Even though this is technically a Kanye West track (or a Jay-Z one,
Kanye tweeted that they are "bout to drop" a five-track album called
Watch The Throne) we decided to have Nicki Minaj as our lead image because her verse on the song could be her best ever. It's heavy on the accents and altering voices – her stylings are so hard to pin down – and the lyrics are chockers with bravado. She owns it. Which is an especially big call when her competitors include Hov.
The song, though, is a collaboration of epic proportions: Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver. (What happened to Bon Iver's voice? He sounds different.)
Listen up for Kanye's shout-out to Napoleon Dynamite.
Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver 'Monster':
More at
kanyeuniversecity.com.