Monster

"Monster"
Single by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver and Nicki Minaj
from the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Released	October 23, 2010 (2010-10-23) (see release history)
Recorded	2010
Genre	Hip hop
Length	6:18
Label	Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Writer(s)	Kanye West, Shawn Carter, William Roberts, Onika Maraj, Justin Vernon
Producer	Kanye West
Kanye West singles chronology
"Runaway" (2010) "Monster" (2010) "Start It Up" (2010)
Jay-Z chronology "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" (2010) "Monster" (2010) "H.A.M" (2011) Rick Ross chronology "Live Fast, Die Young" (2010) "Monster" (2010) "Swagger Right" (2010) Nicki Minaj chronology "Right Thru Me" (2010) "Monster" (2010) "I Ain't Thru" (2010) Bon Iver chronology "Come Talk to Me" (2010) "Monster" (2010) "Calgary" (2011) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy track listing "All of the Lights" (5) "Monster" (6) "So Appalled" (7)

"Monster" is the third official single from Kanye West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It features Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Justin Vernon of indie folk group Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj.^[1][2] The song was first released as a free download through West's "GOOD Friday" initiative, in which the rapper showcases a new unreleased song for free every Friday until the album's release.^[3] It was officially released on iTunes on October 23, 2010, and was featured in the 2011 comedy film The Hangover Part II.

In October 2011, NME placed it at number 53 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".^[4] "Monster" has been the topic of much controversy due to its provocative lyrics and music video (which was banned from MTV).^[5] The video has been criticized for its portayal of women.^[6][7][8]

Background and composition

	"Monster" A 30 second sample of "Monster" which features the closing lines of Kanye's verse and the beginning of the chorus.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

The single contains snapping synth-splashed beats as each performer takes their turn rapping over the track.^[9] Nicki Minaj contributed 31 bars to the song^[10] and recorded the track in Hawaii, after writing it on the plane ride there.^[11] Rapper & collaborator Rick Ross praised Nicki Minaj's verse by stating "That was the day Nicki Minaj earned my respect as a lyricist. Before that day she was a great entertainer, but for me to get in the studio with my own two eyes and see her write her verse, I knew that was gonna be one of the greatest verses of this year."^[11]

Critical reception

The reviews for "Monster" were extremely positive, most critics complimenting Minaj for delivering a stand-out verse.^[12] Becky Bain of Idolator stated "With five distinct artists all strutting their stuff (and/or vying for attention?), the one who shines the brightest (and the loudest) is hands down Mrs. Aubrey Drake Graham and possible Twitter prankster, Nicki Minaj."^[12] Sara D. Anderson of AOL gave the song a positive review, complimenting each artist on their contribution.^[13] Anderson stated "West provides the catchy hook, Indie folk rock outfit Bon Iver frame the song; a hoarse, yet full-bodied layered verse introducing a 'Thriller'-like spook setting. Rick Ross introduces hip-hop's intimidation. Jay-Z even legitimately compares himself to 'Sasquatch, Godzilla, King Kong, Loch Ness, Goblin, Ghoul, a zombie with no conscience,' but it's Nicki Minaj's verse that has people talking. Varying not only her vocal delivery, Minaj effortlessly changes personas mid-lines."^[13] Chris Ryan of MTV Buzzworthy positively reviewed West, Jay-Z and Minaj as the stand out rappers in the song, stating "On car stereos, computers and in clubs all over, nothing got more burn than 'Monster,' his new beastly posse cut. Kanye spits about his presence being a present to us all, Jay-Z comes through with what might be his strongest verse in years, and that's where Nicki comes in, more than holding her own against the bad boys."^[14] The song was named the "Collaboration of the Year" 2010 by Hip-Hop news website HipHopDX.^[15] Nicki Minaj's verse for the song was named "Verse of the Year" by the same website.^[15]

Live performances

The song was performed at Jay-Z's and Eminem's "Home & Home" concert in the new Yankee Stadium.^[16] It was performed by Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West.^[17] Kanye West wore exactly the same outfit he did for his 2010 MTV Video Music Awards performance and his subsequent Saturday Night Live performance, as well as at many of his other performances, a red suit accessorized with his gold Egyptian god Horus necklace and his signature red Louis Vuitton Don shoes.

Minaj performed the song live at Britney Spears' Femme Fatale Tour as one of the final songs in her setlist. West performed along Minaj on the tour on August 2, 2011 at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, New York as a surprise guest.

Music video

The music video was directed by Jake Nava and officially released on June 4, 2011 on West's official website. A promotional trailer (for the music video) was released online December 8, 2010.^[18][19] An unfinished version of the video leaked on December 30, 2010.^[20] The finalized edit of the video was released on the rapper's website on June 4, 2011.

Racism and Sexism Controversy

Prior to its release the video has drawn criticism for its depiction of violence against women and misogyny. The nearly six-minute clip shows dead white women dangling from the ceiling on chains and West holding a woman's severed head. Jay-Z raps with a semi-nude, lifeless woman in heels splayed across a couch and Nicki Minaj's alter ego Roman Zolanski interrogates another alter ego, the Harajuku Barbie, with the latter strapped to a chair. West rearranges the bodies of the lifeless women on the bed and places one woman's severed head on his lap. This handling of the female corpses has led psychology professor Mikhail Lyubansky to argue that the lifeless women are depicted as sexual objects. Lyubansky states:

[The] video not-so-subtly suggests that complete female passivity, lifelessness, and even death are erotic [...] Monstrous men - the ones who treat women as inanimate objects - are sexually attractive, which means that, by extension, monstrous behavior on the part of men is sexually attractive, while, for women, what's sexually desirable is passivity, lifelessness, and death.^[7]

Daphne Bramham of the Vancouver Sun asks: "What's entertaining about women in lingerie hanging by their necks on chains? What's artful about images of drugged, unconscious women about to be sexually assaulted?"^[6] The unreleased video was received by American activist Ann Simonton with an Internet petition seeking the preemptive removal of the full video from broadcast or promotion, criticizing the video as glorifying sexual violence against women.^[21] Some commentators have pointed out that all the dead women are white and all black women are portrayed as part of the monster theme.^[22] Ta-Nehisi Coates wonders "what would have become of John Mayer, had he cut a video with dead black women strewn about and invoked black women throughout his lyrics in the manner Kanye does." Coates concludes that the problem is "boring racism, boring sexism".^[23] However, Brandon Soderberg of Spin argues that the video was simply a "surreal response to hip-hop misogyny" and a "knowing provocation".^[24]

In response to the criticism prior to the video's official release, West added a disclaimer: "The following content is in no way to be interpreted as misogynistic or negative towards any groups of people. It is an art piece and it shall be taken as such."^[21] Drew Grant of Salon.com argues that the disclaimer does not excuse West's misogyny or absolve him from any responsibility.^[8]

Notable covers

Since Monster was released, there have been several covers, remixes, and mash-ups recorded and performed. Spose made a song called "Biwinning (Charlie Sheen Monster Mash)" using the same beat which he released on his YouTube account and has approximately 120,000 views to date. Singer/songwriter Rocco La Bête performed the song in its entirety, and released an in-studio music video on YouTube featuring himself on guitar, bass, and lead vocals, along with André Brown on drums. Massachusetts based band Kids On A Hill are known for their mashup of Minaj's verse with Kool And The Gang's "Jungle Boogie," which they played while opening for B.o.B and Pretty Lights at The Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts in April 2011.^[25]

Charts

Radio dates and release history

References