In the Nicki of time
Minaj will treat South Africans to her brand of energy.
He has brought superstars such as Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chains and Gill Scott to perform in South Africa, but David Airey, the director of Airey Scott, says Nicki Minaj’s concert is going to be the best one yet.
After a year-long negotiation with Minaj’s management team, Scott announced that the rapper would be bringing her Pinkprint tour to our shores in March.
“We’re planning a very extravagant show,” says Scott. “Being able to secure Nicki Minaj for concerts is a huge achievement so we want to go big.
“From the lighting, to the costumes and the stage, everything will be world class.”
Minaj’s live shows are famous for flamboyant outfits, high-energy performances and giving her audience inspiring pep talks in between songs.
The 33-year-old rapper was meant to come to SA in 2014, for the Tribe One Festival, which the organisers cancelled.
Her first visit to the continent last year was marred by controversy. Minaj headlined a Christmas festival in Luanda, Angola, despite a plea from the Human Rights Foundation for her to boycott the show for political reasons.
In a post on the organisation’s website, titled Nicki Minaj shouldn’t be performing for dictators, the organisation said of the country’s president: “Jose Eduardo dos Santos has ruled Angola since seizing power in the fall of 1979. A cunning tyrant, Dos Santos survived a legacy of colonialism and devastating civil war to consolidate control over the presidency, military and judicial system, all while crushing independent journalism and civil society.” Minaj ignored the plea. Before her performance Minaj posted a picture of herself with Dos Santos’s daughter, Isabel, with the caption: “She’s just the 8th richest woman in the world. (At least that’s what I was told by someone before we took this photo) Lol Yikes! Girl power! This motivates me soooooo much!” (SIC).
Scott says they chose to work with Minaj because she is likely to draw huge crowds.
“When it comes to chosing artists to partner with, we look for artists who are making waves around the world.”
Local artists who will be supporting Minaj will be announced in the next few weeks.
Being able to secure Nicki Minaj is a huge achievement so we want to go big
David Airey