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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