The King of Dancehall Made a Surprise Appearance
Nicki Minaj has been on a roll lately. She broke the record for the highest-grossing tour by a female rapper, and her latest album featured her first solo number one single. The positive vibes have continued with Minaj welcoming multiple guests during her shows. She reunited with Drake at the Toronto show, giving the fellow Young Money artist his flowers in early May. Minaj took things up a notch during her London show, bringing out the King of Dancehall, Beenie Man, to perform.
The rapper welcomed Beenie Man with all the reverence one would expect. As he entered, she asked for a hug, then bowed down before him and the crowd. Beenie Man quickly returned the compliment, declaring Minaj the queen of hip-hop if he is the king of dancehall. Together, they performed Beenie Man’s classic track “I’m Drinking / Rum & Redbull.” Known for her outspoken and boisterous nature, Minaj’s deference was notable. She even posted about the onstage collaboration on X (formerly Twitter).
“I just performed with the KING OF DANCEHALL,” Minaj tweeted. “One of the most talented musicians that I looked to for inspiration my entire career. I can’t believe this is my life sometimes. Wow. One of my heroes. I love this man so much. @KingBeenieMan.”
Though raised in New York, Minaj was born in Trinidad and has consistently incorporated dancehall influences into her music. This is evident on the Pink Friday 2 track “Forward from Trini,” featuring artists like Skillibeng and Skeng.
Minaj also took to Stationhead to address fans who didn’t appreciate her dancehall tracks. “Y’all, some of them don’t like it, but it’s okay,” she said. “They’re gonna have to get with it… I’m sorry if y’all can’t understand this kind of music.”
Minaj isn’t the first Young Money artist to collaborate with Beenie Man. Drake featured the legendary artist on his blockbuster 2016 album Views, where Beenie provided the outro on “Controlla.”
