Beez in the Trap

"Beez in the Trap"
Single by Nicki Minaj featuring 2 Chainz
from the album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
ReleasedMay 29, 2012 (2012-05-29)
Recorded2011
StudioConway, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length4:28
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Kenoe
Nicki Minaj singles chronology
"Take It to the Head"
(2012) 		"Beez in the Trap"
(2012) 		"Get Low"
(2012)
2 Chainz singles chronology
"Mercy"
(2012) 		"Beez in the Trap"
(2012) 		"No Lie"
(2012)

"Beez in the Trap" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, featuring American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on May 29, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). It was written by both artists, alongside producer Kenoe.

Musically, "Beez in the Trap" is primarily an electro-hop and hardcore hip hop song which features a retro 1980s gangsta rap production and elements of dubstep, grime, and trap. The song peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the hot rap charts. An accompanying music video for the track was released on Vevo on April 6, 2012.

Background

Minaj recruited rapper 2 Chainz for "Beez in the Trap".

"Beez in the Trap" was written by Minaj, Maurice Jordan, and 2 Chainz, while production was handled by Kenoe. It was recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, California by Ariel Chabaz and Finis "KY" White with assistance from Jon Sher. Mixing of the song was done by Chabaz with additional help from Sher at Conway Studios.[1] Originally, Kenoe began sending both pop and hip-hop songs to Minaj when he heard that production of her second album had begun. Later that same day, Minaj's A&R Mack Maine informed him that she was looking for "some rap shit", so he submitted more aggressive, urban songs in hopes of inclusion on the record. Kenoe said that the song's musical concept was simplicity as he didn't want "a million and one things going on in it", and credited it as being distinctive from the others included on the album.[2] The song premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012.[3] In an interview with Graham Norton, Minaj stated "It just means, 'I am always...' you know, that's our slang way of saying, 'I beez doing such-and-such-and-such.' So it's really like, 'I am always in the trap.' Now, the trap, ladies and gentlemen, relates to anywhere where you get your money."[4]

Composition

"Beez in the Trap" is an electro-hop, hardcore hip-hop, and southern hip hop slow jam set in common time.[5][6][7][8][9] The music is built around a spacious and echoed beat,[10] complemented by sparse hollow drums, and heavy-bass.[11] Its permutable soundscape incorporates a retro 1980s gangsta rap production,[11] which consists of effects such as finger-snaps, sparse instrumentation, ricocheting sonar blips,[12] "drip drip" synths,[11] and features elements of dubstep and grime music.[7][13]

The song's musical structure is characterized by its ultra minimalistic production,[14] devoid of any hooks and often veering on nothing but empty space,[14][15] with the exception of a "bubble-pop" beat and a "growling" sub-bass.[8][13] Throughout "Beez in the Trap", Minaj changes and adapts her vocal delivery to specific areas of the song. During the verses and bridge, her vocals are "biting and caustic", while in the choruses, her vocals are "matter-of-fact and almost bubbly" according to Jessica Sager of Popcrush.[16] Calling it trap song, Nathan S of the music review site DJ Booth said Minaj "put aside her usually schizophrenic rhyme style in favor of a mellow, almost spoken style."[10]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Although he felt that the song "lack[ed] real substance", Adam Fleischer of XXL praised "Beez in the Trap", calling it a "memorable moment" of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded; he also complimented the "unique energy and distinct personality" Minaj displayed in the song.[17] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media described "Beez in the Trap" as an "effortless, pinging schoolyard taunt",[18] and, in a separate review of the song for the same publication, Carrie Battan complimented Minaj's "daunting swagger", writing that she "hits a spot sweet enough to render every single gripe obsolete for four and a half minutes".[19] In her review of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded for The A.V. Club, Genevieve Koski described Minaj's performance as "relatively sedate but incredibly sharp": she called the song's production "spare" and "sonar-blip", and noted Minaj to be "at her most verbose" during the first six songs of the album.[12]

Tom Ewing, writing for The Guardian, felt "Beez in the Trap" showed Minaj's awareness of her "divided fanbase": he noted that while Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded contained songs that were "precision-tooled for the modern pop environment", "Beez in the Trap" places more emphasis on Minaj's rapping ability, writing that the song "throw[s] a bone to the listeners who just want to hear her rap".[20] Rob Markman of MTV News commended the performance of 2 Chainz, calling his verse in the song "charismatic", and went on to write that he "doesn't compromise a thing spitting alongside the multiplatinum rapper".[3] No Ripcord stated that "I Am Your Leader and Beez in the Trap are thrilling and make good use of cameos".[21] Slant Magazine stated that "I Am Your Leader and Beez in the Trap [are] two excellent tracks which manage to sound both bubbly and heavy as Minaj delivers her most effortlessly entertaining shit-talk to date".[22]

Complex named the song No. 9 on their list of the best 50 songs of 2012, while Pitchfork Media ranked it No. 18.[23][24] Rolling Stone ranked it as the 44th best song of the 2010s decade,[25] while Pitchfork named it the 150th best song of the decade.[26]

Music video

Minaj filmed the official music video for "Beez in the Trap" on March 18, 2012 in Miami. It was directed by Benny Boom. The video, which featured 2 Chainz, was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.[27] The video was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.[28] As of August 2021, the video has more than 206 million views.[29]

Synopsis

The video begins with Minaj squatting down wearing a blonde wig in a pink turtleneck leotard, with barbed wire as a foreground. A clip is shown of women and men partying in a strip club. Minaj is then sitting in a green wig in a club with many strippers and exotic dancers; she and her female friends sit down in bikinis flashing money, and act flirtatiously with one another. Then 2 Chainz appears rapping his verse, while Minaj is seen beside him dancing very seductively in a leopard print catsuit in a dimly lit room. Throughout the video clips of Minaj and others are seen partying, and drinking. Birdman makes an appearance in the video. Towards the end Minaj raps her second verse in a bikini with her hype man "SB" behind her, and she is in the same dark lit room with strippers sensually dancing around her. The video ends with Minaj and 2 Chainz back to back.

Live performances

Minaj performed the song live for the first time on 106 & Park on April 3, 2012, along with "Champion", "Roman Reloaded", "Right by My Side", "HOV Lane", "I Am Your Leader", and "Fire Burns". She performed the song after "Champion" at the BET Awards 2012 along with 2 Chainz. The song was also performed live on Radio 1's Hackney Weekend on June 23, 2012. Minaj added the song to the set list of her Pink Friday Tour, where she performed the song with 2 Chainz on the North American leg. The song was also included on Minaj's Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour.

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 73 on the Hot Digital Singles chart in the week ending August 15, 2012. As of December 2014 the song had sold over 1 million copies in the United States.[30] On September 19, 2023 it was certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[31]

Credits and personnel

The credits for "Beez in the Trap" are adapted from the liner notes of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.[32] Recording

Personnel

  • Nicki Minaj – songwriting, vocals
  • 2 Chainz – songwriting, vocals
  • Kenoe – production, songwriting
  • Ariel Chobaz – recording, mixing
  • Finis White – recording
  • Jon Sher – recording and mixing assistant
  • Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[33] 74
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[34] 131
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[35] 32
US Billboard Hot 100[36] 48

Year-end charts

Chart (2012) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[37] 45

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[39] Gold 30,000‡
United States (RIAA)[40] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Radio release history

Region Date Format Ref.
United States May 29, 2012 Rhythmic contemporary radio [41]

References

  1. ^ Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (Liner notes). Nicki Minaj. Universal Music Group. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Noz, Andrew. "Beat Construction: Kenoe". The Fader. Andy Cohn. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Markman, Rob (March 21, 2012). "Nicki Minaj's 'Beez in the Trap' Sparks Drama Between Rival DJs". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  4. ^ HipHopDX (21 April 2012). "Nicki Minaj Explains Leaving Twitter, Meaning Of "Beez In The Trap"". HipHopDX. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  5. ^ Rosen, Jody (April 6, 2012). "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media LLC. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
  6. ^ Mackay, Emily (April 5, 2012). "'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Maston, Andrew (August 9, 2012). "Concert preview: Nicki Minaj's unassailable rapping ability". Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Juzwiak, Rich (April 5, 2012). "Today's Song: Nicki Minaj Featuring 2 Chainz 'Beez in the Trap'". Gawker. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone Staff (June 28, 2018). "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 31, 2023. ..."Beez in the Trap" was a welcome return for Minaj in pure hip-hop form: a slow-rolling Southern-rap bass boom...
  10. ^ a b S, Nathan (March 22, 2012). "Beez In The Trap Music Video". DJ Booth. DJ Booth LLC. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Sondenberg, Brandon (March 21, 2012). "Listen: Nicki Minaj and 2 Chainz's 'Beez in the Trap'". Spin. Buzz Media. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Koski, Genevieve (April 3, 2012). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Battan, Carrie (March 29, 2012). "Nicki Minaj: "Beez in the Trap" [ft. 2 Chainz]". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Alexander, X (March 20, 2012). "Hear Nicki Minaj And 2 Chainz Rap On "Beez In The Trap"". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved July 1, 2013.[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ Matthews, Aaron (December 19, 2012). "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2012". Passion Weiss. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  16. ^ Sager, Jessica (March 22, 2012). "Nicki Minaj + 2 Chainz 'Beez in the Trap' Track Leaks". Popcrush. Buzzmedia. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Fleischer, Adam (April 3, 2012). "Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded". XXL. Harris Publications. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  18. ^ Dombal, Ryan (April 6, 2012). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  19. ^ Battan, Carrie (March 29, 2012). "Nicki Minaj: "Beez in the Trap" [ft. 2 Chainz]". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  20. ^ Ewing, Tom (April 5, 2012). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – review". The Guardian. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
  21. ^ "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – Music Review – No Ripcord". No Ripcord. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  22. ^ Matthew Cole (2 April 2012). "Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – Album Review – Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  23. ^ Andrew Martin. "Nicki Minaj f/ 2 Chainz "Beez In the Trap" – The 50 Best Songs of 2012 – Complex". Complex. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  24. ^ "Staff Lists". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  25. ^ Dolan, Jon (4 December 2019). "100 Best Songs of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  26. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  27. ^ "Nicki Minaj Shoots 'Beez in the Trap' Video with 2 Chainz". Rap-Up.com. 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  28. ^ Alexis, Nadeska. "Nicki Minaj Doubles Up At VMAs With 'Starships,' 'Beez In The Trap'". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on August 3, 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  29. ^ "Nicki Minaj – Beez In The Trap (Explicit) ft. 2 Chainz". YouTube.
  30. ^ Trust, Gary (December 23, 2014). "Ask Billboard: Why Is There No R&B/Hip-Hop in the Hot 100's Top 10?". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  31. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – March 04, 2015". riaa.com. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  32. ^ Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (liner notes). Nicki Minaj. The Island Def Jam Music Group. 2012. 2796668.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  33. ^ "Top 100 Singles – Week ending 26th April 2012". Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  34. ^ "Chart Log UK" (TXT). Zobbel.de. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  35. ^ "Radio 1 – Chart – UK Top 40 Rnb Singles". BBC. 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  36. ^ "Nicki Minaj". Billboard.
  37. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – 2012 Year End Charts". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
  38. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  39. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Nicki Minaj – Beez in the Trap" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  40. ^ "American single certifications – Nicki Minaj – Beez in the Trap". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  41. ^ "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. April 28, 2014. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014.