Nicki Minaj’s Amsterdam concert canceled after her reported arrest: Her tour drama explained
The rapper called off a second tour stop in Amsterdam.
Nicki Minaj canceled an Amsterdam tour date days after being arrested there for marijuana possession. The “Super Bass” singer said she felt “subhuman” during her encounter with Dutch police.
??What just happened?
Less than one week after the performer’s May 25 detainment at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport — for which she was fined and released — she called off a second tour stop there, at the Ziggo Dome, scheduled for June 2.
“Due to the events of last week, the Nicki Minaj show … will no longer be taking place,” concert promoter Mojo announced on its website. “Tickets will be refunded at the point of sale.”
This is Minaj’s second show that was affected by the detainment, which the Trinidadian-born rapper streamed on social media. She had been flying from Amsterdam to Manchester, England, for a show scheduled for the night of her arrest, which had to be postponed. It’s rescheduled for June 3.
Minaj said on Stationhead this week that she felt “subhuman” during her interaction with police, who claimed to find marijuana in her luggage. She felt there was racial discrimination behind the stop, saying it felt worse “knowing that something is being done to you on purpose simply because you are a confident other race. The treatment was just disgusting and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.”
While Minaj canceled the Amsterdam show, she announced this week she’s adding 22 more U.S. dates to her Pink Friday 2 World Tour.
?? How we got here
Minaj kicked off the European leg of her tour in Amsterdam on May 23. At the airport en route to the next stop two days later, authorities claimed to have found “soft drugs” in her luggage.
Minaj, recording the interaction, was told by officers she was under arrest for carrying drugs. She was heard demanding an attorney. She said on social media her bags were taken without consent and claimed the “pre-rolls” of “weed” belonged to a member of her security.
Minaj was placed in a police vehicle holding cell before being taken to a local precinct. The BBC reported that she was ultimately fined 350 euros ($380) and sent on her way. (Police posted a statement about the detainment, not naming Minaj.) Minaj said the detainment lasted five to six hours, resulting in her missing her next show. When she made it to Manchester that night, she invited fans via social media to meet her outside her hotel so she could apologize.
Minaj alleged that there was a conspiracy to sabotage her tour, writing on social media that unnamed “[people] are mad that it’s this successful” and “got caught stealing money from my travel/jets. Got fired.”
Minaj’s tour runs through October, as of now. It’s her largest tour to date supporting her album Pink Friday 2, which was released in December. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, making her the female rapper with the most No. 1 albums, and has been well-received by critics.
