I can’t get over “Saxon,” a track recorded as a reference track for Rihanna’s Rated R sessions. I know it’s not new, but after hearing it again on the recently released Barbie World mix-tape (which is sadly fan-made), I’ve fallen in love again.
The backing track of the song (originally called “Saxon”) was created in 2008 by Chase & Status, the same London dubstep duo responsible for producing “Mad House,” “Wait Your Turn,” and “G4L” on Rihanna’s brilliant Rated R.
Sung by the baddest bitch in the building, Miss Nicki Minaj, “Saxon” has all the makings of the gritty follow-up to the album’s dead serious intro piece, “Mad House”: “Guess who? You bitches, it’s Riri,” Minaj deadpans as the dirt beat slaps against the speakers time and time again. The rapper commands the thumping bass with ease, utilizing her usually untapped lower register to go all-out reggaeton for one nasty little ditty.
“Saxon” would have made for a delicious addition to an already fabulous album. All we can do now is hope that a Rihanna-recorded version surfaces sometime soon. Please?