FACEOFF: Rihanna vs. Nicki Minaj

I needed a reason to post this photo, and a song-clash is as good a reason as any. If Rihanna really has got 'THUG LIFE' tattooed on her knuckles then she definitely holds the crown for 'Baddest Bitch In The World' ... quite a prestigious crown I'm sure you'll agree.

In this faceoff, Rihanna will go up against self-proclaimed 'Baddest Bitch' Nicki Minaj. "But how are we supposed to compare these two artists?" I hear you ask. "Rihanna is one of the most successful singers in the world right now, while Nicki is one of the best emcees in the world!" you continue. Well, let me tell you how.

There is one song that links these two artists, and that song is 'Saxon' by quite very popular dance/DJ duo Chase & Status, which you can listen to here:

It's alright, a bit repetitive if anything. What I would have done if I was Mr. Chase or Mr. Status is get a world-famous female artist to use this as a backing track to go schizo over. Obviously, Rih Rih and Nicki felt the same.

First up we have Nicki Minaj.

In 2009, Nicki took Chase & Status's track and laid some verses over it. This track was intended as a demo for the opening track of Rihanna's fourth album, Rated R (ultimately Rihanna decided to go with 'Mad House'). The track, once discarded by Rih Rih, circulated via fan-made Nicki mixtapes. Nicki keeps things very simple on her re-working of 'Saxon', and fans will notice a lack of the multiple alter-egos that feature on her most recent songs.

Listen to Nicki's version of 'Saxon':



Up next, Mrs. Thug Life.

Fast-forward to 2011 and Rihanna is preparing to release her much anticipated sixth album, Talk That Talk. In the run-up to the release date, she releases this photo. As you can see, listed at number 11 is non-other than 'Saxon' (name later changed to 'Red Lipstick', and dropped to the bonus tracks). 'Red Lipstick' is sassy, in your face and unapologetically confrontational. 'Red Lipstick' is post-Chris Brown Rihanna.

Listen to 'Red Lipstick':



VERDICT: While I love Nicki Minaj (even 'Stupid Hoe' gets heavy rotation on my iTunes), Rihanna did a great job of re-working 'Saxon'. So I crown Rih Rih 'Baddest Bitch 2012' #THUGLIFE

(Maybe you prefer the Chase & Status version? Don't be shy. You don't need an account to comment, so let me know who you think did the better job.)