Nicki Minaj has always been open about her admiration for dancehall legend Beenie Man: ‘I’m Just Obsessed With This Person’

Nicki Minaj has always been open about her admiration for dancehall legend Beenie Man, and she made that clear once again during her Pink Friday 2 tour stop in London last month.

During her performance, the “Suρer Bass” rapper surprised her fans by incorporating a Caribbean segment into her set. She brought out Stylo G for the “Touch Down Remix” and performed other dancehall hits like Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh” and Skillibeng’s “Crocodile Teeth.” However, the highlight was her introduction of Beenie Man, known as “The Doctor.”

“One person who I have looked up to before I even started knowing that I could do music,” Minaj began her introduction. “This person has been my muse for so many years. Of all persons, I can’t f**king believe it. What I’m gonna do is play a few songs while they’re up here. I’m gonna just play it like a DJ.”

Originally, the plan was for Beenie Man to perform three songs, but Minaj had other ideas. “They think they’re coming out here to do three songs, but I have a few more because I’m just, like, obsessed with this person, so let’s go.”

As her main engineer Big Juice dropped the beаt for “Who Am I,” the sold-out venue erupted in excitement. Beenie Man made a grand entrance in an all-black outfit, performing his 1997 Һit that has recently regained popularity thanks to the ‘Sim Simma’ trend.

Referring to Beenie Man as “my dancehall king,” Minaj extended his set to include more of her favorite tracks. The near 10-minute performance featured hits like “Dude” (featuring Miss Thing), “Girls Dem Sugar” (featuring Mya), “Romie,” “Book Shelf,” “Old Dog,” “Wickedest Slam,” “Hmm Hmm,” and “Tear Off Mi Garments.”

After exchanging expressions of mutual admiration and love, Beenie Man squeezed in “ɾum and Redbull” before exiting the stage.

Following the show, Minaj continued to praise Beenie Man on social media, calling him one of her heroes in a post on X. “I just performed with the KING OF DANCEHALL,” she wrote. “One of the most talented musicians that I looked to for inspiration my entire career. I can’t believe this is my life sometimes. Wow. came to #GAGCITYLONDON yall!!!!!!! One of my heroes. I love this man so much @KingBeenieMan.”

Minaj’s admiration for Beenie Man is well-known. Her album, Pink Friday 2, features the track “Needle” with Drake, which interpolates Beenie’s “Wickedest Slam.” The platinum-selling album also includes “Just the Memories,” inspired by Beenie’s “Memories.”

She has frequently played his music during livestreams and acknowledged him at award shows, most recently at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards.

Beenie Man has reciprocated Minaj’s admiration, expressing his gratitude after their London performance. “Grateful for the opportunity to share the stage with Queen @nickiminaj in the UK,” he wrote. “Thank you for the love and support, it was an honor to perform alongside you.”

The two artists previously collaborated on “Gu𝚗 Shot” for Minaj’s 2012 album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.