There is a lot of anticipation surrounding the release of Nicki Minaj’s debut CD “Pink Friday.” And there should be. This year, Minaj had 15 songs appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with seven of them hitting the Top 40. It’s a feat that few artists — regardless of genre — have accomplished. She’s advanced songs she’s co-starred on, boosting rap jams like Ludacris’ “My Chick Bad” and Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Hello Good Morning.” And on “Monster,” Minaj’s 80-second closing verse easily outshines that of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rick Ross.

While Minaj has proven she can jump on someone’s song — or idea — and get the job done, on her own songs, she struggles to make something to call her own.