"Beez in the Trap" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Nicki Minaj featuring 2 Chainz | ||||
from the album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded | ||||
Released | May 29, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011 | |||
Studio | Conway, Hollywood, California | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:28 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Kenoe | |||
Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
2 Chainz singles chronology | ||||
|
"Beez in the Trap" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, featuring American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on May 29, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by both artists, alongside producer Kenoe.
Musically, "Beez in the Trap" is primarily an electro-hop and hardcore hip hop song which features a retro 1980s gangsta rap production and elements of dubstep, grime, and trap. The song peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the hot rap charts. An accompanying music video for the track was released on Vevo on April 6, 2012.
"Beez in the Trap" was written by Minaj, Maurice Jordan, and 2 Chainz, while production was handled by Kenoe. It was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, California by Ariel Chabaz and Finis "KY" White with assistance from Jon Sher. Mixing of the song was done by Chabaz with additional help from Sher at Conway Studios. [1] Originally, Kenoe began sending both pop and hip-hop songs to Minaj when he heard that production of her second album had begun. Later that same day, Minaj's A&R Mack Maine informed him that she was looking for "some rap shit", so he submitted more aggressive, urban songs in hopes of inclusion on the record. Kenoe said that the song's musical concept was simplicity as he didn't want "a million and one things going on in it", and credited it as being distinctive from the others included on the album. [2] The song premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012. [3] In an interview with Graham Norton, Minaj stated "It just means, 'I am always...' you know, that's our slang way of saying, 'I beez doing such-and-such-and-such.' So it's really like, 'I am always in the trap.' Now, the trap, ladies and gentlemen, relates to anywhere where you get your money." [4]
"Beez in the Trap" is an electro-hop, hardcore hip-hop, and southern hip hop slow jam set in common time. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] The music is built around a spacious and echoed beat, [10] complemented by sparse hollow drums, and heavy-bass. [11] Its permutable soundscape incorporates a retro 1980s gangsta rap production, [11] which consists of effects such as finger-snaps, sparse instrumentation, ricocheting sonar blips, [12] "drip drip" synths, [11] and features elements of dubstep and grime music. [7] [13]
The song's musical structure is characterized by its ultra minimalistic production, [14] devoid of any hooks and often veering on nothing but empty space, [14] [15] with the exception of a "bubble-pop" beat and a "growling" sub-bass. [8] [13] Throughout "Beez in the Trap", Minaj changes and adapts her vocal delivery to specific areas of the song. During the verses and bridge, her vocals are "biting and caustic", while in the choruses, her vocals are "matter-of-fact and almost bubbly" according to Jessica Sager of Popcrush. [16] Calling it trap song, Nathan S of the music review site DJ Booth said Minaj "put aside her usually schizophrenic rhyme style in favor of a mellow, almost spoken style." [10]
The song received generally positive reviews. Although he felt that the song "lack[ed] real substance", Adam Fleischer of XXL praised "Beez in the Trap", calling it a "memorable moment" of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded; he also complimented the "unique energy and distinct personality" Minaj displayed in the song. [17] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media described "Beez in the Trap" as an "effortless, pinging schoolyard taunt", [18] and, in a separate review of the song for the same publication, Carrie Battan complimented Minaj's "daunting swagger", writing that she "hits a spot sweet enough to render every single gripe obsolete for four and a half minutes". [19] In her review of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded for The A.V. Club , Genevieve Koski described Minaj's performance as "relatively sedate but incredibly sharp": she called the song's production "spare" and "sonar-blip", and noted Minaj to be "at her most verbose" during the first six songs of the album. [12]
Tom Ewing, writing for The Guardian , felt "Beez in the Trap" showed Minaj's awareness of her "divided fanbase": he noted that while Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded contained songs that were "precision-tooled for the modern pop environment", "Beez in the Trap" places more emphasis on Minaj's rapping ability, writing that the song "throw[s] a bone to the listeners who just want to hear her rap". [20] Rob Markman of MTV News commended the performance of 2 Chainz, calling his verse in the song "charismatic", and went on to write that he "doesn't compromise a thing spitting alongside the multiplatinum rapper". [3] No Ripcord stated that "I Am Your Leader and Beez in the Trap are thrilling and make good use of cameos". [21] Slant Magazine stated that "I Am Your Leader and Beez in the Trap [are] two excellent tracks which manage to sound both bubbly and heavy as Minaj delivers her most effortlessly entertaining shit-talk to date". [22]
Complex named the song No. 9 on their list of the best 50 songs of 2012, while Pitchfork Media ranked it No. 18. [23] [24] Rolling Stone ranked it as the 44th best song of the 2010s decade, [25] while Pitchfork named it the 150th best song of the decade. [26]
Minaj filmed the official music video for "Beez in the Trap" on March 18, 2012 in Miami. It was directed by Benny Boom. The video, which featured 2 Chainz, was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account. [27] The video was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. [28] As of August 2021, the video has more than 206 million views. [29]
The video begins with Minaj squatting down wearing a blonde wig in a pink turtleneck leotard, with barbed wire as a foreground. A clip is shown of women and men partying in a strip club. Minaj is then sitting in a green wig in a club with many strippers and exotic dancers; she and her female friends sit down in bikinis flashing money, and act flirtatiously with one another. Then 2 Chainz appears rapping his verse, while Minaj is seen beside him dancing very seductively in a leopard print catsuit in a dimly lit room. Throughout the video clips of Minaj and others are seen partying, and drinking. Birdman makes an appearance in the video. Towards the end Minaj raps her second verse in a bikini with her hype man "SB" behind her, and she is in the same dark lit room with strippers sensually dancing around her. The video ends with Minaj and 2 Chainz back to back.
Minaj performed the song live for the first time on 106 & Park on April 3, 2012, along with "Champion", "Roman Reloaded", "Right by My Side", "HOV Lane", "I Am Your Leader", and "Fire Burns". She performed the song after "Champion" at the BET Awards 2012 along with 2 Chainz. The song was also performed live on Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on June 23, 2012. Minaj added the song to the set list of her Pink Friday Tour, where she performed the song with 2 Chainz on the North American leg. The song was also included on Minaj's Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour.
The song debuted at number 73 on the Hot Digital Singles chart in the week ending August 15, 2012. As of December 2014 the song had sold over 1 million copies in the United States. [30] On September 19, 2023 it was certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. [31]
The credits for "Beez in the Trap" are adapted from the liner notes of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. [32] Recording
Personnel
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
---|---|
Ireland (IRMA) [33] | 74 |
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [34] | 131 |
UK R&B (Official Charts Company) [35] | 32 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [36] | 48 |
Chart (2012) | Position |
---|---|
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [37] | 45 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [38] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [39] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [40] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
United States | May 29, 2012 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [41] |
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born rapper and singer based in the United States. Often referred to as the "Queen of Rap", she is known for her musical versatility, animated rap flow, and alter egos. She first gained recognition after releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009.
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj began planning the album that same year and work continued into 2010. Minaj enlisted a variety of producers whose efforts resulted in a primarily hip hop, pop and R&B album, which sees additional influences from electronic music. The album features guest vocals from Eminem, Rihanna, Drake, will.i.am, Kanye West and Natasha Bedingfield.
"Raining Men" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). Written by Melvin Hough II, Rivelino Wouter, Timothy Thomas, Theron Thomas and Onika Maraj, and produced by Mel & Mus, the song was sent to urban radio on December 7, 2010, as the album's third single in the United States, and was re-sent to urban radio on January 25, 2011. A hip hop song, it features rap vocals by Nicki Minaj and instrumentation consisting of sirens, bass, and hip hop drums. The song's lyrics revolve around how there is an endless supply of men available in the world. The song garnered a mixed response from music critics; some praised the chemistry between Rihanna and Minaj, while others commented that it bore strong resemblances to Beyoncé's song "Diva" with regard to its composition, and were critical of the notion.
"Did It On'em" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 7, 2011 by Young Money and Cash Money as the sixth single from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was written by Minaj with J. Ellington and Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, who produced the track.
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded is the second studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on April 2, 2012 by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Looking to transition from her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010), Minaj wanted to make a follow-up record about "just having fun". Stylistically, the album is divided by a first half of hip hop tracks and a second half of dance-pop songs. As executive producer, Minaj enlisted a variety of collaborators.
"Roman in Moscow" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on December 2, 2011, as a teaser for her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, although it was not included in the official track listing of the album. The song was written by Onika Maraj and produced by Streetrunner and Sarom.
"Champion" is a song by Trinidadian rapper and singer Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Nas, and Young Jeezy, taken from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). "Champion" was written by Minaj, Aubrey Graham, Jay Jenkins, Nasir Jones, and Jayceon Taylor, while the production and additional writing was handled by Pink Friday (2010) collaborators T-Minus and Nikhil Seetharam. Musically, "Champion" is a downtempo hardcore hip hop ballad that also incorporates elements of R&B, new-age, and space music. The lyrics speak of each artist's rise to fame, as well as the trials and tribulations that it carries; it references the death of Minaj's cousin, Nicholas Telemaque, who was murdered near his Brooklyn home on July 3, 2011.
"Starships" is a song by Trinidadian rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by Nicki Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk.
"Roman Holiday" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, released as the opening track from her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by Minaj, Larry Nacht, Winston Thomas and Safaree Samuels, and produced by Blackout (Thomas) and Pink Friday Productions. Two months prior to the album's official release, Minaj performed what many viewed as a controversial rendition of the song at the 54th Grammy Awards ceremony on February 12, 2012, which received controversy from the Catholic Church for the usage of religious imagery. Minaj was the first solo female rapper to perform at the Grammys.
"Roman Reloaded" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj featuring Lil Wayne, from Minaj's second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. After being premiered on February 23, 2012 on Hot 97 radio, "Roman Reloaded" was released to digital outlets the next day as a promotional single. It was produced by Rico Beats.
"Right by My Side" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj featuring American singer Chris Brown. It was released on March 27, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the second single from Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). "Right by My Side" was written by Ester Dean and Minaj, while production was handled by Pop & Oak. On March 27, 2012, "Right by My Side" was released as the second official single from the album to Rhythmic and Urban radio in the U.S.
The Pink Friday Tour was the debut concert tour by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj in support of her first two studio albums, Pink Friday (2010) and Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The tour was officially announced on May 1, 2012.
"Va Va Voom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe edition of her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. It was released on October 23, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the sixth and final single from the album.
"I Am Your Leader" is a song recorded by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj for her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song features additional rap vocals from hip hop artists Rick Ross and Cam'ron. Production of the song was handled by Fernando Garibay & Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis, with writing coming from Minaj, Garibay, Hollis, Ross, and Cam'ron. Musically, "I Am Your Leader" is a midtempo hardcore hip hop and electro hop song that contains sparse beats, minimal instrumentation, repetitive, high-pitched, off-pitch synth hooks, and a booming, static bass. Lyrically, Minaj "dishes boast-heavy verses about how she’s better than all these other bitches", according to Adam Fleischer of XXL Magazine.
"Come on a Cone" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, taken from her sophomore studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). Minaj, Garibay and Hit-Boy wrote it and Fernando Garibay & Hit-Boy produced it. Musically, it is a hardcore hip hop song that uses electronic beats. Lyrically, the song is rumored to be another diss song to Lil' Kim, following "Roman's Revenge" and "Stupid Hoe". "Come on a Cone" received mainly positive reviews from contemporary critics, while others criticized the chorus, calling it the main problem of the song.
"The Boys" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj and American singer Cassie. It was released on September 13, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the lead single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Anjulie Persaud, Jonas Jeberg and Jean Baptiste, and produced by the latter two. It was Minaj's last single to be released by Universal Republic before the label went defunct and its artists roster moved to the revived Republic Records. Initially a track recorded by Cassie for her second studio album under the title "Money on Love," it was subsequently played for Minaj during sessions for The Re-Up, who decided to keep Cassie's vocals but wrote her own verses with certain production portions also being re-worked.
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up is the reissue of rapper Nicki Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was released on November 19, 2012, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Released seven months after the original, The Re-Up features seven newly recorded songs and an exclusive behind-the-scenes footage DVD. The new material incorporates hip hop and pop styles. As co-executive producer, Minaj enlisted collaborators Boi-1da, Juicy J and T-Minus.
"Freedom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 2, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the second single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Matthew Burnett, and Matthew Samuels. Production was helmed by Samuels under his stage name Boi-1da. The song was released for digital download by Cash Money Records in the US and Canada on November 2, 2012 and in other countries on November 6, 2012. It was serviced to US urban radio on November 27 and to mainstream radio in the United Kingdom the following day. "Freedom" is a downtempo hip hop and R&B song that features a "sonically breezy" soundscape, complied with ambient riffs, pop-inspired synths, and soft pop choruses.
"High School" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on April 16, 2013 by Young Money, Cash Money and Republic as the third and final single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012).
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)..."Beez in the Trap" was a welcome return for Minaj in pure hip-hop form: a slow-rolling Southern-rap bass boom...
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)