Will someone please get this woman on the Super Bowl. And well before Taylor Swift.
I like female pop artists. 2014–5 saw me in the cheap seatsfor Miley Cyrus, lady gaga, and Beyoncé. Bey is Nicki’s only competition but even she didn’t quite own the stage like the mc from queens. Bey worked and sweated — watching her concert felt like a finely tuned amusement ride. In contrast, nicki toyed with the crowd, let a flamboyant fan steal her spotlight, and told Brooklyn what real empowerment means to her.
https://twitter.com/NickiReigns/status/625677748032413696
“Niggas think we need they ass but we don’t. That’s why I stress the importance of school…The men are like ‘why did I come here?’…Niggas better kiss the floor I walk on.”
“I don’t like being in love. I don’t like giving away my power. You shouldn’t have power over my emotions…Do we need love?…No!”
Wake me up when another female superstar gets an arena of teenager girls to say no to love.
Her show alternated from ballad segments to rap tracks. The ballads only sort of worked. Intricate lyrical hip hop doesn’t generally translate well to arenas, but with three quarters of the arena knowing every word she had the stadium rapping for minutes to deep cuts without instrumentals. The slower verses ‘Did It on ‘Em’ proved an standout moment.
Nicki also forewent a headset microphone, so unlike Beyoncé she didn’t perform involved dance routines during her songs. But she didn’t really need to. Her lyrical and vocal dexterity as well as sheer presence talking back and forth the stage was enough to keep the crowd engaged.
Towards the end nicki brought out lil wayne, who came out spitting his new single ‘Glory’ (“I’m awkward, cuckoo, I turn your Froot Look to Chocolate Yoo-Hoo…holy shit I’m the holy shit/god’s manure”). After that track Wayne seemed ready to get back to his syrup offstage, but Nicki kept him on as ‘A Milli’ and ‘6 Foot 7 Foot’ played. She genuflected, called him “still” the best rapper alive, but everyone in the building knew the power dynamic had already shifted. As Wayne said, “there’s a certain person by the name of Nicki Minaj who be kicking my ass.” https://twitter.com/NickiReigns/status/625665591052009472
The meek/nicki chemistry also stood in stark contrast to what jay and bey demonstrated during On The Run. Jay held his own, matching Beyoncé hit for hit and looking as comfortable on stage as his wife.
Nicki, clearly the bigger star, better rapper, and larger personality, seemed to summon her now fiancé to the stage for the finale. Meek seemed outclassed — an also-ran that happened to hit the jackpot. Drake was right:
“No woman ever had me star struck/or was able to tell me to get by bars up”
Meek’s earnest and impassioned but one-note style paled in comparison with Nicki’s variety of voices, tones, and flows. Right now, Nicki could come at anyone but Kendrick and tell them to get their bars up.