The Queen of Rap exuberantly landed in her motherland yesterday (February 19th). In celebration of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Nicki Minaj returns to her roots to perform this week in her home country. She revealed her arrival on Instagram recently, with a story captioned, "They said the Queen of rap just touch down in she home country. Allyuh hear dah or wah!?"
Ahead of her forthcoming performance, the 40-year-old recently made an appearance on Machel Montano x Destra's "Shake the Place (Remix)." Both Trinidadian artists are largely known for their contributions to Soca music (often related to the Calypso genre). Alluding to their cultural roots, "Shake the Place" creates an anthem for the Carnival, pulling from Soca's energetic and dance-inspired beats.
Nicki Minaj Announces Her Arrival in Trinidad
Minaj was born in Saint James in 1982 but later moved to Queens, NY in her early childhood. Although the majority of her life has been spent in America, the "Super Freaky Girl" rapper continues to pay homage to her birthplace. She raps on "Shake the Place," “Trinidad my country, the greatest carnival of all time. I’m reppin’ that red, that white, that black, I’m reppin’ my real flag.” This year won't be Minaj's first appearance at the Carnival, with her last being in 2020 (although she didn't perform).
In light of Minaj's return home, Twitter users excitedly posted about their anticipation for her upcoming performance. Fans are especially looking forward to this year's costume, as she turned heads during her last appearance in her sexy and intricate blue and purple feather number. In reference to the Queen's arrival video, one user wrote, "From another angle, a fan telling her she loves her and she tells him she loves him back. Hope we get to see Nicki Minaj in a costume for the carnival."
Keep scrolling for more reactions to Nicki Minaj's highly anticipated return to Trinidad. Let us know if you're looking forward to watching in the comments. As always, keep in touch with HNHH for updates on the latest hip-hop news.