5
Mia’s part
“Who wants to play with Nicki?” Tens of thousands of people, as Nicki Minaj took the stage for her 25th consecutive sold-out show in Toronto, Canada, according to People’s Magazine.
I’ve never been to a concert with as much production value as Pink Friday 2. Growing up, I wasn’t a big concert fan. Imagine my excitement when the third concert I went to was to see the Queen of Rap herself.
When I arrived at the arena, I was lucky enough to see the presence of the “Barbs”. Dressed head to toe in pink, brandishing cowboy hats and Nicki Minaj t-shirts, I felt right at home. Not to mention everyone was getting excited. Given that the last big concert I went to was Mötley Crüe’s Stadium Tour in 2022, my expectations for concert etiquette were pretty low. However, the Barbs proved to be a welcoming group, and Minaj and the DJ who opened for her encouraged friendliness and love among audience members, even telling us to turn to our sides and introduce ourselves to those who played next to us.
When I heard there was a DJ opening for Minaj, I was hesitant. I mean, no offense to DJs everywhere, but sometimes you lack soul. It is extremely difficult to perform on stage in front of a crowd of around 20,000 people, especially when you are not the main performer everyone is looking for. However, DJ Pharris delivered on his promises. The music was loud, Michael and I were dancing and the energy in the room was unmatched even though Minaj wasn’t even on stage yet.
I’ll let Michael, the real Barb among us, share his thoughts on our evening.
Michael’s part
After 30 minutes of DJ set, the arena went dark. After a brief video interlude, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Minaj rises from the bottom of the stage. She continued blow after blow, without losing a single ounce of energy. In the first act, Minaj wore this stunning silver ensemble performing songs such as “I’m the Best,” “Press Play,” “We Go Up” and, of course, the iconic “FTCU.” The energy during this part of the show was crazy and I didn’t expect to lose my voice after two songs.
In the next act, Minaj performed some of her craziest dance moves to date. In the performances of “Pink Birthday” and “Feeling Myself,” I was impressed with how well the Queen could dance. She’s a rapper, sure, but her stage presence was out of this world. Minaj then moved on to the third act, where she unleashed her alter egos such as Chun Li, Red Ruby Da Sleaze, Harajuku Barbie and, of course, Roman Zolanski.
In the third act, I almost got whiplash from how quickly everything was happening. With back-to-back performances of the songs “Barbie World,” “Roman’s Revenge” and Monster, Mia and I recalled the days when Minaj was known for her crazy and animated rap style. Overall, it was nice to see the Queen explain to us why we became fans in the first place.
In the ballad section, Minaj performed moving songs such as “Save Me” and “Right Thru Me.” During the latter part of the act, Nicki gave a moving speech about loving yourself before loving anyone else. It was amazing to see a vulnerable side of Nicki, especially after her publicly documented feud with fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion. I’m not really a “crier”, but I cried a little when Minaj talked about not letting the love of others define who you are. After Minaj left the stage, singer and special guest Monica began singing some of her hits.
Finally, the Queen welcomed us to Gag City, in the final act. Jumping out of a train and rapping her hits “Super Freaky Girl” and “Anaconda,” Minaj proved why she’s an enduring force in the industry. His stage presence, rapping skills, and most importantly, his fans kept the show going. She laughed, danced, cried and even allowed a fan to come on stage for the song “Everybody.” My favorite part of this act was when she snatched the microphone out of a fan’s hand because he was singing badly, much to the relief of the crowd.
This concert was a “4 Life Moment” and was unforgettable. Mia and I enjoyed the three hour length, the outfit changes and the connection she had with us. The only thing I wish I could change was how limited the merchandise was…or what time we got to the stadium.
