Thurs, June 16, Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is the pink princess of hip-hop. No wonder she’s touring with Britney Spears. The Trinidadian rapper (via Queens borough, New York) made two big accomplishments recently: She became the first artist ever with seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously (six were guest appearances). She’s also the first female to top Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart since Missy Elliott in 2002. Her delivery trumps Elliott’s, with copious internal rhymes, and an Eminem-like penchant for cadence and pitch modulations, but the beats on her 2010 debut Pink Friday aren’t as innovative or club-friendly as Elliott’s body of work. 1 Sports Parkway, www.mypinkfriday.com.