the most unique rappers of all time. She’s given us numerous iconic guest verses from “Monster” to “Flawless (Remix),” everlasting hits like “Super Bass” and “Starships,” and legions of loyal fans in the Barbz. She’s also given us over twenty alter-egos in the course of her career. However, no alter-ego of hers has been more impactful than Roman. The voice at the center of Nicki’s most unhinged music, the “Roman” persona serves a conduit for Nicki to put forward a high level of theatricality and character work in her music, from beats to bars. And to understand Nicki, you need to understand Roman.

This episode of Switched on Pop, producer Reanna Cruz takes us on a journey through the history of Roman, on the heels of Nicki Minaj’s latest record, Pink Friday 2.

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Songs Discussed:

• Nicki Minaj – Chun-Li
• Nicki Minaj – Red Ruby Da Sleeze
• Nicki Minaj – Itty Bitty Piggy
• Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver – Monster
• Nicki Minaj – Roman In Moscow
• Nicki Minaj – Pound the Alarm
• Nicki Minaj – Starships
• Ludacris, Nicki Minaj – My Chick Bad
• Nicki Minaj, PTAF – Boss A** B**** (with PTAF) – Remix
• Nicki Minaj, Eminem – Roman's Revenge
• Nicki Minaj – Come On A Cone
• Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap
• Nicki Minaj – Roman Holiday
• Eminem – The Way I Am
• Eminem – My Name Is
• Lil' Kim – Queen B****
• Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne – Truffle Butter
• Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)
• Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
• Nicki Minaj – Super Freaky Girl – Roman Remix
• Nicki Minaj – My Life

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