For the Barbz: ‘Queen of Rap’ Nicki Minaj to perform at Raleigh’s Dreamville Fest
Nicki Minaj, the Queen of Hip-Hop, is coming to Raleigh.
Along with her world tour dates in 2024, Minaj announced this week that she will perform at the Dreamville Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 6-7.
The rapper released her “Pink Friday 2” album in December, featuring a song with Fayetteville-based rapper and festival creator J. Cole.
Minaj’s last visit to Raleigh was in 2018 at PNC Arena with the rapper Future. On her 2024 tour, she also performed in Charlotte on March 26.
Billboard: One of greatest rappers of all time
A New York native, Minaj made her debut in 2007 with the release of her mixtape “Playtime Is Over.” In 2009, she released her mixtape “Beam Me UP Scotty,” which featured the hit singles “I Get Crazy” and “Itty Bitty Piggy.” The project also featured fellow rappers Lil’ Wayne, Busta Rhymes and Gucci Mane, and singer Rihanna.
She rose to fame with her lyricism, animated rap flow, alter-egos, and artistry. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has been ranked by Billboard as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Her first album, “Pink Friday,” was released in 2010 and topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, with its single “Super Bass” reaching No. 2 on U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100.
Minaj’s fanbase, known as “Barbz,” derives from her alter-ego character, Harajuku Barbie. Harajuku is a fashion and arts district in Tokyo, Japan. The alter-ego represents the fun, artistic, imaginative, and girly personality of Minaj. The character also loves the color pink.
“Barbie’s been such a staple in our culture that as women, no matter what color you are, it’s almost like there’s always a Barbie that you can relate to, especially when they made Barbies that went to work,” Minaj told MTV in 2010. “I was calling myself the Harajuku Barbie because a lot of girls on MySpace at that time ... were calling themselves something Barbie and I wanted mine to be really unique and different.”
Tickets available now
There are five ticket choices fans can select online: general admission, general admission plus, JV VIP, Varsity VIP, and MVP VIP, ranging in price, access, and amenities.
Tickets sold out early last year.
The event drew 100,000 people this past April with performances by hip-hop and R&B artists J. Cole, Drake, Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, Burna Boy and Usher. Special guests included 21 Savage, Lil’ Wayne and Lil’ Uzi Vert.
Fans can visit dreamvillefest.com to sign up for updates and to order tickets.
This story was originally published December 11, 2023 at 1:22 PM with the headline "For the Barbz: ‘Queen of Rap’ Nicki Minaj to perform at Raleigh’s Dreamville Fest."