Nicki Minaj Says She’s Taking ‘Pink Friday 2’ Tour To The Caribbean
Superstar rapper Nicki Minaj is taking her Pink Friday 2 tour to the Caribbean.
The ‘Gag City’ experience commences in the United States on March 1, with subsequent show dates covering Europe and Canada. During a recent Instagram Live, the Trinidad-born artist made it known that she has not forgotten about her Caribbean-based Barbz.
“Of course, I’m going to do a Caribbean tour soon…” she said. “Trinidad tour dates and Caribbean tour dates coming soon.”
It is rare for the Caribbean to be included in the world tour of a major international artist. The last heavyweight to do so was Afrobeats star Burna Boy, who included Jamaica, Trinidad, and Antigua in his Love Damini tour in 2022. Minaj, whose given name is Onika Tanya Maraj Petty, seemed to have already accounted for the region while planning her tour, but didn’t announce it due to her history with copycats.
“You guys know whenever I say I’m going to do stuff, I have to kinda say the opposite of what I’m gonna do because, yeah, everybody wants to be Onika Tanya.”
With no other details but “we’re getting there,” the Monster lyricist told fans to prepare for an unforgettable experience.
“Listen to Pink Friday 2, learn your lyrics for tour, be prepared,” she said. “Anyone can come out at any time. You know what that means? That means sweetheart, buckle your motherf–king seat belts…”
Pink Friday 2 is Minaj’s third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, the most number ones by any female rapper. It moved 228,000 units in its first week, according to Luminate, another feat for a rap album by a woman in the 2020s decade.
With an expansive catalogue spanning 17 years, Minaj said it was challenging curating the tour setlist.
“It was so difficult to put together the set list because it was just hit on hit,” she said. “Then on top of that, when you write your music, one day you listen back and you hear people enjoying it or relating to it, you’re like, wait a minute… It touches you on a whole other level again and I’m so appreciative of all of the artists who lent themselves and their talents to the album.”
RnB singer Monica, who Minaj has cited as an early musical influence, is the only announced supporting act who will join her during the American leg.
As for who could be supporting Minaj in Jamaica, her ties include Skeng, Skillibeng and Beenie Man, all of whom are represented on her new album.
The 22-track set features Forward From Trini with Skillibeng and Skeng, a song she’s had to defend in the past.
The Big Difference rapper has been unapologetic about her fandom for Skeng, whom she previously dubbed “the future”, sealed with her 2022 Likkle Miss takeover.
She cosigned Skillibeng by hopping on the Crocodile Teeth remix a year prior, and even brought him out on shows.
Pink Friday 2 also includes Needle (featuring Drake), which interpolates Beenie’s Wickedest Slam, and Just the Memories, inspired by Beenie’s Memories (taken from a Johnny Bristol original).
Minaj’s reverence for Beenie is longstanding, with the pair collaborating on Gun Shot in 2012 for her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded album.
The Super Bass artist has also played his music in numerous livestreams and shouted him out during award shows, the most recent being the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards show.
Dancehall also appears on the project with the previously-released Red Ruby Da Sleeze, built on Steven ‘Lenky’ Marsden’s iconic Diwali rhythm.
As for Minaj’s Trini connections, she’s long hailed Destra Garcia as the Queen of Bacchanal, and included her and Patrice Roberts in the all-female Fine 9 collab. Minaj also worked with Destra on Shake the Place with Machel Montano. All artists kicked it together for Trinidad and Tobago’s 2023 carnival.
These acts aside, Minaj has also worked with Jamaican acts Gyptian and Mavado. Her Jamaican ties are rooted in her upbringing in Queens, New York, which led to her former relationship with Jamaican rapper Safaree, who’s credited for co-writing some of her songs.