Moment 4 Life

"Moment 4 Life"
SinglebyNicki MinajfeaturingDrake
from the albumPink Friday
Released	December 7, 2010
Recorded	2010
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Length	4:39 3:46 (Radio Edit)
Label	Young Money Cash Money Universal Motown
Songwriter(s)	Onika Maraj Aubrey Graham Nikhil Seetharam Tyler Williams
Producer(s)	T-Minus
Nicki Minajsingles chronology
"Raining Men" (2010) "Moment 4 Life" (2010) "The Creep" (2011)
Drakesingles chronology
"Fall for Your Type" (2010) "Moment 4 Life" (2010) "Put It Down" (2010)
Music video
"Moment 4 Life"onYouTube

"Moment 4 Life"is a song by rapperNicki Minaj,featuring Canadian rapperDrake.It was released on December 7, 2010 byYoung Money,Cash Money,andUniversal Motownas the fourth single from Minaj's debut studio album,Pink Friday(2010). The song was produced by T-Minus and written by both artists. Sonically, it is a hip hop song that lyrically relates to maintaining a feeling of accomplishment and enjoying the moment.

The single peaked at number 13 on the USBillboardHot 100and topped the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsandHot Rap Songscharts. It also saw success internationally, becoming a top 40 hit in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, as well as charting in Belgium and France. In the US, it has sold over two million digital downloads as of December 2014. The song received a nomination forBest Rap Performanceat the2012 Grammy Awardsand a nomination for best collaboration at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. It has also won theSoul Train Music Awardfor Rhythm & Bars.

Background and composition

During a session from thePink Friday Diaries,Minaj discussed the song in detail, adding a background story to the original song."Moment 4 Life is about 2 kids that grew up on the same block. They shared their dreams of making it as rappers. They laughed together, they cried together. One day they realize that their dreams have come to fruition. Though they know all things come to an end, they celebrate. They wish that they could have this moment 4 Life."Lyrically the song is about a desire to maintain a feeling of accomplishment, as Drake follows behind Minaj and raps the same theme of enjoying the moment."Straying away from the standard rap song construction of three verses and a hook, Nicki performs a brain-dump of sorts on the track, spitting as if she's making a speech to both her fans and detractors."

Reception

Drake's contribution to the song was favored over Minaj's by critics.

Brad Wete ofEntertainment Weeklystated "The triumphant 'Moment 4 Life,' along with the album's two lead singles, all showcase her knack for melody while boasting lyrics chronicling her struggles–be they professional or intimate ones of love and hurt. All of which are way more poignant than raps about how dope she is."Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardiangave the song a negative review commenting on Minaj's tone, stating "she sounds bored rigid, which rather makes you wonder where showing off one's musical versatility ends and cravenly softening your sound for the marketplace begins."Scott Plagenhoef ofPitchforkcommented on the songs status on the album and how Minaj was out-shined by its collaborator, stating "Minaj is upstaged by Drake and Kanye West on" Moment 4 Life "and" Blazin' ", respectively, but these tracks—plus the Rihanna collaboration" Fly "and the solo ballad" Save Me "—are the best examples of whatPink Fridayis rather than what many of us wanted it to be. "Jesse Cataldo ofSlant Magazinegave the song a negative review on Minaj's part of the song and on the album as a whole, stating "Minaj's deranged wildness could potentially provide a foil for Drake, cutting into his tendency to work slowly and calmly on" Moment 4 Life. "Instead, Minaj backs off from an early round of forcefulness, letting Drake dictate the pace of the song. It's this seeming lack of confidence, contradictory to the poise she shows elsewhere, which identifies the problems withPink Friday,an often wobbly first effort that shows enormous promise. "

Nick Levine ofDigital SpyUK gave the track 4 out of 5 starts, commenting that "yes, the track itself - melodic and portentous(ish) midtempoR&Bproduced by Canadian up-and-comer T-Minus - is decent, but 'Moment 4 Life' is inevitably all about its frontline duo, arguably the most exciting male and female rhyme merchants of our times. And boy do they know it. Drake, resisting the urge to put his Maths skills to the test this time out, boasts about getting pissed and laid in the Dominican. Minaj, meanwhile, likens herself to a "heavyweight champ", David of Goliath-slaying fame and, rather less obviously, "the umpire", which for British listeners of a certain ilk can't help but invite comparisons to the legendary Dickie Bird MBE. Not that you'd try to tell her to her face. "

Chart performance

The song debuted on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songsat number 56 and the USHot Rap Songsat number 17 due to strong digital sales and heavy radio play, following the album's release.It became Minaj's first number-one song on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and also managed to top the Rap Songs chart.On theBillboardHot 100,"Moment 4 Life" peaked at number 13 making it her highest-charting song on the chart at the time. As of December 2014, the single has sold 2 million copies in the US. In the UK, the single debuted on the singles chart at number 135, in its second week it rose to 55 due to strong digital sales. On February 13, 2011, the single entered the UK top 40 at a current peak of 22, giving Nicki her second UK top 40 single (after her joint single "Check It Out"withwill.i.ampeaked at 11).It peaked at number 9 on theUK R&B Chart,becoming her third top 30 urban single to do so and her first top 10 UK R&B hit.

Music video

Background

Filmed in late December 2010, the music video for the single was shot and directed byChris Robinson.The president of Young Money Entertainment, Mack Maine, told MTV News, "We're still trying to work out the date for the next video with [Nicki] and Drake for the 'Moment 4 Life' video. That's the next project.""Moment 4 Life" is the first music video shot in a string of music videos to be released for promotion.In an interview onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show,Minaj revealed thatRoman Zolanski's mother, Martha Zolanski, will make a physical debut in the music video.In an interview withMTV News,Minaj discussed the marriage concept of the music video between her and her label-mate Drake, stating "Obviously, Drake and I, we’ve played around so much with the whole marriage thing and stuff like that, so people have come to be kind of intrigued about us and it's where we’re shooting the video together. So I was like, there has to be some sort of romantic storyline. It's Drake and me."Drake additionally added "I mean, it's a fantasy video. You’ve got a very regal environment, and you’ve got Nicki doing what she does—big outfits, big everything. Yeah, I love that girl, man. I’m not going to lie to you. The twist of it, the concept of it, I don't want to give it all away."

Synopsis

"Moment 4 Life" marked the onscreen debut of Martha Zolanski, mother of Roman Zolanski, an alter-ego played by Nicki Minaj.

The video for "Moment 4 Life" premiered on January 27, 2011, at 7:54 pm ET onMTValongside an interview with Minaj.The video takes part in a type of Minaj-assistedfairy talefrom a book.The video begins with Minaj sitting by aboudoiras Martha Zolanski appears as Minaj'sfairy godmother.After discussing how Roman andSlim Shadyhave been sent to boarding school, Martha informs Nicki that this kind of fairy tale is different from ones she's seen, stating "These kinds of nights are fleeting and usuallyend by mid-night.But my fairy god mother senses tell me that you may have this moment for life. "The song begins as Martha gifts Minaj with a special pair of heels.During Minaj's verse she is seen walking into a ballroom as she is spotted by Drake. When the two meet in a hall, Drake performs his verse with Minaj by a fireplace. During the climax of the song, Drake and Minaj walk down the aisle, where they share a wedding kiss by fireworks as the clock strikes midnight.

Critical reception

On the day of its premiere, James Montgomery of MTV News gave the video a very positive review and breakdown, stating, "So it's not exactly a stretch to call 'Moment 4 Life' the most Nicki Minaj video of all time. It takes basically every aspect of her personality – the fashionista, the glamazon, the princess, the badass, the cartoon character, the girly girl – and crams them together into one very shiny package. And then it wraps that package with nods to her past (the British accent, the mention of her Roman Zolanski alter-ego, the consummation of her Twit-lationship with Drake) for good measure. The end result is perhaps the most complete portrait of Minaj to date... There are very few silly wigs and nary a stitch of Spandex to be seen anywhere. It is basically our first glimpse at the real Nicki: a young woman who is more than just the sum of her parts, even if those parts are pretty interesting."Chris Robinson of Idolator compared and contrasted the "Moment 4 Life" wedding with other wedding music video's stating, "We’re going to call it right now. As of 2018, the video has more than 200 million views.

Live performances

Minaj first performed the song at a Thanksgiving Party hosted byHot 97with Drake, and later performed their other song "Up All Night".Minaj also performed the song on theLopez Tonightshow as heralter ego Rosawithout the assistance of Drake.While performing onVH1 Divas Support the Troops,Minaj performed the song for the men and women of the militarywithout Drake again. During the performance, Minaj wore a fluffy white wig, turquoise tights, elongated heels and a super-snug, orange and blue mini-dress.Minaj performed the song for the holidays on many occasions, including a Christmas concert for Hot 97.During the Christmas special, Minaj wore a leopard-print bodysuit wrapped in a black cloth cage.Minaj additionally performed the song on a Manhattan rooftop during a pre-taped New Year's event onNBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly.Minaj performed the song with the assistance of Drake at the New Year's celebration "All Pink Everything Belvedere Vodka" she also hosted.During the performance, Minaj wore black and gold piece with multi-colored hair.Minaj most recently performed the song onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show,minus Drake, in a black cocktail dress, blonde hair, and signature "Barbie"chain.Minaj performed the song on her first appearance onSaturday Night Live,where she wore a colorful full bodysuit and performed the song minus Drake.The rapper performed the song on her first headlining tour, thePink Friday Tour.She has also added this song to herPink Friday: Reloaded Tour,The Pinkprint Tourand toThe Nicki Wrld Tour.During her concert at 2014iHeartRadio Music Festival,Minaj also performed the song.On May 30, 2015, Minaj also performed the song on the iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party 2015 inLas Vegas.

Track listing

• UK Promo CD single

1. "Moment 4 Life" (Clean Radio Edit) - 3:46

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken fromPink Fridayliner notes.

• Vocals (Rap and sung by): Nicki Minaj, Drake
• Writing: O. Maraj (Nicki Minaj), A. Graham (Drake), T. Williams, N. Seetharam
• Recording: Ariel Chobaz & Noah "40" Shebib
  • Assisted by: Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter & Noel Cadastre
• Mix engineer:Ariel Chobaz
  • Assisted by: Lyttleton "Cartwheel" Carter
• Producing: T-Minus

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Moment 4 Life"

Chart (2010–2011)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling UnderFlanders)	23
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	27
CanadaCHR/Top 40(Billboard)	16
France (SNEP)	35
Ireland (IRMA)	37
Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40)	9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)	51
Romania (Romanian Top 100)	91
Scotland(OCC)	24
UK Singles(OCC)	22
UK Hip Hop/R&B(OCC)	9
USBillboardHot 100	13
USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs(Billboard)	1
USHot Rap Songs(Billboard)	1
USPop Airplay(Billboard)	18
USRhythmic(Billboard)	2

Year-end charts

2011 year-end chart performance for "Moment 4 Life"

Chart (2011)	Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)	92
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	152
USBillboardHot 100	50
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	9
US Rhythmic (Billboard)	10

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Moment 4 Life"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)	2× Platinum	140,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)	Gold	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum	600,000‡
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	2,000,000
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Moment 4 Life"

Region	Date	Type
United States	December 7, 2010	Rhythmic contemporary (Rhythmic CHR)airplay
	January 4, 2011	Urban contemporary
United Kingdom	February 3, 2011	Mainstream airplay (BBC Radio 1)