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Spotify (& Timothee) Invite You To Gag City

On Friday, December 8, Nicki Minaj went back to her roots by releasing the second installment of her no-skips debut album, Pink Friday, with Pink Friday 2. The 2010 debut included radio hits like "Super Bass", "Fly (feat. Rihanna)", and "Moment 4 Life", and went triple Platinum. So you can imagine the hype behind The Queen of Hip-Hop's fifth studio album is surging to an all-time high...

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gag city spotify
New Releases

Nicki Minaj's New Song Is a "Yikes" Indeed

The rapper's first song since announcing her hiatus falls flat.

Nicki Minaj - Yikes (Official Audio)
youtu.be

Remember last year when Nicki Minaj said she was retiring to "have her family," and how nobody thought her time off would last?

Well, we were right. After a three-month hiatus from social media, Minaj has returned with her first new single of the year, "Yikes." She teased the track on Instagram a few days ago, and received an onslaught of backlash over a certain disconcerting line: "All you b-----s Rosa Parks, uh-oh, get your ass up." Yikes, indeed!

TMZ reports that Anita Peek, executive director of the Rosa & Raymond Parks Institute, said the bus boycotter would be "extremely hurt" by the lyric if she were alive today to hear it. Fans were displeased, too, especially since the clip of the track first surfaced on Parks' birthday.

Controversy aside, "Yikes" is Minaj at her least compelling. With the exception of a feisty spoken introduction, her delivery is devoid of emotion. "Yikes, I play tag and you it for life / Yikes, you a clown, you do it for likes," she utters blandly in the chorus, over a minimalistic beat that could belong to any rapper. "Yikes" feels anonymous and tedious; it only affirms that the versatility of her Pink Friday days has run dry. It's time for Minaj to pass the torch.

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CULTURE

2011 Time Capsule: The Year of the Pop Diva and the Queer Anthem

2011 saw the release of an extraordinary number of legendary pop songs.

Photo by: Aron Visuals / Unsplash

2011 was a turbulent year, a year of the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, of murdered dictators and earthquakes.

In terms of American pop culture, it was a time of great exuberance and energy. Female pop stars dominated the airwaves, as did the British Royal Wedding, as political unrest tangled with the public's desire for flashy distraction. Here are the pop culture highlights of 2011.

Music: Fridays and Queer Anthems

2011 was the year of the pop diva, and an almost unfathomable number of iconic hits by women hit the airwaves that year. Katy Perry and Adele dominated the charts, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" became a queer anthem, Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" played perpetually, and Rihanna dropped her scandalous "S&M," the absolutely legendary "Man Down," and another song about Friday, "Cheers (Drink to That)".

Lady Gaga - Born This Waywww.youtube.com


Rihanna - Man Downwww.youtube.com

Avril Lavigne had us bopping along to "What the Hell" and Nicki Minaj had everyone learning the words to "Super Bass." Beyonce released "Love On Top" and "Who Run the World? (Girls)" and Jessie J. put out "Domino." Carly Rae, of course, dropped "Call Me Maybe."

Nicki Minaj - Super Basswww.youtube.com


Beyoncé - Run the World (Girls) (Video - Main Version)www.youtube.com

There were some sad bangers in the midst of all the girl power; Demi Lovato put out "Skyscraper" and Lana Del Rey dropped her mysterious amalgamation of found footage for "Video Games."

Lana Del Rey - Video Games (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com

And last but not least, Rebecca Black's "Friday" went super-viral and lodged itself in everyone's brains for eternity.

Rebecca Black - Fridaywww.youtube.com

Folky boys Conor Oberst, Wilco, and Jeff Magnum of Neutral Milk Hotel all had big years—the first two dropped great albums and the third reemerged from obscurity with a flood of unreleased gems. The ukulele also grew in popularity, taking center stage on the hit album w h o k i l l by tUnE-yArDs.

That year, we also tragically lost Amy Winehouse, who passed away at 27.

Movies: Franchises Come to a Close

2011's greatest hit was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, which smashed box office records. It was also a good year for the Twilight franchise; in Breaking Dawn, Part I, Jacob the werewolf imprinted (or fell eternally, irrevocably in love) with his former love interest's, Bella's, baby daughter.

Twilight 4 Breaking Dawn Part 1 Jacob imprints on Renesmee, the Cullens and the werewolves fight Ywww.youtube.com

Overall, it was a strange year for film. The Artist had everyone falling in love with an adorable dog; Drive polarized audiences, and so did The Descendants; and the heart-wrenching Like Crazy had everyone sobbing.

Las mejores escenas de Uggie ''The artist''www.youtube.com

TV: Escaping to Sweeter Times

Like the movies, television favored escapism, with shows like The Great British Bake-Off and Downton Abbey transporting viewers to other, sweeter times. Game of Thrones promised that "winter is coming," and South Park gave us "tween wave."

Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Fringe, and other dramas gained continued success.

Entertainment: Kate and Pippa Middleton Make History

2011's biggest entertainment event may have been the Royal Wedding, which dominated America's hearts. Kate Middleton's dress went down in history.

Kate and William offer a wave from the balcony to the masses gathered at Buckingham Palace. Not visible: a handful of revelers who decided to splash around in a nearby fountain Britain Royal Wedding PicturesPhoto by Matt Dunham/AP/Shutterstock

In terms of viral trends, honey badgers and planking were huge. The year's top Twitter trends were:

Egypt

Tigerblood

Threewordstoliveby

Idontunderstandwhy

Japan

Improudtosay

Superbowl

jan25

It wasn't a great year for Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan, whose hard-partying habits (and lawsuits) made headlines constantly. Lady Gaga arrived to the Grammys in a giant egg. Kim K. and Kris Humphries married and got divorced. Beyonce announced she was pregnant. Justin Bieber debuted his relationship with Selena Gomez–and was also slammed with a paternity suit. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher broke up. Anne Hathaway and James Franco hosted what was called "the worst Oscars ever."

That was 2011... A year of divas and distraction, chaos and comedy, and of course, the only 11/11/11 any of us will be alive for.

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MUSIC

The 10 Worst Lyrics From Your Favorite Rappers

Even famous rappers don't get it right every time.

Drake - Money In The Grave ft. Rick Ross
www.youtube.com

Everyone has a bad day every now and then, even your favorite rappers.

The highly accomplished acts below no doubt have more hits than flops, but in a sense that's what makes their flops so noticeable and uncharacteristic. From Drake, Rick Ross, and Future to Lil Wayne and Run-DMC, these are the worst lyrics uttered by your favorite rappers.

Nicki Minaj

"When he was a geisha, I was a Samurai, somehow I understood him when he spoke Thai."

Rocko - U.O.E.N.O. ft. Future, Rick Ross

"Put molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it. I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it."

RUN-DMC - King Of Rock (Official Video)

"There's three of us, but we're not the Beatles."

Lil Wayne

"I'm a venereal disease, like a menstrual bleed."

Nas

"Honey ain't a politican, she a pole-a-tician."

YG

"On my late-night thirsty, 'cause it was late-night and I was thirsty"

Fredo Santana

"Baby girl pull your pants up, I only want your face"

Pittbull

"Your man just left, I'm the plumber tonight, let me check your pipes. Oh, you're the healthy type. Well, here goes some egg whites."

Lil Pump

"I'm a millionaire but I don't know how to read."

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New Releases

Nicki Minaj Plays It Safe with “MEGATRON”

Nicki Minaj is a voracious rapper on any song, but she hasn't been able to put out anything innovative or captivating since 2014's The Pinkprint.

Nicki Minaj is throwing her hat into the ring for the song of the summer— and if her Barbz have anything to say about it, it's a big contender.

On "Megatron," Minaj stays in her element with an airy vibe. The Caribbean-inspired beat highlights the rapper's clever lyricism and bitey flow. Her first single post-Queen, "Megatron" validates that Minaj has already proven her abilities as a singular rapper. However, despite her skills, the "Queen of Rap" is still struggling to maintain relevance and reinvent the wheel.

The seductive, glossy video for "Megatron" is reminiscent of the bootylicious jungle in "Anaconda"—but the song, while great, demonstrates that Minaj hasn't progressed much as an artist since then. "Megatron" could've been released in 2015; if it had been, Minaj would've seemed edgy and ahead of her time. Unfortunately, nowadays, island-inspired, hip-swaying music has been overdone in popular music ever since Rihanna's "Work."

Still, the music video incorporates all of today's popular elements of futuristic, colorful, and inviting visuals. The video successfully adds to the playful, seductive energy of "Megatron." It perfectly captures how Minaj wants to be perceived, regardless of how unchanged and outdated her public image becomes.

Nicki Minaj may be in a realm of her own when it comes to her sound and style, as she's cultivated a voice that's instantly recognizable and sharp. Even though she comes packing with ingenious wordplay, a unique flow, and entertaining production, she hasn't been able to deliver anything as inspiring and cohesive as 2014's The Pinkprint. Yet, there's no doubt people will be bumping to the loose, sexy "Megatron" this summer, and maybe that's just what she needs to launch a second wave of relevance.

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