Nicki Minaj, 'Super Bass'
Nicki Minaj is the rare female artist making headway in a hip-hop world still largely dominated by men; Kanye West and Drake have both featured her on their albums only to find that her snarled guest raps outshine their own. She largely cages her wild side on her own debut album Pink Friday, but one exception is the peppy "Super Bass." Here, Minaj spouts bubbly raps so fast that they'd even make speed-rapping titan Busta Rhymes do a double-take. With a simple refrain — "You got that boom ba-doom boom, boom ba-doom boom, super bass" — Minaj has found a way to mold her savagery to fit pop music's standards. The way her voice switches from a coquettish coo to a violent roar in that first verse belies what would otherwise be just another soft, innocent pop song.