As you may or may not know, the creative rap queen herself, Nicki Minaj, is on tour! She is currently in the U.S. with the Pink Print Tour, which also includes performances by DeJ Loaf, Tinashe, Rae Sremmurd and the queen's king, Meek Mill.
The stop on this tour that I experienced was at Aaron's Amphitheater at Lakewood in Atlanta. Although I am an avid concert-goer, I haven't been to many rap/hip-hop concerts, especially not ones led by women. Therefore, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect other than a great show. Boy, was I wrong. It was a PHENOMENAL show!
The first to take the stage was DeJ Loaf. A simple black backdrop was all she needed with her raw talent and honest rap lyrics. She immediately stole everyone's attention despite the August sun melting the crowd and half the viewers still finding their seats. I had only heard some of DeJ Loaf's music before this show, but now I consider myself a definite fan. I am so glad Nicki had another female rap artist join her on tour, and I am excited to see what she will continue to produce.
Second to perform was Tinashe, another strong female hip-hop artist. She immediately grabbed our attention with her sharp and impressive dance moves, alongside her backup dancers. Tinashe then performed multiple songs, including her well-known hit "2 On" and also a few throwbacks by other Atlanta artists. She was super engaged with the audience and got us excited for the rest of the show.
The Rae Sremmurd duo was next to hit the stage, and they did not disappoint! They are most well-known for their party-scene singles such as "No Type," "Throw Sum Mo" and "No Flex Zone," which were all performed at show. The guys sounded no different live than they do on the radio or TV and hyped the crowd up 100 (maybe 200) percent, just before the dynamic couple, Meek and Nicki, came out to do their sets.
Without further ado, it was finally time for the man himself, Meek Mill's turn to perform! This was the artist whose music I knew the least at the show, but I loved his set! He has a rap style that is both raw and catchy. I was particularly interested in seeing Meek's performance and behavior because of the current beef he has with Drake via Twitter and their songs. Meek handled himself with as much poise as a rapper could have. While he did mention haters in general as he introduced his song "F**** You," he never specifically brought up Drake or any of his comments. He stayed focused and gave an unforgettable performance.
Last, but certainly not least, the one and only Nicki Minaj hit the Lakewood stage! She performed songs from her latest album, "Pink Print," but also did some songs from her very first EP and mixtapes. Nicki was extremely engaged with the crowd, encouraging us to sing along and even inviting two audience members on stage at one point to help her. The two lucky fans who were picked were so overjoyed and speechless when they first joined Nicki. Not only did she invite them on stage, but she also had two surprise acts perform while she was changing, and no one saw that coming! We also didn't see the encouraging speech she relayed coming. Nicki gave us all a heart-to-heart about how we should all earn our own, not take any crap from a male and be yourself! It was an honest talk and appreciated by all the fans (well, maybe not all the males). Toward the end of her two-hour set, she invited back out all the opening acts. Meek was last and helped close out the show with her. The couple seemed entirely in love and so authentic. Nicki continued singing and speaking to the crowd as long as she could! She did not want to get off that stage, and she let us know. Even when the house lights came on and her time was up, she continued to share her appreciation with us and say goodbye.
I have been to over a dozen concerts in my life and The Pink Print Tour definitely ranks in the top five! The atmosphere was welcoming, free-spirited and fun. The crowd was diverse and full of smiles, and the performers were completely impressive. I would definitely see these artists again and encourage anyone and everyone to give their music a chance as well.
