Nicki Minaj brings the party to the Paramount

by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

NICKI MINAJ
PARAMOUNT THEATRE
August 11

Even if you don't like Nicki Minaj, or just don't get her appeal, you have to appreciate how she's blown up in a very short time.

The Trinidad-born rapper, the most prominent female hip-hop artist since Missy Elliott, has a colorful image to match her eccentric catalog of work that includes collaborations with the biggest and baddest, from Kanye West and Rihanna to Mariah Carey and Lil Wayne, not to mention this year's mingling with Madonna and M.I.A. on the track 'Give Me All Your Luvin'.'

Minaj's fan base, largely young Gay men, have wholeheartedly embraced the charismatic performer's unique style. At last weekend's Paramount Theatre show in Seattle, girls and boys sported bright pink wigs, faux hawks, feather boas, and painted faces. And when the house lights dimmed around 9 p.m., the decibel level was already ear-splitting.

Following a brief monologue, which no one could hear above the screams of the crowd, and the dropping of a curtain with the singer's name and the title of her 2010 album, Pink Friday, Minaj was finally visible in blonde locks underneath a black hooded cape perched on an elevated platform with her back to the audience. Then she turned around and all hell broke loose.

'Roman's Revenge' and 'Did It On 'Em' flew by in record time, probably inside of five minutes. In fact, the entire concert seemed to whiz right along. Dressed adorably in daisy dukes, pink tiger-striped tights and undershirt, a loose muscle tee with shiny pink hi-tops, Minaj epitomized the hip-hop Barbie doll we've come to associate her with. Her on-stage fleet consisted of four sexy male dancers and two thin female ones, aside from a DJ who spun Minaj tracks off to the side during costume breaks. Her stage decor ranged from open-book-shaped video screens to mini-stairwells to podiums for herself and her dance crew.

Supporting act 2 Chainz assisted on 'Beez in the Trap' and on a mixtape medley, which seemed unnecessary and time consuming for a concert that didn't quite reach 90 minutes. Similar to Janet Jackson's performance from 2011, Minaj simply crammed too much into one show and really should've concentrated on just her big hits. Speaking of, she never even touched 'Massive Attack.' That was a disappointment. Also on the minus side was no snippet of her bit on 'Monster,' clearly the highlight of West's smash single from a few years ago.

But there were things Minaj did do well. I applaud her for not lip-synching, even though she incorporated background tracks instead of a live band. She was also bubbly and personable with no ego in tow. At one point, she invited about 20 random members of the audience to join her onstage and dance their asses off, and some of them did. It was also a visually captivating production with smoke bombs, eye-popping graphics on large panel screens, confetti, and her hot boy dancers with washboard abs (who made me incredibly thirsty). And, I admire her for empowering young women, telling the girls in attendance at the Paramount to stay in school.

'It's not cool to be a loser,' preached Minaj, before stating that neither looks nor boobs matter when you get older.

'Starships' became a huge sing-along, as Minaj pranced around in a rosy two-piece ensemble with a peek-a-boo skirt. At times, she wailed into a bejeweled microphone the color of ... you guessed it, pink.

The show climaxed with 'Super Bass,' as white confetti snowed upon the heads of concertgoers who just couldn't resist flooding the aisles to get closer to the new pop icon. Throughout the performance, folks shouted, 'I love you,' held up handwritten signs, blew kisses to Minaj, and a few of them sitting near me knew every word to every song, including her earliest stuff.

I must admit to being blown away by how crazed Nicki Minaj's fans are. They come in all shapes and sizes, and the Gay boys just love her. While she's got some catching up to do to reach the upper echelons of Missy Elliott, TLC, or Lauryn Hill, I'm now persuaded that she's got what it takes to make a run for it.

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