Nicki Minaj arrives for the 2018 Met Gala on May 7, 2018, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. – The Gala raises money for the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute. The Gala’s 2018 theme is Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
The White House has offered to arrange a phone call between Nicki Minaj and one of its doctors, multiple US outlets reported after the rapper sparked widespread derision over claims a cousin’s friend had become impotent after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Minaj on Wednesday claimed she had been invited to the White House in the wake of her viral tweets about an unnamed acquaintance in her native Trinidad and Tobago — an invitation she said she accepted.
But a White House official told multiple US outlets that Minaj had only been offered an educational phone call.
“As we have with others, we offered a call with Nicki Minaj and one of our doctors to answer questions she has about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” the official said.
The Grammy-nominated rapper sparked a media storm Monday when she said she had skipped New York’s star-studded Met Gala this week due to its requirement that attendees be vaccinated, saying she would only get the jab once she had “done enough research”.
She said a friend of a cousin in Trinidad had experienced swollen testicles after getting the vaccine — claims that sparked a formal rebuttal from the Caribbean nation’s health minister.
“One of the reasons why we could not respond yesterday in real-time to Miss Minaj is that we had to check and make sure that what she was claiming was either true or false,” Terrence Deyalsingh told a press conference.
“Unfortunately, we wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim.”
British and US health officials have also condemned the claims.
Experts say there is no evidence that vaccines affect fertility or male genitalia.
Nicki Minaj and husband, Kenneth Perry. Photo; [email protected] Minaj
Nicki Minaj is a mom!
The rapper, 37, gave birth to a baby on Sept. 30 in Los Angeles, People and Billboard confirm. It’s her first child with husband Kenneth Petty, 42.
The new parents haven’t revealed the gender or name of the newborn just yet.
Minaj announced her pregnancy in late July in a series of Instagram posts.
In the first post, “Preggers” she captioned the posts and added a heart emoji.
In two more posts following her initial announcement, Minaj shared more photos of her holding her growing belly. In the third post, she writes, “Love. Marriage. Baby carriage. Overflowing with excitement & gratitude. Thank you all for the well wishes. 💛”
The singer, rapper ignited pregnancy rumors earlier in the year, when a fan asked her to share baby bump photos on Twitter. “Yea in a couple of months. The world ain’t ready yet,” she replied.
The news of Minaj welcoming her first child comes a little over a year after she first fueled speculation that she could be pregnant on Chance the Rapper’s “Zanies and Fools” track.
Minaj rapped on the track, “He the Clyde to my Bonnie, ’bout to walk down the aisle and be a mommy. / Ooh, I remember when I cried like, ‘Why me?’ / Now I wouldn’t exchange my life for Armani.”
“When you have someone that feels like your soulmate or someone who understands you, it just makes you feel like you’re on top of the world,” Minaj told People Magazine.
Last year, the 37-year-old had announced her retirement, explaining that she wants to start a family life in a tweet that has since been deleted.
“I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now,” she had said. “To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me … Love you for LIFE.”
Nicki Minaj on Thursday surprised fans by announcing her retirement from rap, saying she was going to focus on family.
The provocative 36-year-old known for hits like “Super Bass” is engaged to music executive Kenneth Petty, and she recently said a wedding is in the cards in the coming months.
“I’ve decided to retire & have my family,” tweeted the wildly successful rapper raised in the New York borough of Queens.
“I know you guys are happy now,” she continued. “To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, X in the box – cuz ain’t nobody checkin me.”
US singer Janet Jackson performs on stage during the Jeddah World music Festival on July 18, 2019, at the King Abdullah Sports City in the coastal city of Jeddah. US Pop icon Janet Jackson and US rapper 50 Cent are among musicians set to perform in Saudi Arabia, organisers said on July 17, 2019, after US rapper Nicki Minaj pulled out in a show of support for women’s rights. AMER HILABI / AFP
Janet Jackson, 50 Cent and Chris Brown were among artists who performed Thursday at a concert in Saudi Arabia that rapper Nicki Minaj pulled out of citing human rights concerns.
A cheering crowd danced to the thumping music at Jeddah World Fest, hosted in the Red Sea city of western Saudi Arabia.
Such scenes, unimaginable just two years ago, reflect how the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom is easing decades-old restrictions on entertainment.
Minaj — well-known for her provocative, profanity-laced lyrics and skin-baring music videos — pulled out of headlining the concert in a show of solidarity for women’s and gay rights in the ultra-conservative Islamic kingdom.
The cancellation triggered a social media storm, with many fans in the kingdom voicing disappointment and demanding ticket refunds.
The singer insisted on Twitter that her decision was not intended to “disrespect” the Saudi government.
The announcement of her performance had prompted an online backlash from arch-conservatives as the kingdom pursues a contentious liberalisation drive.
Citing unnamed sources, a few Saudi media outlets including the pro-government Okaz newspaper insisted it was the kingdom that cancelled her show, as it went against local “customs and values”.
The country has faced intense international scrutiny over its human rights record since last year’s killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul and the ongoing trial of women activists.
The Human Rights Foundation has urged artists not to perform in the kingdom.
“It’s clear that, after losing Nicki Minaj on the basis of the Saudi regime’s atrocious human rights record and their treatment of women and the gay community, Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman) has chosen to spend whatever it takes to give the appearance that things are normal and that this is just another concert,” HRF president Thor Halvorssen said in a statement.
“Except it isn’t.”
Saudi Arabia is boosting entertainment for its citizens to have fun, in what some see as an attempt to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment.
The country’s General Entertainment Authority said it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade.
But some acts have fuelled anger in a country still steeped in conservatism.
The cancellation of a concert by rapper Nicki Minaj in Saudi Arabia triggered a fresh social media storm on Wednesday, with many fans in the ultra-conservative kingdom voicing disappointment and demanding ticket refunds.
The American star on Tuesday said she pulled out of the July 18 concert in a show of support for women’s and gay rights in Saudi Arabia.
The announcement of her performance in the western city of Jeddah had prompted an online backlash from arch-conservatives as the kingdom pursues a contentious liberalisation drive that has loosened decades-old restrictions on entertainment.
“So sad, I was preparing to do a Michael Jackson dance at the party,” one Twitter user wrote as some fans angrily demanded refunds from organisers.
Organisers of the Jeddah Season cultural festival had said thousands of tickets were sold for the concert that includes performances by British musician Liam Payne and American DJ Steve Aoki.
The singer also faced a torrent of abuse for supporting gay rights in the Islamic kingdom, with one person writing on Twitter: “Cancellation of the party is good news. Praise be to Allah.”
Homosexuality is forbidden in Islam.
Minaj is well-known for her provocative, profanity-laced lyrics and skin-baring music videos.
The singer insisted on Twitter that she did not want to perform in a country where “women have no rights”, but added that her decision was not intended to “disrespect” the Saudi government.
Citing unnamed sources, a few Saudi media outlets including the pro-government Okaz newspaper insisted that it was the kingdom that canceled the concert as it went against local “customs and values”.
Saudi entertainment authorities and the media ministry did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
The kingdom has faced intense international scrutiny over its human rights record since last year’s killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul and the ongoing trial of women activists.
Saudi Arabia is boosting entertainment that allows citizens to have fun, in what some see as an attempt to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment.
The country’s General Entertainment Authority said it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade.
The reform also stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the kingdom has reeled from low oil prices.
Saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see films and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai and Bahrain.
But such acts have fuelled controversy in a country still steeped in conservatism.
Nicki Minaj has cancelled a performance in Saudi Arabia in a show of support for women’s and gay rights in the ultra-conservative kingdom, the US rapper said Tuesday.
Minaj’s scheduled appearance in the western city of Jeddah next week as part of a cultural festival had triggered a social media backlash over human rights in the country.
“After careful reflection, I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest,” Minaj said in a statement sent to AFP by her publicist.
“While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”
Minaj, known for her profanity-laced lyrics and raunchy music videos, was due to perform as the headline act of the festival — to be televised globally on MTV — as the kingdom loosens its decades-old restrictions on entertainment
Others scheduled to perform include British musician Liam Payne and American DJ Steve Aoki.
The New York-based Human Rights Foundation on Friday wrote Minaj an open letter urging her to withdraw from the festival, calling on her to “refuse the regime’s money” and use her global influence to demand the release of jailed Saudi women activists.
Amnesty International have described the Saudi human rights record as “abysmal,” adding that the nation is in the “grip of a sweeping crackdown against critics of the government.”
The festival in Saudi Arabia, which forbids alcohol and has a strict social code, comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues a sweeping liberalization drive that has led to new cinemas, concerts and sporting extravaganzas.
The reform is seen by some as an attempt to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment.
Saudi Arabia is also moving to boost domestic spending on entertainment and tourism, as the kingdom has reeled from low oil prices.
While Saudi Arabia is yet to offer tourist visas, the country has fast-tracked electronic permits for international visitors to attend such festivals to further boost revenue.
US rapper Nicki Minaj will perform in Saudi Arabia this month, organisers said, triggering a storm on social media as the ultra-conservative kingdom loosens decades-old restrictions on entertainment.
Minaj, known for her profanity-laced lyrics and raunchy music videos, will perform in the western city of Jeddah on July 18, organisers of the ongoing Jeddah Season cultural festival announced on Twitter on Tuesday.
The headline act, to be televised on MTV, will also feature British musician Liam Payne and American DJ Steve Aoki, local media reported.
“She (Minaj) is going to be actively on her social media, she’ll be posting right from the stage in Jeddah and at her hotel in Jeddah,” Robert Quirke, an event organiser, was quoted as saying by the Arab News daily.
“Everyone is going to know that Nicki Minaj has landed in Saudi Arabia.”
The performance in the kingdom, which forbids alcohol and has a strict social code, comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues a sweeping liberalisation drive that has led to new cinemas, concerts and sporting extravaganzas.
The news was widely welcomed in a country where two-thirds of the population is under 30, with one Twitter user posting a picture of Minaj and writing: “My dream has come true”.
But it also triggered outrage from conservative quarters.
“She is going to go and shake her backside and all her songs are about sex… and then everyone tells me to wear the abaya. What the hell!” one woman said in a video posted on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia is boosting entertainment that allows citizens to have fun, in what some see as an attempt to blunt public frustration over an economic downturn and high youth unemployment.
The kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority said it plans to pump $64 billion into the sector in the coming decade.
The reform also stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the kingdom has reeled from low oil prices.
Saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see films and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like Dubai and Bahrain.
While Saudi Arabia is yet to offer tourist visas, the country has fast-tracked electronic permits for international visitors to attend such festivals to further boost revenue.
But such acts have fuelled controversy in a country still steeped in conservatism.
In June last year, Saudi Arabia sacked the head of its entertainment authority, following an online backlash against a circus featuring women wearing skintight leotards.
This combination of file pictures created on September 8, 2018 shows rapper Cardi B (L) at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York; and rapper Nicki Minaj at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. PHOTO: ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Two of America’s most prominent rap and hip-hop artists, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, nearly came to blows in a brief but explosive confrontation during New York’s Fashion Week.
Videos on Twitter and YouTube showed the two women, who were on a second-floor balcony above a red carpet event late Friday, being separated by their security guards as Cardi B curses her rival before throwing a shoe at her.
Minaj was reportedly not hurt. But a photo taken immediately afterward shows Cardi B with a large bump just above her left eye. The Variety website said one of Minaj’s guards elbowed her during the melee.
It was not immediately known what touched off the dispute, but gossip site TMZ said Cardi B, the first female rapper to have had multiple No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, had accused the older Minaj, one of the best-selling musical artists now performing, of spreading “lies” about her.
In a subsequent Instagram post, the 25-year-old Cardi B complained — without naming names — that her rival had gone too far when she criticised Cardi B’s qualities as a mother. Cardi B had a child in July with fellow rapper Offset.
Cardi B gained enormous notoriety in the US musical world last year with the release of her song “Bodak Yellow,” with its references to her past as a strip-tease dancer trying to make ends meet.
Minaj, 35, has sold more than five million albums worldwide and won 10 Grammy nominations.
Rapper Nicki Minaj said Wednesday that she is pushing back her new album as she desperately seeks to reach Tracy Chapman to clear a sample.
Chapman, the deep-voiced and intensely private folk singer behind socially conscious songs such as the 1988 classic “Fast Car,” has pulled off the increasingly rare feat of being nowhere to be found online as Minaj pleaded via her 20 million followers each on Instagram and Twitter.
In a tweet this week that she later deleted, Minaj wrote that a song on her upcoming album, “Queen,” features one of “the greatest rappers of all time” but that she had “no clue it sampled the legend #TracyChapman.”
Minaj, whose album will be her first in four years, proceeded to poll her followers to ask whether she should delete the track or delay the album.
The latter option apparently won. Writing on her AppleMusic account on Thursday, Minaj said the album would come out August 17. She earlier had announced it for June and then pushed it back to August 10.
Minaj also posted a text conversation conducted through a fan in which Chapman is offered $2 million to grant permission in time for an August 10 release.
Chapman, 54, has said that she has no desire to spend time on social media.
A number of fans voiced offence at Minaj’s full-court push.
“I can’t believe that this is the kind of disrespect that Tracy Chapman is getting for merely not replying!!” tweeted one user with the handle @nasque.
Minaj did not specify the rapper behind the supposedly obscure Chapman sample but her praiseworthy tone led fans to think she was referring to Eminem. The two rappers have suggested in flirtatious public remarks that they may be romantically involved.
Chris Brown, the singer and rapper controversial over his history of domestic violence, sampled “Fast Car” in his song “Run Away.”
Minaj, one of the top women in hip-hop, has already released three songs from “Queen” including “Bed,” a tropically infused, sexually charged duet with pop singer Ariana Grande, and “Chun-Li,” a nod to Asian martial arts and video-game culture.
This combination of pictures created on June 03, 2018 shows US rapper Eminem at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards and American-Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj at the 2018 Met Gala. On Sunday June 3rd 2018, KEVIN WINTER, Angela WEISS / AFP / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA
Eminem on Sunday fueled rumors that he was dating Nicki Minaj, creating an ultimate hip-hop power couple — and one which few would have anticipated.
Eminem, the top-selling rapper of all time, addressed speculation of the relationship as he headlined the Governors Ball festival in New York — although his phrasing was odd enough to leave lingering doubts.
“I’m going to tell you something about Nicki that she don’t even know,” Eminem told the crowd.
“We go together!” he said to cheers. “That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.”
Minaj, one of the most influential women in hip-hop, suggested a relationship with Eminem late last month when she contributed a verse to the song “Big Bank” by rapper YG.
“Told ’em I met Slim Shady / Bag the Em / Once he go black he’ll be back again,” she said, using one of the alter ego character names of the white rapper.
Posting the verse on Instagram, Minaj was asked by a fan whether she was, in fact, dating Eminem and she replied, “Yes.”
But the unusually direct response stirred social media chatter that the relationship was little more than teasing between the two, and Eminem was coy on the subject when addressing an earlier concert.
Eminem, 45, has generated headlines for his turbulent personal life — and often violent lyricism about women — since he emerged in the 1990s. He twice married and divorced Kim Scott, his high school sweetheart from Michigan.
The Trinidad-born Minaj, 35, last year said she had ended a two-year relationship with fellow rapper Meek Mill.
The eight-year-old Governors Ball drew some 150,000 people over three days to the city’s tiny Randall’s Island. Other performers included garage-rocker Jack White, boisterous rap star Travis Scott and fast-rising pop singer Halsey.
Several moments made highlights of the 32 annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) including Nicki Minaj challenging Miley Cyrus, Cyrus announcing a surprise album, Kanye West’s poignant Video Vanguard Award speech and Justin Bieber dominating the 2015 VMAs.
Check Out The Full List Of Winners.
Video of the Year Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” Beyoncé – “7/11” Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Best Female Video Taylor Swift – “Blank Space” Beyoncé – “7/11” Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda” Sia – “Elastic Heart” Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”
Best Male Video Mark Ronson ft Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” The Weeknd – “Earned It” Nick Jonas – “Chains”
Best Hip-Hop Video Nicki Minaj – “Anaconda” Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” Wiz Khalifa ft Charlie Puth – “See You Again” Big Sean ft E-40 – “IDFWU”
Best Pop Video Taylor Swift – “Blank Space” Beyoncé – “7/11″ Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” Maroon 5 – “Sugar”
Best Rock Video Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman” Hozier – “Take Me to Church” Florence + the Machine – “Ship to Wreck” Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance” Arctic Monkeys – “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?”
Artist to Watch Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” Vance Joy – “Riptide” George Ezra – “Budapest” James Bay – “Hold Back The River” FKA Twigs – “Pendulum”
Video With a Social Message Big Sean ft Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World” Jennifer Hudson – “I Still Love You” Colbie Caillat – “Try” Rihanna – “American Oxygen” Wale – “The White Shoes”
Best Collaboration Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again” Ariana Grande & The Weeknd – “Love Me Harder” Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang”
Best Art Direction Snoop Dogg – “So Many Pros” (François Rousselet, Jason Fijal) Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Charles Infante) Jack White – “Would You Fight For My Love” (Jack White, Jeff Peterson) The Chemical Brothers – “Go” (Michel Gondry) Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Best Choreography OK Go – “I Won’t Let You Down” (OK Go, air:man and Mori Harano) Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Chris Grant, Additional choreography: Gabriel Valenciano) Chet Faker – “Gold” (Ryan Heffington) Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Nappy Tabs) Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Keone and Mari Madrid)
Best Cinematography Flying Lotus ft Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me” (Larkin Sieple) Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud” (Daniel Pearl) Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Christopher Probst) FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Justin Brown) Alt-J – “Left Hand Free” (Mike Simpson)
Best Direction Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” (Colin Tilley & The Little Homies)Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Joseph Kahn) Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” (Bruno Mars & Cameron Duddy) Hozier – “Take Me to Church” (Brendan Canty and Conal Thomson of Feel Good Lost) Childish Gambino – “Sober” (Hiro Murai)
Best Editing Beyoncé – “7/11” (Beyoncé, Ed Burke, Jonathan Wing) Ed Sheeran – “Don’t” (Jacquelyn London) Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Chancler Haynes at Cosmo Street) A$AP Rocky – “L$D” (Dexter Navy) Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer)
Best Visual Effects Skrillex & Diplo – “Where Are U Now” with Justin Bieber (Brewer) Taylor Swift ft Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood” (Ingenuity Studios) FKA Twigs – “Two Weeks” (Gloria FX, Tomash Kuzmytskyi, and Max Chyzhevskyy) Childish Gambino – “Telegraph Ave.” (Gloria FX) Tyler, the Creator – “F****** Young/Death Camp” (Gloria FX)
