Download of the Day: Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass"

Nicki Minaj has done something very few female rappers can successful do; crossover to the mainstream.

With a song like the infectious "Super Bass", is it really hard to see why?

Nicki spits rapid-fire verses in her inimitably touch but cute style over a delectable pop beat. It still amazes me how she can switch personas so easily without sounding cheesy or anything, but it works very well, so there's no point in questioning it. The Ester Dean-assisted chorus is the money pot of the song, with that irresistible hook and the power punch of the production. The breakdown, where Nicki pulls out her very good singing voice, is a welcome surprise, and I hope that she considers more of it in the future (or she could release the #1-in-waiting "Save Me" and save herself the trouble).

Anyone who pops over to iTunes can see that this could be her biggest hit yet, which should be telltale sign that Minaj has found her lane in pop. Rating: 8/10

BWU AWARDS 2010: Drake and Nicki Dominate with 4 Wins Each

Young Money's Drake and Nicki Minaj won eight BWU Awards between them

Rappers Drake and Nicki Minaj have dominated the 2010 BWU Awards, each winning four awards.

Drake, who won Best New Artist last year, scored two of the biggest awards, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year. He had 30% of the votes for both awards, putting him in a comfortable lead. Drake also won Best Male Artist and Best Hip-Hop Single.

Drake lost Best Hip-Hop Artist to Nicki, who proved to be a force to be reckoned with this year. In the Best New Artist category, she was virtually uncontested, scoring 57% of the votes. She faced some more competition for Best Female Arist, but she ultimately took that home as well, with 38% of the votes. For Best Female Single, she tied with Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)", the first tie in that category ever.

Rihanna was the other big winner, taking home three awards, including Single of the Year for her collaboration with Eminem, "Love The Way You Lie". Taylor Swift, Black Eyed Peas, and Yolanda Be Cool each won two awards.

Below is the full winner's list (which will also be available on the 2010 BWU Awards page):

Single of the Year - "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem and Rihanna
Artist of the Year - Drake
Album of the Year - Thank Me Later by Drake
Video of the Year - Telephone by Lady Gaga and Beyoncé
Best New Artist - Nicki Minaj
Best Female Artist - Nicki Minaj
Best Female Single - "Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna/"Your Love" by Nicki Minaj
Best Male Artist - Drake
Best Male Single - "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
Best Group - Black Eyed Peas
Best Group Single - "Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas
Best Collaboration - "Airplanes" by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams
Best Ballad - "The Only Exception" by Paramore
Best Pop Artist - Rihanna
Best Pop Single - "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
Best R&B Artist - Alicia Keys
Best R&B Single - "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" by Alicia Keys
Best Hip-Hop Artist - Drake
Best Hip-Hop Single - "Your Love" by Nicki Minaj
Best Rock Artist - Kings of Leon
Best Rock Single - "Hey Soul Sister" by Train
Best Dance Artist - David Guetta
Best Dance Single - "We Speak No Americano" by Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup
Best Country Artist - Taylor Swift
Best Country Single - "Mine" by Taylor Swift
Best International Single - We Speak No Americano by Yolanda Be Cool and Dcup

Download of the Day 9/29: "Right Thru Me" by Nicki Minaj

Can you see "right through"
Nicki's new track?

With her hotly-anticipated debut less than two months away, Nicki Minaj is doing her best to build up the hype.

After the runaway success of "Your Love", the Queens-bred rapper is continuing her unique (okay, not really) blend of hip-hop and ballad with a brand new single, "Right Thru Me". Honestly, if she wasn't rapping in the verses, this easily could have been a dance-pop ballad for a mid-range diva (see Rihanna). There are synths, swishing and throbbing, coming from every direction, and the beat is simple, bur consistent and great. It makes for an awesome arrangement and overall production. Nicki, of course, holds the rest of the cards for this song's success, and she once again doesn't disappoint. The rapping is fluid and her verses thoughtful and clever. Her singing voice is also improving, meaning there is a lot less Auto-Tune in use. Her vocals (rapping and singing) carry a palpable amount of emotion, making a lot easier to connect and appreciate. While the chorus isn't as hook-rich as I would've expected for a Minaj track, there is definitely enough going on to consider this song a success.

Rating: 8/10

Download of the Day (8/04): "2012 (It Ain't The End)" by Jay Sean featuring Nicki Minaj

Jay Sean wants to party 'til it's 2012,
with Nicki Minaj of course!

Last month, Usher reportedly told a British newspaper that the UK male pop stars are watering down R&B and that they have to prove themselves to US fans.

Of course, he was implying this about, among others, Jay Sean.

Although he scored a huge #1 hit with "Down" and a Top 10 followup with "Do You Remember", Sean started a trend of male pop stars who failed to make a dent in the market despite single success. he himself even admitted that Usher was right, and that the States hasn't seen all he could offer.

Hence, the release of a new album this fall and its trailer single, "2012 (It Ain't The End)". And yes, the song is named after the apocalyptic 2009 film 2012.

But Sean isn't worrying about the end of the world at all. As long as bottle keep poppin' in parties ranging from New York to Japan, he's all good. In fact, he's banking on this being a history-making party (I'm sure Diddy's annual White Party would disagree).

So, should he be worried about this being the end? Not really.

While it is obviously a watered-down rip-off of Prince's iconic "1999", it is a pretty good watered-down rip-off. It is the same brand of R&B electropop that Usher chided (and later implemented into a #1 smash), but there is something a lot more urgent and fun about this when compared to his previous singles. Jay Sean is definitely a good singer, and there is a little more wiggle room for his chords this time around, although I'm hoping a ballad will come in the future.

But enough about him.

Nicki Minaj is on this track, and just as she's down for the last 100 tracks she's featured on, she's grabbed a nice bottleful of thunder. Hell, even Sean knows her blockbuster status, putting her verse in after the first chorus. Her rhymes are slick as always, with a "Free Weezy" slipped in for good measure. Honestly, she's the one who makes this track a success.

"2012 (It Ain't The End)" may not be the "proof" that potential fans on both sides of the Atlantic need, but it is another solid entry into the charts and into Sean's building discography.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Available NOW on iTunes)

Music Video Premiere: "Your Love" by Nicki Minaj

After it's release forever ago, rapper Nicki Minaj has finally released the music video for her hit "Your Love".

Taking cues from the lyrics, the music video takes place in a female dojo led by Michael Jai White. The teacher catches the eye of Nicki and another girl, and as you would expect, they end up fighting over him.

I find it surprising, considering all of the cash coming into Young Money, that the video looked so cheap. The concept was actually brilliant, and Nicki looked amazing (she's really coming into her own style), but the overall direction was just amateurish at best. Seriously, whoever is directing the videos at Young Money needs to be dropped stat, because all of them so far have been disappointing.

That said, "Your Love" is a great song and Nicki has a really promising future in the pop arena.

Check the video out below. Did you guys like it?

Nicki Minaj - New Music - More Music Videos