Before Nicki Minaj became the big star she is today, the Young Money rapper appeared to be an ordinary chick with some very nice rap skills.
In some old video footage from the “Come Up” DVD series….aPre-Barbie Minaj spits a “Dirty Money” freestyle and pays homage to Lil Kim and Foxy Brown.
Just as she did last night (June 4) on Hot 97, Nicki Minaj promised a free concert in New York. This morning (June 5) on Hot 97’s New York City competitor, Power 105, Nicki says she plans on making up her no-show at Summer Jam with a free concert in NYC.
“It’s still in the works, but it’s definitely gonna happen,” Minaj said about the free concert. “We gonna make it work.”
“This was actually Wayne’s suggestion,” the Young Money princess added. “Wayne was like, ‘Yo Nick, we can do our own show for the people. You don’t have to feel bad.’ Obviously, I felt bad. I don’t want to let my fans down, period. We’re going to have fun.”
She first talked about plans for the free concert with Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97 on Monday night.
Meanwhile Hot 97 personality, Peter Rosenberg, who called Minaj’s “Starships” single “bullshit” hours before her schedule Summer Jam performance is sticking to his opinion about the record and choice comments.
“Hey, I went out there, I was hosting, I was in the zone of doing real hip-hop,” Rosenberg said on the air this morning. “I just said what came to mind and everyone made a big deal about it…Now the Barbz are all hitting me and asking me to apologize. There’s a get-me-to-apoligize movement, to which I can say…I’m absolutely not apologizing because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
As of press time, there aren’t any concrete details about Nicki’s proposed free NYC concert.—
Following Nicki Minaj‘s canceled Hot 97 Summer Jam performance, the rapper and Hot 97 radio personality Funkmaster Flex got on the phone and chopped it up — for over an hour — about what happened, and why Nicki ultimate deciding against performing Sunday night.
Nicki demanded that her conversation with Flex be aired uncut and unedited, and it was, as the pair had a lengthy back-and-forth discussion that resulted both sides essentially agreeing to disagree.
But Nicki refused to apologize for pulling out of the show at the last minute. “Excuse me?” No radio station that allowed someone to disrespect me is getting an apology,” she said.
Check out the full hour-long interview below:
http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%
2Ftracks%2F48666432&show_artwork=false
‘We don’t f-ck with commercial rappers anymore. If you lost the streets it’s your fault! I’m dedicated to tearing you down‘ – Funkmaster Flex on Nicki Minaj.
Good grief! A whole lot went on at Hot 97′s Summer Jam yesterday evening but the night definitely took an interesting turn after the headliner, Nicki Minaj, cancelled her set. Hours before she was scheduled to make her her much anticipated return to the Summer Jam festival, Nicki started hyping up her performance by tweeting, “History will be made @ Hot97 Summer Jam tonight. I really hope you’re there to witness it.” Then, rumors started flying that she would be bringing none other than Foxy Brown to the stage. But while all this was transpiring, Hot 97 ‘s morning show host Peter Rosenberg (who has made it no secret that he isn’t feeling Nicki’s commercial crossover), hit the stage to hype the crowd up for the day’s performances and ended up slighting Nicki and her single “Starships” in the process.
“I see the real Hip-Hop heads sprinkled in here. I see them. I know there are some chicks here waiting to sing ‘Starships’ later, I’m not talking to y’all right now. F-ck that bullsh-t. I’m here to talk about real Hip-Hop sh-t. People here to see A$AP Rocky today. People here to see ScHoolboy Q on this stage. That’s the sh-t I represent.”
Once Lil Wayne got word of the shots sent at Nicki from the very organization that invited her to perform (and sell tickets), he called the whole thing off with a Tweet that said, “Young Money ain’t doing summer jam.” Although Tyga and Busta Rhymes went ahead and performed anyway, Nicki canceled her set while sending out a tweet that read:
“Wow. U ni–az just f-cked up history. But the President has spoken. #YMCMB. Had a HELL of a f-cking lineup. But we won’t b disrespected. I go above and beyond for my fans. But won’t ever go against wayne’s word. What he says goes.”
And ScaffBeezy definitely wasn’t happy:
YOOO PETER ROSENBURG WHEN I COME TO SUMMA JAM YOU GETTING PUNCHED IN YA F–KING FACE U F–KING P–SY!!!!!!! I PROMISE U N—A!!!!!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the twitter verse, Lil Kim got the news that Nicki Minaj (her present rival) and Foxy Brown (her former rival) were planning to link up on stage. She took to twitter to express her disgust, claiming Nicki once again stole her idea by bringing female rappers together like she did last week with Missy and Eve:
“Hot damn ho here we go again. Monkey see monkey do. I heard the haters are joining forces against the Queen. LMAO !!!! Have a great show!!! Break a leg!!!! Hahahaha!!!! My love for the female hip hop movement has always been genuine. All the females I’ve been bringing out recently I have love for. If u see anybody else doing it … Its not genuine …Know it’s only to copy and compete with me …….. For those of u who have been brainwashed by the fraud …Let’s open our eyes now people …the clone is not bringing ladies out for the luv. It’s strictly because I’m doing it ! Love u Team Kim and all my fans across the world ..they’ll believe one day very soon !!”
Later in the show, Funkmaster Flex took the opportunity to slam Nicki Minaj on stage and he promised on twitter that he would be dropping even more bombs during his show tonight. (This surprised Nicki’s fans because Nicki had given Flex the ‘Roman Reloaded’ track as an exclusive earlier this year). Flex said while on stage:
We ain’t f–kin with commercial rappers no more! If you lost the f-ckin streets, its your fault! If you don’t go gold, it’s your fault! I’m dedicated to tearing you down! F-ck with me! We gon show you mama, you think you didn’t sell any records this time?
In the end, Nicki Minaj kept her word of not showing up and spent the night chopping it up over at Negril Village with Foxy Brown.
Two American men – a high-profile dancer and a teenage musician – have been arrested by police investigating the murder of an Irish student apparently strangled to death in a luxury Tokyo hotel.
Nicola Furlong, 21, was found dead in the early hours of Thursday morning after she attended a Nicki Minaj concert with a female friend, also a 21-year-old Irish student.
Dancer James Blackston, 23, and a 19-year-old male musician, who has not been identified by police, have been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting Ms Furlong’s friend in a taxi on the way to the hotel.
Police are investigating whether the two men plied the two women with alcohol or spiked their drinks before taking them to the Keio Plaza Hotel in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo after the concert.
Ms Furlong was found unconscious in a room after another guest alerted staff to a loud noise. The two men were arrested at the shortly afterwards by officers, the Irish Independent reported.
A spokesperson for Tokyo Metropolitan Police said of the alleged sexual attack on Ms Furlong’s friend: ‘These two men allegedly took advantage of a female unable to resist due to the fact she was in a comatose state from a highly alcoholic beverage.
‘On a taxi ride between Shibuya and Shinjuku they took advantage of a woman by touching her body. As that is an indecent act, they have been charged with quasi forcible indecency.’
Charged: James Blackston, pictured, is one of the two Americans charged with sexually assaulting the woman
High profile: Police are investigating whether the 21-year-old dancer (pictured left and right) and his 19-year-old musician friend plied the two women with alcohol or spiked their drinks before going to their hotel
Accused: Blackston, pictured front, has performed for acts including the Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Lopez
U.S. State Department officials confirmed the arrests. It is believed the 19-year-old, identified by some reports as Larry Perry, was with Ms Furlong when she was found, Kyodo News reported.
The death came just hours after the two women, who were both studying in Japan, attended the Nicki Minaj concert in Tokyo, with local reports claiming that they missed their last train home.
They are believed to have had drinks with the two suspects before going back to their upmarket hotel. In the early hours of Thursday, a guest complained about a loud noise from one of the rooms.
A hotel employee went to the room and found Ms Furlong lying on the floor near the bed and the 19-year-old man standing nearby, Kyodo added. She was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead.
Victim: Ms Furlong, who was studying in Japan, was reportedly found unconscious in a hotel room with one of the suspects after another hotel guest heard a loud noise. She was pronounced dead in hospital
Scene: She was found in a room in the Keio Plaza Hotel in Tokyo. The men were arrested at the scene
Hotel: The men took the women to the hotel in a taxi, where the alleged sexual assault took place
A source told Kyodo that there were no signs that anyone else had entered the room. Japanese media have reported that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
On social networks, Blackston brands himself the ‘Kingtight Kingofdance’. The dancer claims he has appeared in music videos for stars such as the Black Eyed Peas, Chris Brown and Jennifer Lopez.
It is not clear whether he was part of the Nicki Minaj concert the women attended on Wednesday.
Ms Furlong, a business and language student at Dublin City University in Ireland, had been living in the city of Takasaki in the Gunma prefecture of Japan, about 60 miles northwest of Tokyo.
School: Ms Furlong was on a study abroad program at the Takasaki City University of Economics, pictured
She was on a one-year exchange programme and was due to return to Ireland this summer.
Nicola’s father Andrew, mother Angie and sister Andrea were told of her death on Thursday morning. They are still struggling to come to terms with their horrific loss, according to friends.
In a statement the family said: ‘We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter / sister Nicola in such tragic circumstances.
‘Nicola was a warm, generous, stunning person who always had time for her family and other people. Nicola will always be at the centre of our lives. She stood for everything that is good in life.’
Fr Jim Fitzpatrick from St Margaret’s Church in Curracloe, Ireland, said: ‘The family are very upset and the fact it happened so far away and so unexpectedly is adding further to their grief.’
Concert: The two students had been to a concert for U.S. rapper Nicki Minaj before they met the men. It is not clear whether the suspects were performers with Minaj
The Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the department was ‘liaising closely’ with the Furlong family.
She refused to confirm or deny reports that Nicola had been strangled, adding that the case was ‘very sensitive’ and the family’s privacy had to be respected.
The 21-year-old friend, who is also studying at the same university in Japan, is being comforted by her family who have recently arrived in Tokyo, the Independent reported.
It is not yet known whether she will stay in Japan to continue her studies or return to Ireland.
It seems femcee Trina is pairing her new style with a new sound.
Following the Nicki Minaj “pop for play” trend, the self-styled Baddest B*tch leaves her trademark “risque” at the door, swapping it for something more universal on new cut ‘Outer Space’.
Oh the conundrum.
On the one hand, one can’t but salute Trina for adapting to what’s hot. After all it’s a tried and tested formula, which could very well garner her the universal hit her career has been thirsty for. I mean, as serviceable Dance/Pop cut, the track ultimately “works”. And most importantly at a time when, love it or loathe it, traditional Hip-Hop isn’t.
However, we can’t help but wonder why she’d voluntarily inherit the critique levelled at the Nicki’s of the world for “selling out”. Yes, the industry is changing and new trends are “in”, yet are the longtime Trina fans likely to “bop” to this at her next show, after lapping up the hard-hitting Hip-Hop she’s been serving up for the last decade? Time will tell if this “route” is a risk worth taking.
PF$: Corporate Americas Funny-Man 