Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 03/29/2012 at 2:32 PM Reviews

The Popdust Files: lil wayne, nicki minaj, Roman Reloaded, track-by-track reviews

Track 6: “Roman Reloaded”

Sounds Like: The hardest-hitting cut on the album, featuring a backing track swirling with bee-buzz synths, pounding bass drums, relentless handclaps, thudding bass, and of course, enough gun-cocking and gun-blasting sound effects for a couple dozen Michael Bay flicks. We’ve heard it before, but even in the context of the album, it’s a standout track for its sheer going-in-ness.

Pros: Nicki rises to the occasion with some of her best boasting and shit-talking since “Did It On Em,” with nearly every verse a punchline. She sets the tone early with the twisty “I guess I went commercial  / Just shot a commercial  / When I flew to the set though, I aint fly commercial” opening lines, then raises the stakes through references to Columbine and Basketball Wives, and even finding a way to make the word “agricultures” (not technically a word) sound like a slam dunk. “You at the bottom of the barrel, scraping / I’m out in LA, at the Ice Age taping.” Bang.

Cons: Lil Wayne gets buoyed by the song’s beat, but still mostly phones in his guest verse, including perhaps the biggest lyrical non sequitur of his long and storied career of free-association: “Shoutout to Mack Maine, Backyard Bully / And the weed purple like a black girl’s pussy.” You guys remember when the parenthetical “(feat. Lil Wayne)” wasn’t cause for groaning?

Roman Rating: 8/10. The specific references aren’t there, but the spirit of Roman is strong in this one. Nicki doesn’t always have to reference her literally pissing on these hoes to get the point across that she is, in fact, doing so.

WTF? Moment: Lil Wayne has a little too much fun singing along with the “bang, b-bang bang” hook at the end of the song, even losing his breath in the process. “That’s because my bitch Nina Ross, and, and…SHE BANG! BA-BANG BANG!” Whatever.

Hashtag Alert: Nicki gets the NBA posterization of the year award for “I hear the slick shit, bitch you washed / All you hos is crying, Christpher Bosh.”

Previous Reviews: “Roman Holiday,” “Come On A Cone,” “I Am Your Leader,” “Beez in the Trap,” “HOV Lane”

POPDUST SAYS:
[starreview tpl=16]