Beyonce On The Run Tour - H 2014
AP ImagesBeyonce has joined forces with Nicki Minaj for a surprise remix of “Flawless” that has left the rap blogosphere and Twitter completely blown away. Listen below.
The standout line is Beyonce’s declaration, “Of course sometimes shit goes down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator,” a once-and-for-all ending to that infamous elevator tussle between Jay Z and Solange.
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But the line “You wish I was your pound cake” is rife for unpacking, too. And then there’s Minaj, who marks her first Beyonce collaboration by reestablishing herself as hip-hop’s Queen Bee: “Winning is my motherf—ing protocol/’Cuz I score before I ever throw the ball.” Minaj’s verse is otherworldly in its intensity, recalling the fire she spat at the end of Kanye West’s “Monster” four years ago.
There’s also a quick sample of Outkast‘s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” horn riff in the “Flawless” remix.” Outkast wrapped its headlining set at Lollapalooza right before Beyonce posted the remix on her website.
The surprise “Flawless” remix follows the surprise release of “Beyonce,” which was released as a “visual album” without warning last December. The album featured guest spots by Frank Ocean, Drake and Beyonce’s hubby, Jay Z.
This article first appeared at Billboard.com.
