Nicki Minaj

Why Music Fans Should Be Watching RuPaul's Drag Race

Call it the chief paradox of modern pop culture: Most reality television shows blow, but we keep watching, because in a weird way they're as compelling as they are mindlessly entertaining: The exploits of Honey Boo Boo's family may be exploitative, but dammit if they don't love each other. The Karda ... More >>

Here Are the Songs They Play at a Middle School Dance

[Editor's note: The following post by Houston writer and ESL teacher Shea Serrano was named the best blog post of the year in the first-ever Voice Media Group music writing awards. Originally published by our sister blog, West Coast Sound at L.A. Weekly, it's a hilarious real-time account of an afte ... More >>

The New Die Antwoord Video Probably Isn't Racist You Guys. Probably. (NSFW)

Stereogum, you've got it all wrong. The new Die Antwoord video, "Fatty Boom Boom" isn't blackface. Sure, Yo-Landi Vi$$er is covered head to toe in some black grease get-up, but I seriously doubt she's doing it to poke fun at darker -skinned folks. She looks kind of like a panther and has cat eyes (a ... More >>

Now That's What I Call Good News!: Now! Music Series To Give Up The Ghost

Not all signs of the record biz's struggle for life are depressing. Thanks to EMI's $1.9 billion merger with Universal Music Group, a few things will get shaken up, including a chance the wretched informercial sludge Now That's What I Call Music! series will be put six feet under.

Rebel Yell

10 Tripped Out Songs About Hallucinogens and Psychedelics

See also: The 10 Coolest, Scariest, Freakiest Songs About Heroin See also: 10 Songs About Cocaine See also: 15 Songs to Light Up to on 4/20 Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. It's in many ways the enduring holy trinity of pop music. Like it or not -- we're not advocating anything -- drugs are responsib ... More >>

Nicki Minaj, Comerica Theatre, 8/7/12 (VIDEO)

Nicki Minaj Comerica Theatre Tuesday, August 7, 2012 See also: The full Nicki Minaj @ Comerica Theatre slideshow See also:

Five Must-See Shows This Week

Yeah, yeah, yeah...we get it Mondays suck (we've read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest, our top five must-see shows this week.

What Are the Top 10 Most "Spotified" Songs in Phoenix?

You have to look pretty hard for someone who doesn't have an opinion about Spotify, the Swedish music streaming service that launched in 2008 and hit the States in 2011. It's hard to deny its ease, selection, and um, free-ness, but it's also been a magnet for controversy. In both the controversial ... More >>

Battle Royal

Nicki Minaj Is Bringing Her "Pink Friday" Tour to Phoenix

Hip-hop superstar Nicki Minaj is bringing her "Pink Friday" tour to Phoenix on Tuesday, August 7, at Comerica Theatre. The 14-date North American tour finds her skipping some pretty big cities (L.A. and Philadelphia get radio shows) on her first headlining tour, but returning to Phoenix after suppo ... More >>

Azealia Banks - Coachella - 4/21/12

See also: Our Complete Coachella Coverage By Rebecca Haithcoat One assumes that thousands of people shouting, "I guess that cunt getting eaten" in unison has never happened at Coachella before. Yet you could hear just that yesterday during Azealia Banks' set; it was afternoon, and most of us were ... More >>

Five Music Celebrities, One Tiny Hand

Celebrities tend to have a knack for influencing everything from dressing styles, speech patterns and attitudes to spending habits. I mean, just imagine where the plastic augmentation industry would be if it weren't for them. Musicians in particular have always captivated us with their general sens ... More >>

Arpaio Validates "Birthers" Fears; Inspires Us to Look at Other Famous Forgeries

Amid his own investigation by the feds, Sheriff Joe Arpaio held a press conference yesterday afternoon to discuss the preliminary findings of his "cold-case posse" that suggests President Barack Obama's birth certificate is in fact a forgery. Arpaio and lead investigator of the volunteer posse Mike ... More >>

Sticky Fingers Launches SoundCloud for the Mixes You Were Too Drunk to Remember

​Hanging out at Bar Smith on a Friday isn't just another night out on the town. It's pure adventure, especially when trying to navigate the crowd on either floor during the phenomenally popular Sticky Fingers weekly.It's doubly difficult if you've had a few, as some of the drinkologists at Bar Smi ... More >>

Adele Won and Nicki Minaj Creeped; We Recap the Grammys

​If Adele could rap, she probably would have won that Grammy as well. Sunday night's Grammy Awards made for interesting viewing, with Adele's sweep, some amazing tributes, performances, and a downright weird and horrible showing from Nicki Minaj. Host LL Cool J opened up with a prayer for Whitne ... More >>

Madonna Coming to US Airways in October

Of all the articles concerning Madonna's Half Time show/M.I.A.'s on air fingerbird (Finger-Gate 2: Electric Boogaloo), none was quite as hilarious as this one, from Vigilant Citizen, which alleged that the entire performance was an indicator of Madonna's allegiance to the Illuminati (you know, that ... More >>

Prediction: How Much Will the Super Bowl Halftime Show Suck on a Scale of One to LMFAO?

​Last year's Super Bowl performance was absolutely awful. After listening to 10 minutes of shouting by the Black Eyed Peas, I wished I could have unseen their show (or used the time wiser, maybe to make another bowl of nachos or something).I'm not looking forward to this year's halftime show very ... More >>

Most Outrageously Offensive Outfits of 2011

Welcome to another installment of Up on the Sun's 2011 Review. We've been counting down our favorite songs, shows, national and local releases of 2011. This installment takes a look at 2011's most outrageously offensive musical outfits. Enjoy! We're not particularly renowned for our sense of style ... More >>

Blonde on Blonde

Up on the Sun's Halloween (Video) Mixtape

Screamin' Jay wishes you a happy Halloween.​We know it's a school/work night and all, but it's still Halloween, which means you have a perfect excuse for shucking off the Monday blues and getting creepy. There's plenty going on around the Valley: indie-punk supergroup Wild Flag are scheduled t ... More >>

Halloween Guide 2011

Ke$ha @ Comerica Theatre

Money Power Respect Entertainment Pushes Local Hip-Hop on a Large Scale

Cahleb Branch, head of Money Power Respect, works at his desk.​How much does it cost to book GZA from Wu-Tang Clan? Or Lil Jon? Or Nicki Minaj?Cahleb Branch knows, because his company, Valley-based Money Power Respect Entertainment, books international shows for them, among a slew of other well-kn ... More >>

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our June 30 Issue

​ This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts.• What do members of local band The Comseticators have to say about their song, "Apple"? • Who are the top ... More >>

Britney Spears at Jobing.com Arena, 6/22/11 (VIDEO)

Luke Holwerda​ Britney SpearsJobing.com ArenaWednesday, June 22When Britney Spears decides to stop touring, she should get a residency in Vegas. Her Femme Fatale tour, which came to Glendale's Jobing.com Arena last night, was part concert, part cabaret, part circus, and part film. It almost made ... More >>

Kanye West Releases Final Version of "Monster" Video

Well howdy there, partner​You may recall that just over five months ago, a leaked version of the video for Kanye West's song "Monster" hit the Internet. Featured in it was the presumed violence towards undead women, two equally-annoying versions of Nicki Minaj and a whole lot of mean-mugging by We ... More >>

Slam Dunk

Watch Steve Nash Get a Lapdance from Nicki Minaj

Steve Nash really seems eager to rub Phoenix's collective nose in the fact that he's hanging out with pop musicians instead of playing basketball this April.While the first round of the NBA playoffs is in full swing, the team Nash leads is no part of it, leaving him free to do things like pal aroun ... More >>

Lil Wayne at U.S. Airways Center Last Night

Maria VassettLil Wayne performing at U.S. Airways Center last night.​Lil Wayne US Airways Center, Phoenix Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Lil Wayne has entertained the idea of morphing from a rapper into a full-fledged rock star for a few years now. Why would one of the world's most successful rappers wa ... More >>

April 11 In Blogs: Russell Pearce, Soundwave, Britney Spears, Pizzeria Bianco, and Gabriela Compton

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Lords of Acid @ The Venue Scottsdale

Lil' Kim Beheads Nicki Minaj on New Mixtape Cover

​Nicki Minaj is dead to Lil' Kim, according to Idolator.When will these chicks stop ripping each other off? Nicki Minaj's whole character is partially modeled after and influenced by Lil' Kim. If Lil' Kim can't be the bad chick on the block then someone had to replace her, and Nicki Minaj came alo ... More >>

Activision To Discontinue Guitar Hero and DJ Hero

​The Guitar Hero franchise has officially been canceled by video gaming publisher Activision, according to Blabbermouth.The decline in the game's popularity was significant enough to make the company pull the plug. The DJ Hero franchise will also be coming to an end.Activision Publishing CEO Eric ... More >>

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 2/10 Issue

​This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts... What was really behind the White Stripes breakup and where does Meg White go from here? Is Nicki Minaj the mo ... More >>

Why Nicki Minaj is the Most Annoying Person in Music Right Now

No, no, Nicki: Fuck you.​Am I the only one who really, really hates Nicki Minaj? You'd think so based on only a smattering of anti-Nicki talk on ye ole interwebz, compared to a torrent of anti Ke-dollarsign-ha fury and all the hate of other comparable slutwave artists.For example: There are a mere ... More >>

Feb. 4 In Blogs: Kyrsten Sinema, Spraygraphic, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bolotnik, and Abortion

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Beyonce and Sleigh Bells Collaborate in the Studio

​Diplo says noise pop duo Sleigh Bells have been hitting the studio with Beyonce, according to NME.The producer recently blogged about being in the studio together with the three musicians. Sleigh Bells' album Treats was played for the good people who work for Beyonce, and now they're working on s ... More >>

Latest Cake Album Hits No. 1, Sets Dubious Record In The Process

Robert McKnightCakeThis year sure has been a fickle beast thus far -- treacherous weather, Jared Lee Loughner and now a slumping music industry.Showroom Of Compassion, the latest album from venerable rock band Cake, took the top spot on the Billboard charts for the week ending on January 1 ... More >>

Kanye West's "Monster" Video Leaks

Look who's mean muggin'​It's a pretty slow day today as we creep towards New Year's Eve and all of that excitement. I'm still deaf from last night's Steve Aoki show, but that didn't stop me from watching a leak of the latest video from Kanye West -- "Monster." It's pretty rough right now and has b ... More >>

EPMD @ Celebrity Theatre

Nicki Minaj Proves Why Parents Should Treat Their Kids Well

​Nicki Minaj's tell-all documentary, My Time Now, aired on MTV on Sunday night. She told even more in the new issue of Rolling Stone.In the documentary she discussed her crack addicted father and child abuse, and being raised by her grandparents for quite some time. In the article she talked about ... More >>

Courtney Love Sued: Hole Frontwoman (and Certified Hot Mess) in Court Over Borrowed Jewelry

Courtney Love, looking gross as usual.​Courtney Love has been sued over $114,000 worth of gems that she borrowed from a jeweler and never gave back, according to Star Pulse.She has given back one of the items of jewelery that she borrowed back in September but has yet to give back the rest. Well, ... More >>

From Print: Blogs Teased in Our 10/7 Issue

​This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. Did 50 Cent mean to say gay men should kill themselves?What are college football's most annoying fight songs?Wha ... More >>

Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj Celebrate Alcohol in "Bottoms Up"

Who knows where Trey Songz' lips have been ​It's pretty sad when a guy has to rely on alcohol to have luck with the ladies, but here Trey Songz is singing "Bottoms Up" to potential hook-ups in the club. Never mind that alcohol-induced sex makes the line between rape and consent blurry--Songz just ... More >>

Oct. 1 In Blogs: First Friday, Remix Contests, Coconut Water, and Machetes

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Sept. 23 In Blogs: Grand Avenue Festival, Nicki Minaj, Desert Botanical Gardens, and Facebook

​​​In the 24-hour news cycle, it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries:

Nicki Minaj Concert at Montclair State University Confirmed To Be a Scam

The Montclarion​Nicki Minaj claimed via Twitter on Wednesday that she had no idea about a concert booked for Montclair State University. It turns out that she wasn't lying: the show was actually a scam.She tweeted, "what is this i'm hearing about a MSU concert? where and when is this concert suppo ... More >>

Nicki Minaj's "Your Love" a Good Song to Hate

This picture is only one of many reasons why it's impossible to take Nicki Minaj seriously​While some may insist Nicki Minaj is the most promising lady out there right now in the female rap game, it's sad that such a prolific artist ends up bashing her own gender so often. Instead of an empowering ... More >>

Christina Aguilera Promotes Tipsy Hookups on "Woohoo"

Want to taste her woohoo?​Since musicians like Trey Songz are just not enough to send the message home that getting tipsy before hooking up is totally a great idea (and not risky at all), now pop music fans have Christina Aguilera to praise the virtues of getting drizzunk before getting physical i ... More >>