Live Review: Nicki Minaj, Tyga

Demonstrating her remarkable ability to hopscotch between genres of hip hop, electronica and pop, Nicki Minaj's live performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre offered a seamless balance between luscious aesthetics and vocal theatrics. Although her selection of songs was designed a little more to appease 'new school' fans, mainly consisting of young girls and displeased parents, she strived to 'keep it real', skimming through some of her older gems and mixtape rhymes.

Kicking off the show was collaborator and friend of Minaj, Tyga, who played an entertaining 25-minute set where each song was filled with ritual air horn and southern inspired gunshots sound effects. The soft-core Cali rapper brought out a series of girls from the audience at one point, referring to the seven-year-olds as “sexy girls” and allowing them to sing along to his repetitive hit, Rack City. Quickly jogging through popular tracks Faded and G Shit, Tyga rather laughably managed to play Rack City twice in his brief set, reflecting an obvious lack of material and focus on his 'one hit wonder' status.

Shortly following the abrupt close of Tyga's set, a graphic countdown of Nicki Minaj began, followed by deafening, falsetto screams from the premature audience as she emerged behind the smoke from a rocket on stage. Opening with Come On A Cone, a new joint that channels her signature 'badass' rap style, a blonde Minaj passionately spat dope rhymes, continuing this theme into track Roman Reloaded, where she roared the words “Bang, my shit bang” incessantly. Though Minaj touched upon her 'harder' rap persona who she often refers to as 'Roman', playing stormier tracks such as Beez In The Trap and verses from Bottoms Up, Monster and mixtape jam Itty Bitty Piggy, she perceptibly focused on her younger audiences as she performed more pop orientated songs mainly from album Pink Friday. As she dove into her newer material such as The Boys and Va Va Voom off Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up, Minaj whipped out her aggressively provocative choreography, moving against her lavish neon pink 'Casa De Minaj' backdrop. When it came to pitch in these vocally strenuous songs, however, Minaj stumbled somewhat. Although she consistently engaged the crowd through her infectious stage presence and sincere banter, she struggled to deliver vocally in songs such as Super Bass and Fly. She compensated, however, with her incredible energy, confirming that Minaj is not so much a 'singer' as she is a 'performer' in the truest sense.