"Roman's Revenge" is a song performed by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from her debut studio album Pink Friday. It was written by Minaj and rapper Eminem, who is also featured in the song, and was produced by Swizz Beatz. It was released exclusively on October 30, 2010 through the US iTunes store, as a promotional release preceding the album's release. The song initiated a feud between Lil' Kim and Minaj, where many people felt the song was directed at Lil' Kim and regarded around her feelings towards Minaj's rise to fame. The song references Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski, and Eminem's alter-ego, Slim Shady.

The song garnered very positive reviews from critics, most of which praised the song as a stand-out track on the album. However, Eminem's verses in the song also gained negative reviews due to Eminem's homophobic and anti-gay lyrics. Most even questioned Minaj's alter-ego, Roman Zolanski as an angry-gay-male and Minaj's large gay fan-base. An official remix featuring Minaj's mentor, Lil Wayne, was released to the US iTunes store on January 19, 2011.

The instrumental was used in the song 'Firing Squad' by Horseshoe G.A.N.G.

Background[link]

Eminem is featured on the song as his alter-ego Slim-Shady; created during his 1999 effort The Slim Shady LP.

The song features both Nicki Minaj and Eminem rapping as their alter-egos. Minaj raps as Roman Zolanski whilst Eminem raps as his well-known alter-ego Slim Shady.^[1] The song also marks the debut of Minaj's additional alter-ego, Martha Zolanski, who can be heard in the end of the song screaming in a British accent as Roman's mother.^[2] Minaj told MTV News that she was thinking of collaborating with Eminem for a while and in the end simply asked him. She said,

We went out on a whim and put it in the air like, It'd be great if he would collaborate with us. I remember I kept talking about it, and I thought, It can't hurt. I sent him one record, and he didn't love it. He didn't say, I don't love it; he just said, Can you send me something that's a little more me? I sent him an e-mail and thanked him for that, just having enough respect. Sometimes people don't respond. He had the respect, at least, to treat me like a peer.^[3]

The original song had a changed hook where Minaj sang "I feel pretty/I feel pretty/I feel pretty, and witty, and gay/And I pity/any girl who isn't me tonight!" Eminem's first verse also had a changed ending where he yelled "I feel ugly/I feel ugly/Slut don't touch me or hug me, I'm mad/And I pity/any girl who gets with me tonight!"

Minaj performed the song live during VH1's Diva's Support the Troops for the men and women of the military. The song was accompanied by other singles from the rapper's debut album and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with Katy Perry.^[4] After winning the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video at at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, she said that "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."^[5]

Composition[link]

The song features both rappers exchanging bars over a "spastic beat" produced by Swizz Beatz.^[1] The songs begins with a series of digital effects and ominous strings, that Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio compared to "some old video game".^[3][6] After the introduction of digital effects, the song quickly starts with "a hiccuping series of computerized samples pushed forward by sporadic, tinny electronic drums" and only rests during "occasional baths of warm keyboards brightening."^[6] The beat of the song lays an intense dark energy with weighty knock of the drums and bass line.^[3] The "clattering" instrumental creates an angry tone for the most aggressive run of tracks.^[7] Swizz production for the track is mainly surrounded by pulsating strings that allows for both rappers to exchange verse's in violent ways, and adds to the drama of the song.^[8]