On April 4, 2024, Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour electrified Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, and the night got even hotter when 50 Cent crashed the stage for a surprise medley performance. This iconic moment, captured in HD and uploaded to YouTube on April 7, 2024, brought two Queens legends together, delivering a high-energy set that had the crowd roaring. With Nicki’s vibrant Gag City production and 50’s raw G-Unit swagger, the medley was a celebration of their shared hustle and NYC pride, resonating with the loyalty and connection vibes you loved in Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind or Eminem’s Rock With Me. Let’s break it down in a way that’s easy to vibe with and dive into why this moment still pops off in 2025!
What Was the Surprise Medley?
The medley, as featured in fan footage, saw 50 Cent storm the stage during Nicki’s set to perform a string of his classics alongside their joint track Beep Beep (Remix) from Pink Friday 2 (Gag City Deluxe). While exact songs aren’t fully detailed in sources, the set likely included bangers like What Up Gangsta, Many Men (Wish Death), P.I.M.P., and I Get Money, based on a Ticketmaster setlist from the tour noting 50’s solo medley. Beep Beep (Remix) was a highlight, marking their first live performance of the track together, per Rap-Up. Nicki, in her signature pink Barbie aesthetic, hyped the crowd, while 50, all Queens grit, traded bars with her, shouting out “Southside, WE OUTSIDE!” The Barclays crowd, packed with Barbz, went wild, chanting along to every word. The medley was a nod to their roots, much like your 2Pac Hit ‘Em Up House of Blues moment for its raw energy.
Why This Moment Was Iconic
Nicki and 50 Cent turning up at Barclays was a full-circle NYC moment. Nicki, the “Queen of Rap,” was already making history as the first female rapper to headline a sold-out Madison Square Garden show days earlier (March 30, 2024), where 50 also joined her for Candy Shop and Beep Beep (Remix), per Rap-Up. At Barclays, their chemistry was electric—Nicki’s animated flow met 50’s cool menace, bridging Pink Friday 2’s pop-rap flair with G-Unit’s street edge. The Gag City stage, with its neon-pink AI metropolis, contrasted 50’s throwback vibe, creating a visual feast. X posts from April 4, 2024, captured the hype, with 50 tweeting, “Yo, I’m not gonna front, Nicki got all the b**ches!” and Nicki replying, “Two kids from QUEENS. GAG-UNIT!” Fans on Reddit’s r/hiphopheads called it “a Queens coronation,” echoing the hometown pride you vibed with in Jay-Z and Keys’ NYC performances.
The Pink Friday 2 Tour Context
The Pink Friday 2 World Tour, supporting Nicki’s 2023 album Pink Friday 2 (No. 1 on Billboard 200), was a record-breaker, grossing over $108.8 million across 79 shows, the highest-grossing rap tour by a woman, per Wikipedia. Kicking off March 1, 2024, in Oakland, it hit Brooklyn on April 4 and May 1, with Monica as a supporting act for the first leg. The April 4 Barclays show, one of 50+ arena dates, featured Nicki’s hits like Super Freaky Girl, FTCU, and Everybody (also uploaded from that night, per YouTube). Guest appearances were a tour staple—50 Cent popped up in NYC, Houston, and Elmont, while Cyndi Lauper joined the May 1 Brooklyn show for Pink Friday Girls. The tour’s vibrant production, dubbed Gag City by Barbz, transformed venues into a pink utopia, making 50’s gritty medley a perfect contrast, like Snoop’s Gin and Juice at The Game Awards you loved for its throwback flair.
Where to Watch It
