Aug. 10--"This is 2015. It's not OK to not be chasing your dreams," Nicki Minaj said at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on Sunday. It seemed sage advice from an artist who has not only seemed to beat the odds, but changed the game.
Consider that when the Trinidadian-born, Queens-reared Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007, there had only been three solo female rappers to top Billboard's Hot 100. Today, Minaj has had the most hits of any female rapper on that chart, 65 according to Billboard. Her versatility, having also scored pop and R hits as well as show-stealing guest verses on other artists' songs (several of which she dropped into Sunday's set), makes her a ubiquitous part of today's pop music landscape, and a refreshing one at that. One minute she can venomously put someone in their place, the next she can showcase vulnerability, with moxie and a style of her own.
The many facets of Minaj were on display at her show on Sunday, where she ran through material new and old, including a mixtape medley. She launched her set with two ballads from her recent album, "The Pinkprint," "All Things Go" and "The Crying Game." The songs might not have been an obvious, upbeat way to open at an amphitheater, but they provided an intimate moment before she let loose the fire.
And it was her spitfire verses, with heavy rap-along assists from her fans, that most resonated, such as during "Did It On 'Em" and "Beez In The Trap." And though it seemed she could eviscerate an enemy with a couple lines and a side-eyed glance, she could also disarm with a wink and a sly smile a minute later. It was that charisma that made transitioning between her wide-ranging fare, from pop-dance-tinged tunes ("Super Bass") to ballads ("Pills N Potions,") to straight-up rap and back again mostly seamless.
Toward the end of the show she brought out Meek Mill, who was one of her openers (and whom she also referred to as her husband), for a few songs. Marriage may have been on her mind, but being self-reliant was, too. "One thing I can't stand, it's a lazy [person]. Go to school, have a career, get your own [stuff]," she said. Nicki Minaj practiced what she preached onstage with her music and a stage presence showcasing that strength, sensuality and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive when transcending the playing field.
Althea Legaspi is a freelance critic.
ctc-arts@tribpub.com
