Kanye West - "Monster" (F/ Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Bon Iver) The Bottom Line
Bouncy and playful, rowdy and boastful, Kanye's "Monster" is a monster.
Pros
* Kanye's delivery has improved
* Jay-Z beats your face in with an iron-laden flow
* Bon Iver adds some flavor
Cons
* Some of the guest rhymes are forgettable
Description
* First installment in Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music Friday series
* First song to feature Bon Iver, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj
* First rap song to feature the word "sarcophagus"
Guide Review - Kanye West - "Monster" (F/ Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Bon Iver)
In many ways, "Monster" is about growth and improvement. Jay-Z has grown better at the art of aiming a singular missile at multiple targets. Kanye has improved his mic presence and delivery over the years. And Nicki Minaj has stepped up her flow-flip gimmicks.
"Do the rap and the track, triple double, no assist," Kanye states on the self-produced "Monster." He then proceeds to flip multi-syllabic rhymes as if they're going out of fashion, rhyming "on top of this" with "sarcophagus" and "esophagus" with "a swallowship."
"Everybody wanna know what my Achilles heel is," Jay spits. "Love - I dont get enough of it. All I get is these vampires and blood suckers. All I get is these rappers I made millionaires, milling about, spilling their feelings in the air." Who's in Jay's crosshairs? Take your pick from Cam'ron to Beanie Sigel.
After a few spins, I stared at my iTunes and wondered if it's possible to sonically excise Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross from "Monster." Nicki Minaj actually starts off strong but can't close the deal. She throws up her hands and leans on that gimmicky voice of hers as a crutch the rest of the way. It reminds me of something my cat brought home but couldn't be bothered to kill.
Jay's verse is easily the best. It's not even debatable. But Jay's hearing Ye's footsteps behind him, as Ye drops some of his coldest rhymes in a while. (I apologize for not mentioning Rick Ross in the review. I forgot he was on the song.)
http://www.rapbasement.com/audio/kanye-west-ft-jay-z-rick-ross-nicki-minaj-monster.html HERE IS THE SONG.