| "The Boys" | ||||
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| Single by Nicki Minaj and Cassie | ||||
| from the album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012,
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| Length | 4:08 | |||
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| Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||
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| Cassie singles chronology | ||||
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"The Boys" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj and American singer Cassie. It was released on September 13, 2012 by Young Money, Cash 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. 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. 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.
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. Musically, it features strong basslines and synthesizers, along with guitar riffs and rapping. 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. 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. It also charted in European countries including Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
An accompanying music video premiered on Vevo on October 18, 2012, and was teased by Minaj with a behind-the-scenes featurette earlier that month. Directed by Colin Tilley, the video was met with generally positive reception. 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. 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).