Nicki Minaj was in top form at Philly Jam last night. Decked out in a gold fringed tank and some high-waisted black pants, she blazed from high-energy hits like “Super Bass” into her brand new heartbreaking ballad “Pills N Potions.” With The Roots as a backing band, Minaj’s new song got the full gospel treatment—especially from her talented backup singers.
But it wouldn’t be a Nicki show without some rap, especially given the straight hip-hop direction her latest releases have been going in. So she performed a medley of her new song with Soulja Boy (who sadly didn’t show up) “Yass B—–” into “Did It On Em” and finished out the trio of songs with “Beez In The Trap.” Since she was using a backing track for this section, watching The Roots bob onstage to Nicki’s live rapping was another highlight of the performance.
When it got to the section of “Beez In The Trap” that shouts out Philly, Nicki stopped the song dead. “It’s New York PHILLY!,” she emphasized to cheers. “This has always been one of my favorite places to be, since before my first album dropped. Everybody knows that. Happy birthday America, today we’re free from everybody that tried to hold us back last year.”
She skillfully tied the concept of personal freedom into the larger celebration of America’s independence, and obviously, it was the moment to break into her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded the Re-Up track “Freedom” and finally, “Moment 4 Life.” Watch the whole set below around the 1:05 mark.
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