Massive Attack (song)
Encyclopedia
"Massive Attack" is a song by Trinidad
ian recording artist Nicki Minaj
. The song features American singer-songwriter and producer Sean Garrett
who wrote the song with Minaj and produced the song with Alex da Kid
. It served the first single from Minaj's debut album, Pink Friday
, with Billboard later claiming it was dropped from Pink Friday. The song was a distinct change in Minaj's previous work on mixtapes and features, thus receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics, commending lyrical content and distinctiveness, and critiquing that it did not fit her "Barbie
" persona well. An accompanying music video which features a helicopter chase, and militaristic jungle and desert scenes, was positively received. The song bubbled
under the Billboard Hot 100
at twenty-two, and peaked at sixty-five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart.
in March 2010, Minaj revealed the title to the song, and Garrett later hinted around details around his single with Minaj, stating,
said, "I started on the train and finished in the studio. I knew it was special from the start. It wasn't like I was aiming for Nicki with this track; I had a idea I thought was crazy. Nicki heard it and the rest was history." In an interview with MTV News
, Minaj stated when she first heard the song she felt she was in Africa
and fell in love with the drum beats, and commented, "It's a very rare. ... You're not gonna get the song the first time you hear it. After the second or third time, you're gonna be like, 'Whoa, what is this?' It sounds nothing like anything that's out right now." She also called the song "next-level futuristic", and said that she chose Garrett for the song in that he would be the best to "illustrate Nicki Minaj", as he got her and her personality". In an interview on the set of the video shoot for "Massive Attack", Minaj said, "I'm excited for people to hear me ... doing more than one verse. It's really creative. I wanted to be theatrical, but I am very serous about what I do." Also on the set of the video, Garrett said, "We wanted to give her something that was global," he continued. "We wanted to give her something that was urban; we wanted to give her something that was mainstream pop, you know what I mean, that the world could get a chance to see her out on this pedestal. And of course, you know, I had to come along with her, because I've got an album dropping soon." The song made its debut March 29, 2010 on WQHT. The song leaked onto the internet on March 30, 2010, the day before its music video premiere on 106 & Park
. The single's art cover was revealed on April 1, 2010, featuring a still of Minaj in the music video as a ninja and comic book font designs. Alex da Kid said that a lot of artists wanted the beat such as Jamie Foxx
and Young Jeezy
but he gave it to Nicki because it fit her "quirky, left-field vibe."
Alex da Kid was also interviewed by Rap-Up, and when asked about the commercial flop of the song and he said, "My whole thing [is that] I don’t want to do anything that’s the same as what’s out there, I think 'Massive Attack' may have been too different. If we would've put a big feature on it, like a Kanye
or Rihanna
or someone, I think it might've done a bit better. It needed something familiar about it."
as Minaj delivers her lyrics in a Caribbean
accent. It is composed in a "futuristic" style with heavy drum beats. It carries a "chaotic" beat with "screechy Euro-club synths" compared to Timbaland
. Minaj references E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Mr. Miyagi, The Phantom of the Opera
, and Simba
and Mufasa of The Lion King
film in her lines.
gave the single a mixed review, stating that Minaj, being "one of the most visually distinctive rappers to come along in years", that the single was an "anticlimatic coming out song", "considering the hype Minaj has generated through mixtapes, cameos and her co-starring role in Lil Wayne
's Young Money project". However Hererra did commend the lyrical content, stating "her sassy one-liners are as entertaining as always", and the overall production although it didn't suit Minaj's "her mental-patient delivery nearly as well as, say, Kane Beatz' simpler track for Young Money
's "BedRock". Robbie Daw of 'Idolator' said, "we wouldn’t expect Nicki to do any less than come out of the gate charging full force, lyrically, on her debut single. That said, we were expecting maybe a tad more of a melody on the track." Chris Ryan of 'MTV Buzzworthy' gave the song a positive review, stating "you get the feeling, listening to the song's air-raid keyboards and thunderous beats, that the Young Money princess really wants to separate herself from the rap pack and carve out a space all her own". Ryan also said, "her verbal dexterity, complex flow and humor, Nicki is reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott
-- and that's a compliment of the highest order".
, directed by Hype Williams
. When talking to 'MTV News' about the video Minaj stated,
make cameos. The video premiered on BET
's 106 & Park
on March 31, 2010 The video comprises a helicopter chase and militaristic desert and jungle scenes. The music video begins with Birdman giving Minaj a stack of money to carry to an unknown area in the desert. As the song begins Minaj appears in a blonde wig with a pink background which than cuts to Minaj riding in a pink Lamborghini
with Amber Rose driving as a potential new take on Thelma & Louise in a helicopter chase. Shots of desert creatures and Minaj in her Barbie wig are shown during the first hook. As the helicopter chase progresses, Minaj is seen singing to the camera in military gear and is later shown walking in an attacking line with her Harajuku
Army, which are all dressed in the same gear with pink wigs under helmets. During the chorus of the song, a shirtless Garrett is shown singing into the camera while clips of the helicopter chase are interpreted. During the second verse Minaj is in the jungle as a ninja with a long pink braid running down her back as she crawls on the ground and walks around the jungle. Some clips of two men (from Ringmasters) dancing with double-jointed shoulders are also shown. During the climax of the song Minaj is still in the jungle this time with a green wig were dancing in the mud and comes out of the water, crawling through the forest. The video ends as clips of the entire video are shown and closes with Minaj and Rose escaping in the pink Lamborghini.
On Friday, June 11, 2010 Hollywood Exotic Car Rental filed a lawsuit against Minaj for damages and unpaid rental charges on the car. They claimed that the vehicle was driven "off-road" and damaged “in the approximate amount of $11,589.41." Along with damages to the car, Minaj rented the car for $1,750 a day, and used the vehicle an additional three days totaling in an extra $5,250 owed. The rental company is suing for unpaid rental charges, property damage, and punitive damage.
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
ian recording artist Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
. The song features American singer-songwriter and producer Sean Garrett
Sean Garrett
Garrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
who wrote the song with Minaj and produced the song with Alex da Kid
Alex da Kid
Alexander Grant , better known as Alex da Kid, is a Grammy award winning English music songwriter and hip-hop producer.-Early life:...
. It served the first single from Minaj's debut album, Pink Friday
Pink Friday
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by hip hop recording artist Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe editions through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown. The intended lead single from the album, "Massive Attack", flopped...
, with Billboard later claiming it was dropped from Pink Friday. The song was a distinct change in Minaj's previous work on mixtapes and features, thus receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics, commending lyrical content and distinctiveness, and critiquing that it did not fit her "Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
" persona well. An accompanying music video which features a helicopter chase, and militaristic jungle and desert scenes, was positively received. The song bubbled
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
under the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at twenty-two, and peaked at sixty-five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
Background
In an interview with Rap-UpRap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
in March 2010, Minaj revealed the title to the song, and Garrett later hinted around details around his single with Minaj, stating,
"I just did Nicki’s first single featuring me. It’s gonna be a fucking bomb. It’s very, very explosive! It’s a club banger. It’s a lot broader than what people would expect her to come with. The record puts her in the game in a way that says she should’ve been here a long time ago. She has a real way of how she wants to do this. It’s just gonna be a surprise when it comes. She just wants to make it as huge as possible."Additionally, co-producer Alex da Kid
Alex da Kid
Alexander Grant , better known as Alex da Kid, is a Grammy award winning English music songwriter and hip-hop producer.-Early life:...
said, "I started on the train and finished in the studio. I knew it was special from the start. It wasn't like I was aiming for Nicki with this track; I had a idea I thought was crazy. Nicki heard it and the rest was history." In an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, Minaj stated when she first heard the song she felt she was in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and fell in love with the drum beats, and commented, "It's a very rare. ... You're not gonna get the song the first time you hear it. After the second or third time, you're gonna be like, 'Whoa, what is this?' It sounds nothing like anything that's out right now." She also called the song "next-level futuristic", and said that she chose Garrett for the song in that he would be the best to "illustrate Nicki Minaj", as he got her and her personality". In an interview on the set of the video shoot for "Massive Attack", Minaj said, "I'm excited for people to hear me ... doing more than one verse. It's really creative. I wanted to be theatrical, but I am very serous about what I do." Also on the set of the video, Garrett said, "We wanted to give her something that was global," he continued. "We wanted to give her something that was urban; we wanted to give her something that was mainstream pop, you know what I mean, that the world could get a chance to see her out on this pedestal. And of course, you know, I had to come along with her, because I've got an album dropping soon." The song made its debut March 29, 2010 on WQHT. The song leaked onto the internet on March 30, 2010, the day before its music video premiere on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
. The single's art cover was revealed on April 1, 2010, featuring a still of Minaj in the music video as a ninja and comic book font designs. Alex da Kid said that a lot of artists wanted the beat such as Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
and Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
but he gave it to Nicki because it fit her "quirky, left-field vibe."
Alex da Kid was also interviewed by Rap-Up, and when asked about the commercial flop of the song and he said, "My whole thing [is that] I don’t want to do anything that’s the same as what’s out there, I think 'Massive Attack' may have been too different. If we would've put a big feature on it, like a Kanye
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
or Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
or someone, I think it might've done a bit better. It needed something familiar about it."
Music and lyrics
The song fuses hip-hop and danceDance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
as Minaj delivers her lyrics in a Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
accent. It is composed in a "futuristic" style with heavy drum beats. It carries a "chaotic" beat with "screechy Euro-club synths" compared to Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
. Minaj references E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Mr. Miyagi, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
, and Simba
Simba
Simba is a lion character and the protagonist of Disney's most successful animated feature film, The Lion King. He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, mate of Nala, and father of Kiara. He has golden fur and when he grows into an adult, he has an auburn mane...
and Mufasa of The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
film in her lines.
Critical reception
Monica Herrera of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the single a mixed review, stating that Minaj, being "one of the most visually distinctive rappers to come along in years", that the single was an "anticlimatic coming out song", "considering the hype Minaj has generated through mixtapes, cameos and her co-starring role in Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
's Young Money project". However Hererra did commend the lyrical content, stating "her sassy one-liners are as entertaining as always", and the overall production although it didn't suit Minaj's "her mental-patient delivery nearly as well as, say, Kane Beatz' simpler track for Young Money
Young Money Entertainment
Young Money Entertainment is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Young Money's president is Lil Wayne's lifelong friend Mack Maine. The label is an imprint of Cash Money Records and is distributed by Universal Republic Records...
's "BedRock". Robbie Daw of 'Idolator' said, "we wouldn’t expect Nicki to do any less than come out of the gate charging full force, lyrically, on her debut single. That said, we were expecting maybe a tad more of a melody on the track." Chris Ryan of 'MTV Buzzworthy' gave the song a positive review, stating "you get the feeling, listening to the song's air-raid keyboards and thunderous beats, that the Young Money princess really wants to separate herself from the rap pack and carve out a space all her own". Ryan also said, "her verbal dexterity, complex flow and humor, Nicki is reminiscent of classic Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
-- and that's a compliment of the highest order".
Music video
A music video for the single was shot on March 15, 2010 in the deserts of Lancaster, CaliforniaLancaster, California
Lancaster is a charter city in northern Los Angeles County, in the high desert, near the Kern County line. Lancaster currently ranks as the 30th largest city in California, and the 148th largest city in the United States. Lancaster is the principal city within the Antelope Valley...
, directed by Hype Williams
Hype Williams
Harold "Hype" Williams , previously known as HYPE, is an American music video and film director of African-American and Honduran descent. His nickname "Hype" comes from his hyperactive nature as a child....
. When talking to 'MTV News' about the video Minaj stated,
"I didn't want to shoot the typical new-artist vision. Thank God I have a wonderful label that stands behind me and my vision. I met Hype in a freakin' airport...and it happened to be a week before I wanted to shoot a video. I told him the idea. Of course, I had to let Baby and Slim know and hope they would understand my expensive taste. It all came together." It's just beautiful — the clothes, everything. The ambiance..It's for all the girls that like to play dress-up. They're gonna love this one...we get on the walkie-talkie, like, 'Mayday! Mayday!' It's really fashion and beauty shots, and we're acting like we're doing something important. We wanted to make it pretty in the dirt. We wanted to have a very crazy contrast. I didn't want to do everything clean. I like the dirt. All that pink stuff looks even prettier in the dirt."
Concept
Sean Garrett appears in the video and Birdman, Amber Rose, and Ringmasters of Season 3 of America's Best Dance CrewAmerica's Best Dance Crew (Season 3)
The third season of America's Best Dance Crew premiered on January 15, 2009. It was hosted by Mario Lopez and featured Layla Kayleigh as the backstage correspondent. The judges included rapper Lil Mama, former *NSYNC singer JC Chasez, and hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks...
make cameos. The video premiered on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on March 31, 2010 The video comprises a helicopter chase and militaristic desert and jungle scenes. The music video begins with Birdman giving Minaj a stack of money to carry to an unknown area in the desert. As the song begins Minaj appears in a blonde wig with a pink background which than cuts to Minaj riding in a pink Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
with Amber Rose driving as a potential new take on Thelma & Louise in a helicopter chase. Shots of desert creatures and Minaj in her Barbie wig are shown during the first hook. As the helicopter chase progresses, Minaj is seen singing to the camera in military gear and is later shown walking in an attacking line with her Harajuku
Harajuku
Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
Army, which are all dressed in the same gear with pink wigs under helmets. During the chorus of the song, a shirtless Garrett is shown singing into the camera while clips of the helicopter chase are interpreted. During the second verse Minaj is in the jungle as a ninja with a long pink braid running down her back as she crawls on the ground and walks around the jungle. Some clips of two men (from Ringmasters) dancing with double-jointed shoulders are also shown. During the climax of the song Minaj is still in the jungle this time with a green wig were dancing in the mud and comes out of the water, crawling through the forest. The video ends as clips of the entire video are shown and closes with Minaj and Rose escaping in the pink Lamborghini.
Reception and lawsuit
The video garnered media attention, with Monica Herrera of Billboard commenting on a review for the single, "It figures, then, that discussion of her debut single, "Massive Attack," would take a back seat to its Hype Williams-directed, B-movie-inspired video." Chris Ryan of MTV News commented on the video, saying, "We L-U-V Barbie because she's a trendsetter and a strident, unique artist. But with great style comes great responsibility. Her video for 'Massive Attack,' the first single off her long-awaited debut album, is bananas".On Friday, June 11, 2010 Hollywood Exotic Car Rental filed a lawsuit against Minaj for damages and unpaid rental charges on the car. They claimed that the vehicle was driven "off-road" and damaged “in the approximate amount of $11,589.41." Along with damages to the car, Minaj rented the car for $1,750 a day, and used the vehicle an additional three days totaling in an extra $5,250 owed. The rental company is suing for unpaid rental charges, property damage, and punitive damage.
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
65 |
| U.S. Top Heatseekers Songs Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
19 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | April 13, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Rhythmic airplay | ||
| April 20, 2010 | Urban Urban contemporary Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music... airplay |
|
| Brazil | September 16, 2010 | Digital download |