Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 03/29/2012 at 1:27 PM Reviews

The Popdust Files: i am your leader, nicki minaj, Roman Reloaded, track-by-track reviews

Track 3: “I Am Your Leader”

Sounds Like: A chilled-out, humming beat punctuated on the chorus with a blunted fake-horn hook—halfway between classic-era Neptunes and “Look At Me Now,” courtesy again of “Niggas in Paris” co-producer Hit-Boy. Repetitive, high-pitched, off-pitch synth hooks over booming, static bass is clearly the thing now in hip-hop, and Hit-Boy does the trend proud on this one—Diplo and Bangladesh might have to watch their back after the up-and-comers contributions to this album.

Pros: It’s easy to sound great over this beat, but guest rappers and Rick Ross and Cam’Ron bring their A-games anyway. Rozay especially sounds looser and more in the zone than we’ve heard him since last year’s health scare, bragging “Monday Night with the RAW, Vince McMahon on the beat” and “Where the fuck is her manners, she give me brain while I tweet.” (Isn’t that just the ultimate?) Cam mostly gets by on personality and his typical charmingly incomprehensible flow, though he does have a couple memorable moments, starting with his introductory “See the car is european but got imported from tokyo / Looking like a shark, the nose call it Pinocchio.”

Cons: It’s not Nicki’s strongest couple of verses, and she gets a little bit overshadowed by her guest stars. At the very least, though, she gets to own the chorus on her lonesome: “I am your leader, yes I am your leader / If you not a believer, suck a big dick.”

Roman Rating: 8/10. Not quite as phallocentric as “Come On a Cone”—how could it be?—but the “suck a big dick” chorus and claims of “I breeze through Queens to check some bad bitches” and “It’s Dipset, get your dick wet” won’t be winning Nicki any points with the Congeniality judges.

WTF? Moment: “I’m me top shotta’ drop the top toppa’ / Big fat pussy with a icy watch.” Sure.

Hashtag Alert: “OJ, No glove, I knife her.” Nice one, Cam.

Previous Reviews: “Roman Holiday,” “Come on a Cone”

POPDUST SAYS:
[starreview tpl=16]