Nicki Minaj silenced critics with a booty of hits performed with an all-star hip-hop lineup including Lil Wayne, Drake, Cam’ron and Foxy Brown. (
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As Nicki Minaj stormed onto the Roseland Ballroom stage on Tuesday night, it was clear that she had a point to prove.
Back in June, the Queens-raised rapper was due to perform at Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam concert in front of a packed house at MetLife Stadium. But when DJ Peter Rosenberg took a swipe at her lightweight Top 40 hit “Starships” and suggested she had no real hip-hop credentials, Minaj’s label boss, Lil Wayne, was irritated enough to order her not to perform.
So while this Pepsi-sponsored show was meant as an apology to fans, with all the tickets given away free on Hot 97 and other stations, Minaj also used it as an opportunity to give her critics the middle finger. She jumped off the blocks with an opening half-hour of bold and brash hip-hop cuts that showed off her rhyming power and lyrical wit.
Minaj’s ability to switch from eye-wateringly vicious (“Did It On ’Em”) to laugh-out-loud funny (“Stupid Hoe”) was dizzying, and she thought nothing of tossing in the odd a capella breakdown whenever it struck her fancy. As a display of classic hip-hop style and flair, it was a near faultless opening.
But Minaj didn’t bother cupping her ear to listen for the sound of doubters eating their words. Instead, she moved swiftly on to serve up another platter of songs, this one heavy on her radio hits.
They may not have boosted her cred as a rapper, but the Euro-disco beats of “Starships” and “Pound the Alarm” have made her a star, and judging from the reaction, they’re the songs many had come to hear.
The only point where Minaj’s cross-genre appeal faltered slightly was when she donned a white gown and delivered the overly dramatic ballads “Fire Burns” and “Save Me” — both of which showed her natural singing voice to be passable but unimpressive.
But it was a minor chink in her act, and one easily forgotten as the set progressed into a roll call of famous guests. In the hip-hop world, nothing says credibility more than props from your peers, and Minaj — who’d already duetted with Cam’ron early in the show — had those in spades.
First up was Foxy Brown, who arrived to run through versions of her classics “Oh Yeah” and “Tables Will Turn.” Her appearance paled in the pandemonium that followed the first sight of Drake. The Canadian heartthrob nonchalantly soaked up the screams while delivering a slick rendition of Drake/Minaj collaboration “Up All Night.”
But even Drake’s ego could be seen shrinking the moment Lil Wayne strode onstage. Evidently bearing no grudges, the Cash Money president contributed to the party atmosphere by jousting with Drake on “The Motto” as Minaj watched with glee from side stage.
With all that support, Minaj still couldn’t help but sound a little insecure at the night’s end.
“I love you from the bottom of my heart; please don’t ever leave me,” she pleaded by way of farewell.
Don’t worry, Nicki, we’re not going anywhere.