Nicki Minaj Drops Out Of Saudi Arabia Concert After Facing Backlash

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20225.2K Views

Nicki Minaj attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City

Nicki Minaj's decision comes at the heels the Human Rights Foundation calling for the rapper to cancel her show in Saudi Arabia.

Nicki Minaj found herself in hot water last week after it was announced that she'd be headlining a show in Saudi Arabia. The country's been heavily criticized in the past year over the treatment towards the LGBTQ+ and women's right. After careful consideration, Nicki Minaj heard everyone's concerns and decided to pull out from the upcoming concert.

Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

Nicki won't be headlining Saudi Arabia's Jeddah World Fest anymore in support of women's rights and gay rights. The decision comes after the Human Rights Foundation issued a statement demanding for Nicki and other artists involved in the show to drop out.

"After careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest. While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression," Nicki Minaj wrote in a statement.

Saudi Arabia still enforces laws that segregate genders in public at places such as schools and coffee shops. Only in recent times have the laws become more lenient, allowing women to drive and attend events at sports stadiums which is where the Jeddah World Fest will take place.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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