Cassie mentioned the song was different for her and "kind of disrespectful a little," observing, "but the funny thing is, it's more my personality than anything else that anyone else has heard." "It's more of an in-your-face, tougher Cassie." She also defined it as being "a little bit funkier." "I love her verses on this record, she went in," Cassie told MTV News about working with Minaj, "I love when women collab and are all about girl power. Minaj decided to keep Cassie's vocals on the track, but re-wrote the majority of the verses and additional production elements were also included. "The Boys" takes origins from a demo originally recorded solely by Cassie called "Money on Love," intended to be the singer's second single from her second studio album, following " King of Hearts." For unknown reasons, the album was delayed and the song was subsequently played for Minaj during sessions for The Re-Up. It premiered on American radio platform iHeartRadio that same day.
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The song was released on September 13, 2012, being made available for digital download via the iTunes Store. A day later, Minaj tweeted "Thursday" which was believed to be the release date of the single. Nicki Minaj confirmed the re-release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and its lead single in September 2012 at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, telling E! News, "I'm actually going to drop my new single like next week." On September 10, 2012, Minaj revealed through Twitter that the song's title was "The Boys" and that a "real pretty" female would be collaborating with her on it, along with a music video being planned for the track. Cassie plays an androgynous-looking character, inspired by the Ken doll, that "mocks the boys a little bit." Minaj performed the track on her Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour (2012).Ĭassie originally recorded a solo version of the track intended for her second studio album.
The colorful cartoonish visuals are set in an imaginary neighborhood where Minaj burns down a barbershop with a flamethrower after a visit to a beauty salon herself. Directed by Colin Tilley, the video was met with generally positive reception. It also charted in European countries including Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom.Īn accompanying music video premiered on Vevo on October 18, 2012, and was teased by Minaj with a behind-the-scenes featurette earlier that month.
Commercially, the single appeared on a few record charts, such as the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, where it peaked at number fourteen, and number forty-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its lyrical content is described as a "fun but pithy kiss-off to men who try to buy love with money and jewels." The song received acclaim from music critics, who complimented Minaj's rapping style, its structure and Cassie's inclusion. Musically, it features strong basslines and synthesizers, along with guitar riffs and rapping. Though generally categorized as a mix of pop and hip hop, "The Boys" also incorporates elements of other genres, such as dancehall and folk music in its production. Initially a track recorded by Cassie for her second studio album under the title "Money on Love," it was subsequently played for Minaj during sessions for The Re-Up, who decided to keep Cassie's vocals but wrote her own verses with certain production portions also being re-worked. It was Minaj's last single to be released by Universal Republic before the label went defunct and its artists roster moved to the revived Republic Records. The song was released on September 13, 2012, through Cash Money, Young Money and Universal Republic as the lead single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Anjulie Persaud, Jonas Jeberg and Jean Baptiste, and produced by the latter two. " The Boys" is a song recorded by Trinidadian-American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj and American singer Cassie.