Keeping a secret in the digital age is next to impossible. Let alone when you have thousands of thirsty fans willing to go to extreme lengths to become in the know. However, Red Bull Sound Select's '30 Days In LA' concert grand finale did one helluva job keeping their secret headliner under wraps until show time.
That all changed at approximately 10:00 PM PT when Ms. Nicki Minaj walked out onstage at The Teragram Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night (Nov 30). After Atlanta hit maker Sonny Digital and newcomer Jazz Cartier got the restless crowd under control, it was all about the Queen Barbz from Queens.
Nicki had an entire hour dedicated to herself -- there were no special guests and breaks in the set -- Onika used her entire time to shower the crowd with hit record after hit record. She only took moments off of rappin' and singing to jam out to some of her favorite songs by other artists, namely her boys Rae Sremmurd and Fetty Wap, and to address the crowd with personal questions.
"Do you think that I should be in love at this time in my life?," Nicki asked the crowd at one point. "Do you think I should just be dating around?," she continued. "I've never been a dater. I've always had one boy. I had one boyfriend when I was 15, and then I got another boyfriend when I was 19."
"Get money, fuck love?," she reiterated after hearing a wild fan yell out the phrase. Wait, do you guys really feel like that?," asks Nicki before breaking out in uncontrollable laughter. It's the small moments like these that seem to win fans over every time. Even as the hip-hop superstar crushed mega hit after mega hit -- "Ananconda," "Starships," and her early hits, "Your Love" and "Moment For Life" -- it's her personal moments that make every fan in the building feel like Nicki is talking right to them.
There couldn't have been a more crowd pleasing closer than this superwoman. As she took the crowd out with a flurry of her more cherished verses, it was clear Minaj was more than just the headliner, she was the whole damn show.
Nicki Minaj 😘😘😘😘 @rbsoundselect's finale A video posted by VibeMagazine (@vibemagazine) on Nov 30, 2015 at 11:37pm PST
Nicki Minaj speaking the truth about her love life at @rbsoundselect's #30daysInLA finale A video posted by VibeMagazine (@vibemagazine) on Nov 30, 2015 at 11:32pm PST
Can't get enough of @nickiminaj in our life #30daysInLA @rbsoundselect A video posted by VibeMagazine (@vibemagazine) on Nov 30, 2015 at 11:36pm PST
All Hail Queen Barbz @nickiminaj @rbsoundselect #30daysInLA A video posted by VibeMagazine (@vibemagazine) on Nov 30, 2015 at 11:38pm PST