Due to high demand and success of her fifth studio album, Pink Friday 2, Nicki Minaj has added a second round of shows to her largest worldwide outing to date.  

Additional North American dates have been added in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena on March 21 and in Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Nashville, and Toronto. In addition to these North American shows, Nicki will also be performing in Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Manchester, Paris, and Stockholm. 

Nicki Minaj Presents: Pink Friday 2 World Tour is now her highest-selling tour, with over 25 arena shows sold out just a few days into the official presale. Minaj sold 30,000 tickets alone for her tri-state hometown performances in Newark, New York City, and Brooklyn, adding an additional date. Nicki has yet to announce any support or additional acts for the tour.  

With Pink Friday 2 only being out a little over a month, Minaj continues to dominate 2024 with the monumental success of Pink Friday 2, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 upon its arrival.  

My review to Pink Friday 2 can be found here. 

With this impressive feat, she made history by achieving “the most #1s on the Billboard 200 by a female rapper ever!” Speaking of her enduring impact as one of the world’s most impactful superstars, she stands out as “the first female rap artist to land a #1 album in two different decades.

Pink Friday 2 sold over 228K-plus units and netted “her biggest streaming week ever” with 170 million album streams. Among other accolades, it has earned “the biggest female rap album debut of the 2020s and biggest female R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales & Streaming Week of 2023” and “the biggest sales week for a female rap album on vinyl in the Soundscan era,” according to Billboard.

 
Furthermore, the album went to #1 on the Top Album Sales Chart, the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and Rap Albums Chart. It ranks in the “Top 3 Hip-Hop Debuts of 2023” and “Top 10 Overall Debuts of 2023.” Plus, it’s her 7^th Top 10 on the Billboard 200, the most top 10 albums for a female rapper in history. 

The tour will also offer various VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets and access to the Gag City Headquarters, Nicki’s VIP lounge with unique pop-up activations, exclusive merch items, and more. For more information, visit vipnation.com. 

A total of 13 additional dates have been added, with even more regions expected to be announced throughout the year.  

North America Tickets:  

• Tickets will be available starting with a Citi presale (details below) on Tuesday, January 16. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sale beginning on Friday, January 19, at 9 am local time at NickiMinajOfficial.com. For tickets to the show at the award-winning State Farm Arena, visit Ticketmaster.com. 
• U.S. PRESALE: Citi is the official card of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour. Citi cardmembers in the U.S. will access presale tickets from Tuesday, January 16, at 1 pm local time until Thursday, January 18, at 9 pm local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details, visit www.citientertainment.com.  

Europe/Tickets:  

• Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale on Wednesday, January 17, at 9 am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sale beginning on Friday, January 19, at 9 am local time at NickiMinajOfficial.com. 

Tickets for all other shows are available now at NickiMinajOfficial.com. 

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In honor of Martin Luther King Day, NEXT Steps, a youth entrepreneur program, held a MLK day community cleanup and BBQ fundraiser at the Smith Family Ranch in Stockbridge.  

The Smith Family Ranch is a family-owned and operated entity. Centrally located in the city of Stockbridge, it’s home to a variety of furry friends that wait in excitement to be treated by the new visitors. The ranch also serves as the grounds for community events and gatherings where they are thrilled to share all the wonders mother nature has to offer. 

At their first community cleanup event at the Smith Family Ranch, Dana Jewel Harris, executive director of Next Steps Youth Entrepreneur program, said one of her mentees brought her to the ranch because she helps farmers and new beginning ranchers design their spaces and turn them into agritourism states.  

“This ranch is 42 acres, and I will be developing a supply chain management system as well, but it’ll be rooted in education and training. With agritourism, it involves education but also involves hospitality, tourism, outdoor recreation, and entertainment,” Harris said. “So, we’ve done Easter egg hunts where we get about 400 people here. We did a jazz festival last October, where we had 150 people here, so this place lends for a lot of community outreach and engagement, but it’s also an outdoor venue.” 

At the community cleanup, Harris said they are starting the beautification process. 

The entire area of the ranch is going to be beautified over the course of the year. We have petting farms, so we have a lot of field trips and we do birthday parties and family reunions,” she said. “People get to feed the animals as part of the experience, we have a seven-mile walking trail, and have pocket gardens throughout the area, and we also have a three-acre pond in the back where we teach fishing and ultimately want to do concerts around the pond.” 

At some point this year, Harris said, they will be holding garden parties and teaching how to grow all kinds of things in the area.  

“We’re going to expand on that to include a greenhouse, have an outdoor kitchen, and really make it engaging and inviting to get more people outdoors to do this part of therapy,” she said. “I’m beginning my journey to be licensed in horticulture therapy. The kids that are shoveling looks like work, but that’s a therapy activity because collaboration and doing something that is bigger than yourself for someone else. So, for people that’s feeling depressed or something like that, it helps them, and we do equine therapy where every second Saturday, we teach people how to ride horses.” 

Harris said she chose to do the cleanup and BBQ fundraiser on MLK day because MLK day has always been an amazing day of service. 

Also, she used to have an old farm in west Atlanta called Atwood Community Gardens and was one of the top community partners with Hands On Atlanta.  

“I would serve about 1,500 people a year. Every MLK day I’d have about 1,500 a day and MLK day is when people are off and then is called the day of service. So, people would look out for things to do that they could do with their family,” she said. “Not only is it helping the community, but it’s something that you come back to, so MLK day has always been an amazing day of service, and finding people is a great marketing tool to get people to come to your property. It helps the business, the community, and the kids get to learn and stay out of trouble.” 

For more information, visit https://www.thesmithfamilyranch.com. 

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Joscelin Mackey, an author, principal designer, and founder of Accessible Design Studios celebrated the grand opening for Fayetteville’s first and only Black-owned commercial interior design firm earlier this month.

Mackey invited the Atlanta metro community to celebrate the studio’s grand opening which included appearances from notable representatives including Fayetteville’s Mayor Edward Johnson, and World Changers Church International CEO and Minister Vernon Harrison.  

Attendees also had the chance to participate in a virtual reality experience demonstrating the evolution of technology within the interior design industry.  

Accessible Design Studios is one of the roughly 400 registered interior designers in the state of Georgia to receive a license from the Secretary of State to stamp their own non-structural construction drawings for building permits which represents a very small percentage of professional minority women commercial interior designers in the state to hold this designation.  

This certification is a major accomplishment for Mackey due to the statistic of there being less than two percent of Black interior designers in the United States, and only a handful of Black interior designers in the Atlanta metro area as of 2023. 

Mackey has also been a member of the Fayette County community for over 24 years, is the Director of Community Service for the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, a member of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, a Professional Member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and a Member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).  

Mackey said she is proud to have her first brick-and-mortar location in her beloved city where she’s lived for more than 20 years and completed some of her first projects, including the interior design of a local barber shop, pharmacy, and retail showroom over the past 15 years. Mackey’s projects expand to commercial buildings in the Atlanta metro area and beyond, including medical spas, salons, medical offices, corporate offices, and more.  

Joscelin’s husband, Rick, with their two daughters Kelly and Valerie said they are all very happy for Mackey’s accomplishments and hard work.  

“I feel extremely proud and happy of my mom,” Kelly said. “This is a big accomplishment for her. I’m just super excited for this new coming for her finally with opening her business to the community and to the world.” 

“I’m just super proud that we are another minority of minority business, because not only is she a black woman, but she is also black,” Valerie said. “In an industry that can’t do what everybody in this industry can do, she’s a very small percentage of people, even in the state of Georgia, that can stamp her own plans, which is a huge deal, which is even a smaller percentage of black women that can do that period in the United States of America. So, I’m just excited to be able to bring that into Fayetteville where we’re the only ones in the city of Fayetteville that has that capability. I’m happy to give that to the community and she can share her talents with everyone.” 

“That’s my wife and I support everything that she does. I feel like there are so many things, but I’m specifically proud of the fact that this is her baby, and I watched the entire process and entire iteration of how she brought this to life,” Rick said. “I’m proud to say that she’s doing something great, not just for herself, but for the city of Fayetteville and for black women across America.” 

Additionally, to help up-and-coming and experienced interior designers continue to grow in the industry, Mackey has developed a book titled “Designing for the Senses, a Neuroscientific Exploration of Interiors”. 

Mackey wrote this book to enlighten designers and design enthusiasts on the influence the built environment has on the mental, emotional, and physiological well-being of its users. She also recognizes that the design of spaces is not merely an aesthetic endeavor but a powerful tool for shaping human experiences.  

Q&A with Joscelin Mackey: 

The Atlanta Voice: How are you feeling about opening your first interior design studio? 

Joscelin Mackey: It’s like birthing a baby. I started in two design years and years ago but moved into this building right after COVID. So, the ribbon cutting has been a long time coming. At least six months. Opening an interior design studio has been a longtime dream of mine and I’m honored to be part of a small number of Black interior designers in the country who were able to take interior design to the next level. I’m also appreciative of my clients who’ve trusted me with their vision for their businesses over the past 15 years. My clients have encouraged me to continue the work as a trailblazer in the interior design industry and I look forward to encouraging more up-and-coming Black interior designers to stake their claim in the industry.   

AV: Why did you decide to start Accessible Design Studios?  

JM: When I graduated initially from Interior Design School back in 2011, that was during the recession. During that time, I had to get out and find business because no one was hiring. So, I’ve always been kind of entrepreneurial anyway. When COVID hit and Delta said that they weren’t laying anyone off, they let everyone go who had contracts and so I was contracted. So, I said, well, I know what to do and so I just put my stake in the ground and said, I’m just going to step back. 

AV: Was there a moment that inspired you to start Accessible Design Studios? 

JM: Probably COVID. I’m sure if not, I probably would still be working on projects. I was designing Delta Sky Clubs as part of that team, traveling a lot and so if it had not been for COVID, just making me slow down and ask myself, ‘what is it that I really want to do or what should I be doing, what would be doing that?’ I think that you need an interruption in life to kind of focus. 

AV: Why did you think it was important to include a virtual reality experience demonstrating the evolution of technology within the interior design industry? 

JM: There’s nothing like being in your own space. So, I can show you construction drawings because I do those. You probably wouldn’t be able to read them right now trying to describe them or I can draw a drawing or give you something two dimensional or even try to do like a three-dimensional rendering and that might take you to the place, but it’s not. When you put those goggles on and you can feel like you’re interacting with the space that we’ve created for you, that you get a real sense of what’s going on and what you’re looking at right there. That’s kind of just like the sketch, but once you put the goggles on, then you can color, you can move through the space. 

AV: What was your idea and intention behind your book, “Designing for the Senses: A Neuroscientific Exploration of Interiors”? 

JM: Most people, when they think of interior design, they get interior designer and decorating kind of misconstrued. To do what I did, you go to school for four years and to become a registered interior designer and you must take an exam? It’s the NCIDQ. It’s an 11-hour exam with three parts. So, in that process, you’re learning about health and safety. Then, in school, you learn about health and safety, and then you start realizing that is not enough to be aesthetically pleasing and it’s not enough to be functional. However, there are real people interacting with real space that have real needs. So, your neurological system is affected by lighting, affected by smell, and just in all your senses. Interior designers have a responsibility to design spaces that are about the safety and welfare and so that’s why I wrote the book.  

AV: Mackey of Accessible Design Studios is one of the roughly 400 registered interior designers in the state of Georgia to receive a license from the Secretary of State to stamp their own non-structural construction drawings for building permits which represents a very small percentage of professional minority women commercial interior designers in the state to hold this designation. How do you feel about this? 

JM: That’s not good enough, right? We have for one, as an interior designer, have a lot to just get a name. Our name is owned by decorators, and we must continuously say ‘I’m like an interior architect because I can start writing instruction guides, but we can’t use the word architect because it’s protected, and our title is not protected. We just get the word registered before it. So, for one, there’s not enough understanding about our specific niche in interiors. Only 2% of all interior designers, including decorators within the country, are black and that’s just not enough either, because we need to be represented. Unless you have a proper sampling of what is the United States, then you’re not getting diverse environments. So more of us need to become schooled more less need to become educated through certification and more of us need to become registered.  

AV: How does it feel to be part of a small number of Black interior designers in the country who were able to take interior design to the next level? 

JM: Sometimes it’s a lonely walk, right? Because not only is this a white-dominated industry and an interior design is a white-woman dominated industry, and architecture is a white man dominated industry. So, sometimes when you want to have real conversations about issues it’s hard to find.  

AV: What do you think you can do to be able to do to bring more people of color into the interior design industry? 

JM: I wrote my book, but also, I’m working on creating a platform to begin speaking to get a larger mic and platform. I’m going to begin using that to talk to more of us to kind of shine the light in schools where children don’t even know that this is an opportunity. I know our children don’t know that this is an opportunity or even what it is. So, it’s just finding that stage. Getting that large money and hiring more people that look like us.  

AV: What are your business goals for 2024? 

JM: Well, currently, I have this building with two sides (A and B). So, once I hire a few designers, which is the goal, and to get some more projects going as we move into this year to expand and to begin to develop on the other side of our office space.  

AV: Any advice to future business owners about taking the plunge? 

JM: There are a few things about being an entrepreneur I want future business owners to know. You must be a person who is tenacious, one that doesn’t understand the word ‘no’ because it doesn’t exist. Also, be a person with grit because you’re going to need the stick-to-it-ness in a person that knows how to surround themselves with the right people. If you have those things, then you have an advantage and if you don’t, maybe you need to work for those that do. 

Mackey’s book can be purchased on Amazon, or at accessibledesignstudios.com.  

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Dr. Martin Luther King Day is celebrated nationally on Monday, Jan. 15. The Atlanta Voice curated seven events to help celebrate the iconic legacy of MLK. Here are the following seven events: 

1.     MLK Day Community Cleanup & BBQ Fundraiser at The Smith Family Ranch (Jan. 15 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) 

• Location: 1950 East Atlanta Road, Stockbridge.  
• For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-community-cleanup-bbq-fundraiser-at-the-smith-family-ranch-tickets-761495602847.  
  
   

2.     Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Art & Film Celebration (Jan. 15, 1 p.m.) 

• Location: 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs.  
• For more information, visit https://www.sandyspringsga.gov/mlk. 
  
   

3.     MLK Day – Drum Run (Jan. 15, 8 a.m. – Noon) 

• Location: First Baptist Church of Doraville (5935 New Peachtree Road, Doraville) 
• For more information, visit https://www.handsonatlanta.org/upcoming-events/mlk-day-5k-drum-run-1. 

4.     Americorps MLK Day of Service (Jan. 15, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) 

• Location: Hands On Atlanta (600 Means Street Northwest, Atlanta) 
• For more information, visit https://www.handsonatlanta.org/upcoming-events/americorps-mlk-day-of-service. 
  
   

5.     Atlanta History Center presents: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration (Jan. 16 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)  

• Location: 130 West Paces Ferry Road Northwest, Atlanta.  
• For more information, visit https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com.
  
   

6.     MLK Annual Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church (Jan. 16 Noon) 

– Location: 101 Jackson Street, Atlanta  

– For more information, visit https://www.ebenezeratl.org/. 

 

7.     Atlanta Outdoor Escape Game: Martin Luther King Jr. Unwrap His Life & Legacy (All January)  

• Location: 501 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta
• For more information, visit https://www.unation.com/event/atlanta-outdoor-escape-game-martin-luther-king-jr-unwrap-his-life-and-legacy-46865528/.

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In partnership with the King Center, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) unveiled a special bus honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.  

Public transit has long played a role in the fight for equal rights. The arrest of Rosa Parks in 1955 sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott that would bring Dr. King to national prominence. Dr. King would go on to call urban public transportation “a genuine civil rights issue” because of its critically important role in connecting its riders to opportunities for employment.  

The bus will begin service on Route 3: MLK/Auburn Ave. and move to different routes over the next four months. This is the first of several special bus designs planned as MARTA launches a yearlong celebration of Atlanta Civil Rights leaders. 

“Transit is a place where all are welcome, and like the Civil Rights movement, where inclusion and equality serve as the foundation for opportunity,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “MARTA is proud to have played a role in the rich history of the City of Atlanta and the Civil Rights movement and recognize the impact of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, and the road they traveled as they changed the world.” 

As MARTA undergoes a major rehabilitation and expansion program, equity and accessibility are at the forefront of every decision to ensure bus and rail service, transit-oriented development, and customer amenities best reflect and serve our diverse region.  

Additionally, MARTA officially unveiled the Dr. King and Coretta Scott King bus at a press conference held at the King Center on Tuesday, Jan. 4. 

On Jan. 9, a reception will be held at the Center to officially kick off a month of MLK holiday events and activities. For more information, visit King Holiday 2024 – The King Center. 

As it has done in years past, MARTA will stage its 1955 historical bus directly across from the King Birth Home located at 501 Auburn Ave. on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday, Jan. 15. 

The post MARTA partners with King Center to honor King family legacy  appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Belong Church Atlanta announced its collaboration with North Atlanta High School, marking a significant milestone in their commitment to making a positive change impact on the city of Atlanta.  

Following the successful provision of 500 toys for children during the 2023 holiday season, Belong ATL is set to relocate its services and events to North Atlanta High School on Sunday, Jan. 21.  

Pastors LaBryant & Phineka Friend 

Pastor LaBryant Friend from Belong ATL said he and his wife, Phineka, are very excited about the move.    

“I have always felt like we were supposed to be in Atlanta, so to make this type of move now, I am very, very excited for it to happen,” he said.  

Originally from Huntsville and Selma, Alabama, LaBryant and Phineka have been pastors “all the time”.  

“We’ve done everything from youth pastor thing, executive pastoring, senior pastor, so about 16 years now,” he said.  

LaBryant said when he and his wife moved to the Atlanta area in 2017, it was primarily because they wanted to follow their call to the city of Atlanta. 

“For about two years, we did ministry right inside of southwest Atlanta. Four years later, we primarily moved to Dallas (Georgia) because there was a space available to us,” he said. “But the entire time we were there, we always knew that there would be a moment where we would have the opportunity to come back to the city of Atlanta. So, time and opportunity came, and we were presented with an opportunity to move our services and events to North Atlanta High School, and it was just one we couldn’t say no to.” 

Their last service in Dallas was Dec. 10, according to LaBryant. They were located there for about 16 months.  

“Majority of our partners do not live in the Dallas area, so for 16 months, we had people that were committed to what God was calling us to do, driving over an hour every week to come out there,” he said. “We’re talking about 150+ people were driving in every week to be a part of what we’re doing, so their commitment has just really blown my mind and so I’m excited to see how cutting their drive time about 30-35 minutes helps.” 

Why North Atlanta High School? 

The partnership and collaboration between Belong ATL and North Atlanta High School was initiated by both pastors who reached out to the high school.  

“We approached them about collaborating in high hopes of gaining access and getting an opportunity to be a part of their community,” he said. “Once we met with their principal, Mr. Douglas, and their support staff, shockingly, they overwhelmingly said they felt like we needed to be there as well and opened their doors for us.” 

LaBryant said what drew him and his wife to seek out North Atlanta High School was to make sure they had a location that would be close enough to graze Paulding County while also being able to be back in the city of Atlanta.  

“We knew that we wanted to be back in the city and that was paramount, but we also knew that over this last year, we’ve made some phenomenal relationships in the Dallas Harlan County area, so we wanted to be sure that we had a location that would still be close enough to graze Paulding County while also being able to be back in the city of Atlanta,” he said. “When we were looking for locations, one of the driving forces behind that was how do we make that happen the easiest? And that North Carolina location was just a perfect one.” 

The Partnership 

The partnership will be, as LaBryant described it, a “set-up and breakdown” church, where every week, they will come into the school and set their stuff up. Once they finish, they’ll break it down.  

“We’re really excited about this, one of the things that change for us because we’re collaborating with North Atlanta High School now is we become what we call a setup and breakdown down church, which simply means every week we will come in and set our stuff up and once we’re finished, we’ll break our stuff down,” he said.  

This gives, according to LaBryant, the church an opportunity to become partners in a community to help impact the influence of the students and the entertainment within the context of more than one high school and the surrounding area. 

“In that first service, we have two service opportunities that come in at 10 a.m. and noon, and we’re just expecting the opportunity to teach the hearts and minds of people in a way that we’ve always felt called to,” he said.  

Their first partnership with North Atlanta High School was the provision for 500 toys for children.  

“One thing that we shared with them (North Atlanta High School) was we didn’t want to just use their building, but we wanted to collaborate,” he said. “So, for us, it’s important to not just use a facility but to become a part of the community that we’re now engrossed in. They were in the middle of preparing and creating this toy drive, and it was just the perfect time. We found out two weeks before and we told them, ‘Hey, in any way we can support it, we can and will’. We ended up bringing close to 600 toys to North Atlanta High School for their children.” 

For context, the high school’s football team sponsored a community center, that was sponsoring one of the elementary schools in the community. 

“It was four children aged from kindergarten through 12th grade and right before the break, the principal dressed up as Santa Claus and they had a big to do all around it,” LaBryant said.  

Within the context of the partnership with the high school, LaBryant said building and bridging other community partnerships in the city is the main goal.  

“We have stated pretty adamantly that if we don’t have to recreate the wheel, we’re going to believe in the power of collaboration and there’s a lot of beautiful things that can happen when we bring our resources together,” he said. So, one of the things I think is pivotal is our ability to partner with several organizations in and around the Atlanta area.” 

Services & Events planned  

One of their promises to the school is an initiative called “Feed the Streets” and the goal is to feed and/or serve 10,000 families throughout the course of 2024. 

“We’re partnering with a program in the city that’s going to allow us each week to not just financially sponsor, but to also be the hands and feet, essentially helping to serve people in and around the city of Atlanta,” he said. “So, we’re excited about that collaboration and then throughout the school year, there’s going to be a myriad of different collaborations that we do with more than North Atlanta High School. Our ask for them has just been, ‘hey, whatever you all need support, backing behind a community project. That’s an internal project. We want to be sure that we are not just financially supporting, but that we’re hands and feet as well.” 

The duration of the partnership is categorized as “year-to-year”, according to LaBryant.  

“This project will definitely be throughout 2024, but this is an honest and open-ended collaboration and the opportunity to be a part of that community as long as we design it,” he said.  

LaBryant also said they will be at the school every Sunday for sure and then throughout the week is on “absolute basis”.  

“What we have promised them is opportunities for mentorship and we’re willing to do whatever we need to do to do for them,” he said.  

For more information, visit https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/northatlanta and https://www.webelong.church.  

The post Belong Church Atlanta will move services to North Atlanta High School Jan. 21  appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Barbie is back! After five long years since her last album, we are finally here in Gag City!! 

15-plus years in the game and Nicki Minaj is re-peaking right in front of our eyes and breaking records left and right. Pink Friday 2, the sequel to the Rapstress’ debut album reflects where Nicki is at in her life right now. The album is vulnerable, fun, and most importantly it’s Nicki having fun again with making music.  

This album discusses motherhood, vulnerability, grief, depression, being a wife, and who Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty is in present day.  

Before getting into the review, I need to say how proud I am as a fan to see Nicki prevail through so much with the industry, life, and as an artist. It’s one of the reasons I love her.  

Pink Friday 2: The Album Review 

Diving into the album, Minaj blesses her listeners with a 22-track album starting with the opening track, “Are You Gone Already” that samples Billie Eilish’s song, “When the Party’s Over”. 

The track dives into the loss of her father and him never getting to meet her son, Papa Bear. It’s self-reflective dipped in vulnerability where Minaj raps “You never got to meet Papa, he sweet proper, keep Mama on my toes, I needed help, you booked a flight, in three days, you’d meet Papa.  

When I heard Billie’s vocals on this song topped with Nicki’s vocals, it hit home. Nicki said it was hard for her to record it and I can feel why.  

The next track, Barbie Dangerous makes you throw away your tissues and get in the zone. She’s locked in and her confidence instantly makes you gravitate to the song.  

“Tryna build another Barbie doll, screw’s loose, name a rapper that can channel Big Poppa and push out Papa Bear”, she spits on the track. Minaj is letting everyone know no matter how many times these labels and executives try and copy the “PinkPrint”, they will never succeed.  

The lines, “It’s clear to see, they wanna be me” and “These rap b—ches you like is my sons” are another reason Nicki is the one. Let’s be clear, every rap girl out now has been influenced and has tried to bite off Nicki Minaj, plain and simple. There is a certain charisma Nicki has in her raps that makes the bars and metaphors hit much harder.  

The next tracks, FTCU, Beep Beep, and Fallin 4 U, are some of my favorite moments starting the album. All three tracks are earworms, but I must give shine to Fallin 4 U simply because Nicki’s vocals on the chorus is a vibe and the verses…  

“Picture usin’ me and the Barbz and never givin’ back. Picture them disses stickin’ like grits, b—ches feel that. Picture not listenin’ when I said you would dread that. I mean LOCS, ho, you’s a chop, ho.” 

The wordplay alone makes you feel it. If you get it, you get it.  

Moving along, the next two tracks, Let Me Calm Down featuring J. Cole and RNB featuring Lil Wayne and Tate Kobang are on the chiller side of the album so far. I really love the J. Cole feature and RNB has grown on me a lot. I love Lil Wayne and I’m a newfound fan of Tate Kobang’s sound because the chorus on the song slaps. 

Pink Birthday is a cute track that feels like an interlude as we are transitioning to the latter half of the album. The next track is the Dricki (Nicki and Drake) collaboration titled Needle. This track is another vibe from both Drake and Nicki. I love them sonically together on a song. It’s been a while since we had a song with just the two of them.  

Moving onto Cowgirl featuring Lourdiz, this track has such a pop sound to it, which I love. The verses give me old Pop Nicki and the Barbie voice is so Pink Friday coded. I absolutely adore this track because of how cute, poppy, and beautiful it is. One of my favorites off the album for sure.  

Cowgirl is followed by the more popular track among the masses, Everybody featuring Lil Uzi Vert. Minaj’s Everybody heavily samples from Junior Senior’s 2002 song ‘Move Your Feet,’ turning the original into a Jersey club style track. There’s a certain bounce to this song that I can see going viral and being played in clubs and on TikTok.  

Now onto Big Difference, the long-awaited track Nicki teased and performed a snippet at this year’s VMAs. Without spoiling too much, the track is huge, the second verse is such a surprise, and it lives up to the hype it had when she first previewed it.  

“It’s a big difference between me and you, I ain’t nothin’ like you, you, you, or you”, she spits so confidently. This song is my top five all in all.  

Side note, we already know of the previous releases like the number one hit song Super Freaky Girl, Red Ruby Da Sleeze, and Last Time I Saw You. Each of these songs sounds nothing alike but they are all bangers and adds layers to Nicki Minaj and the album, Pink Friday 2.  

Forward from Trini featuring Skillibeng and Skeng connects Nicki to her Trinidadian roots. It’s a way she commands as she spits and hops on the beat that makes this song so addicting. She made a good choice by adding both artists to the song as they add another element to the song and culture.  

The track Pink Friday Girls samples Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and if this doesn’t encompass Pink Friday, I don’t know what does. The samples she incorporates on the album is so incredibly done to the point where it seems flawless. This song makes you feel like you’re in Barbie’s Dreamhouse sipping on a pink drink and floating on a pink cloud. It’s so addicting and pop infused. 

Tracks like Bahm Bahm & Nicki Hendrix featuring Future were both previewed before the album dropped. Nicki herself said they were scrapped from the album, but I think because we begged for them to be released, she went ahead and put them on it. I love these songs for different reasons. Bahm Bahm is more of a talking mess track where Nicki Hendrix is a vibe you listen to while driving with your boo or on a chilly day, in my opinion.  

As we close the album, we have My Life, Blessings, and Just the Memories.  

My Life samples the iconic, Heart of Glass by Blondie. This song hits because she’s talking to fans and everyone else about who are we to judge on her life decisions whether it be who she marries or how she handles her own life choices.  

“They don’t know me but they always judgin my life, they can’t tell me who to love or f—k, it’s my life, they gon’ talk about me whether I’m wrong or right, I don’t need no more drama in my life,” she said.  

This track tackles on the human aspect to Nicki. People often forget she’s human just like us, so this is her way of saying, “I’m human and no matter what I do, people are going to talk about me, and although it did bother me at some point, I don’t care anymore because this is my life.”  

Blessings featuring the wonderful gospel artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard is a spiritual gift. Between Tasha’s angelic voice and Nicki’s vocals, it’s about the blessings we have in our life and to stop beating yourself up and stop worrying.  

Lastly, we have Just the Memories, which is the standard edition’s outro. After a few listens, this was a perfect closer to the album and it ties into the intro track, Are You Gone Already. It’s self-reflective on the journey since Pink Friday in 2010. It’s Nicki reflecting on everything she has been through from the start of her career.  

“I ‘member when I was the girl that everybody doubted, when every label turned me down, and then they laughed about it,” she said.  

Nicki is a rapper and the greatest female rapper to every do it because she didn’t give up and let labels define her and her craft. She didn’t sign a 360 deal; she didn’t conform to the labels who wanted her to be a certain way. Just the Memories is exactly that, it’s the closing of this chapter and I absolutely love it. 

Final Thoughts 

The album, to me, is amazing. I personally love when Nicki sings and the album showcases her vocals a lot more this time around.  

I feel as if the “full circle” Nicki was talking about is more about feeling free to simply create without all the extra outside pressure. True fans can tell Nicki has fallen back in love with her craft and is simply doing what she does best and that is being an artist, not just a rapper.  

For a little background, I’ve been a full-time Barb (what she calls her fans) since Pink Friday’s debut in 2010 (probably before that during the Itty-Bitty-Piggy and mixtapes era) and to hear Pink Friday 2 in its completion is truly, as Nicki described it, “full circle”.  

Pink Friday 2, to me, is Nicki saying, “Yes I am the Queen, but even a Queen isn’t perfect, and here’s how I’ve been doing”.  

My top five off Pink Friday 2 changes daily, but at the time of writing this my top five are FTCU, Fallin 4 U, Cowgirl, Big Difference, and Red Ruby Da Sleeze. Honorable mentions are Pink Birthday, Let Me Calm Down, and My Life.  

I gave myself a full week to digest the album, but I must admit, this album slaps and is so euphoric. I really love how vulnerable Pink Friday 2 is, but also how Nicki still somehow finds a way to elevate herself even more than previously. 

The only critique I do have of the album is certain songs I love are short like Beep Beep and Barbie Dangerous but that’s minor. My other critique was Roman (one of her many alter-ego, probably my favorite of them all) wasn’t all much included in the sequel as he was heavily involved in the original Pink Friday album. 

However, Nicki has been teasing a new Roman track that will be added onto the album later, so I can’t wait for that to drop. Roman’s lethality in his bars and disses are nothing to play with (we all remember Roman’s Revenge and Roman Holiday).  

Also, she dropped a deluxe version of Pink Friday 2 called “Gag City Deluxe” featuring a couple tracks including the “Beep Beep” remix featuring 50 cent and a brand-new track called “Love Me Enough” featuring the legendary Monica and Keyshia Cole. Love Me Enough is a vibe and talks about self-love, building yourself back up after a bad relationship, and ultimately putting yourself first.  

All in all, the album is a body of work and further solidifies Nicki has and will always be THE Queen of Rap. As a fan, I am proud and grateful Nicki has remained true to herself and her craft. 

Pink Friday 2 is in stores and on streaming platforms now! 

The post The Re-emergence of Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Winter Wonderland at Trilith welcomed guests to its inaugural event, a grand opening that took place Monday, Dec. 18, 2023.

The Winter Wonderland experience, which will take place through Dec. 23, makes it the perfect destination for creating unforgettable memories with loved ones. Guests also can capture picture-perfect moments at designated photo spots throughout the wonderland. 

The event offered four thrilling experiences that are sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit: Tinsel-Tastic Holiday Celebrations, Festive & Fun Selfie Experience, Outdoor Igloo Experience, and Frosty’s Frozen Lounge. 

The Tinsel-Tastic holiday celebrations change daily, making each visit unique and exciting. In addition, guests can enjoy their favorite cocktails at Frosty’s Frozen Lounge, which is adorned with holiday decorations. For a cozy and intimate experience, guests can retreat to the Outdoor Igloo Experience. 

Winter Wonderland is a one-stop shop for everything you might imagine you want to do for the holidays, according to the director of the event Octavia Samuels. 

“This event is so important because when you consider being south of Atlanta, things we would normally like to do, let’s say outdoor igloos are very hard to find as an option,” she said. 

Samuels said she is proud to offer a variety of experiences that cater to all ages and ensure there is something for everyone. She also said her personal favorite of the four experiences is the enchanting Outdoor Igloo Experience, where guests can cozy up and enjoy the winter wonderland atmosphere. 

Additionally, Samuels said she is very intentional about the representation of black performers on her roster and includes a Black Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Winter Wonderland experience.  

“It’s important because when you think about the entire reasoning behind Winter Wonderland, it’s so people can come to a place and are reminded to believe in their dreams and that anything’s possible,” she said. “When you combine that with having black representation of performers and a Black Santa that looks like the people in the audience, it reminds them there are no doors or walls or anything closed to them as far as believing in their dreams.” 

Samuels said as a child growing up, she loved Christmas.  

“Each time, either with friends or family, we had a chance to have a Santa at our school or take a photo with Santa or even as young. I remember my day here. Santa will come, and it was never black. Santa didn’t look like me. And it helped in my mind reinforce the belief that everything positive, it looks white, even when it comes to the holidays. And I didn’t even want that to be the case when given the opportunity. I wanted every person, no matter their color or age, to be able to celebrate the holidays and see it reflected in them.  

As part of their “Pose for a Purpose initiative”, 50% of ticket sales from the Festive & Fun Selfie Experience will be donated to cause-based organizations. 

“One of the things I really love about Winter Wonderland is the commitment to family, so we have programing created just for families to connect and engage with each other like Carol-okie and also the diversity and inclusion focuses on intention,” she said.  

With their community outreach, Samuels said, they have Santa Andre for their “Brunch with Santa” and “Pink Christmas” events as well. Additionally, Samuels said they have partnered with an organization called Southside Support, where they are hosting families who have children with special needs for a sensory-friendly experience. 

“We’ve planned this with the idea in mind of being mindful of making sure that they can access Santa, it’s inclusive and meets the sensory guideline,” she said.  

Through the event, Samuels will be supporting 15 local small businesses. As a Black business owner herself, she said the importance of supporting small businesses is crucial. 

“It was important to me when having the opportunity to choose different vendors like catering or entertainment, to choose small businesses that have been extremely impacted by some of that, especially those based in Charlotte that relied heavily on the entertainment audience,” Samuels said. 

She also said during the event week, they are running a promo code that gives you $20 off all the “simple-sensory celebration and in some cases brings down ticket prices to $25.” 

Samuels said she wants everyone at the grand opening to have an amazing time during the event week. 

“I want them to have a small experience of what it will be like for the entire week. I want guests to share the idea; The entire setup of how we split a building made up of shipping containers into a winter wonderland,” she said. “I want people throughout the week to know the space was created for them and was built within their minds so they could foster great memories for the holidays and spend time with their friends and families.” 

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://playspacesus.com.  

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Georgia ranks in the top five nationally for people living with HIV, according to the Satcher Health Leadership Institute (SHLI). 

In response to the immediate need HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts in the Black community, SHLI and Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) announced the launch of a campaign specifically tailored to reach the Black community in Georgia called “Georgia Thrives”.  

Georgia Thrives aims to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on Black/African American people in this state.  

One in 51 people in Atlanta may be infected with HIV/AIDS at any given time, according to the SHLI Health Equity Tracker. In Georgia, the number of Black males living with HIV is 6.1 times that of White males. In Georgia, the rate of Black females living with an HIV diagnosis is 11.7 times that of White females. 

Dr. Maisha Standifer, Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine director of population health, said the initiative is very important and timely.   

“This initiative is one we hold near and dear in our hearts, not just in our community, but with Black women as well and in general, to talk about health equity in marginalized populations,” she said. “This particular initiative is funded by Gilead Sciences and is called Ending the Epidemic, Examining the health equity implications of health systems policy and data gaps for people living with HIV, particularly focused on the southern U.S.,” she said.  

The importance of the initiative, she said, is because the South has the highest rate of new cases for HIV. Standifer also said while she was presenting data to others, many people asked and was shocked HIV/AIDS were still an issue.  

Additionally, Standifer said the importance is also increasing access to education and the utilization of culturally competent and tailored messaging. 

“No, it’s no longer the issue that it was 40 plus years ago when it was considered a death sentence, but now we know people are thriving and surviving with HIV,” she said. “When we talk about new cases, what does that mean when Black men have the highest rates of cases primarily in Atlanta. Also, knowing Black women are the second growing number of cases, what is really happening? We’re not dying, but there are impacts related to that in your health.” 

Standifer said they want people to gain insight on the disruption of healthcare and focusing on rural health.  

“We are looking at educating and providing more culturally competent and tailored toolkits and educational resources for clinicians to be able to directly provide the services that are needed to be able to talk and to be able to guide those who are HIV possible or even HIV diagnosed. We’re working with communities and community-based organizations in rural areas in Georgia and not just the metropolitan Atlanta area,” she said.  

All in all, Standifer said they are excited to focus on the Georgia Thrives initiative and will also be focusing on HBCUs.  

“We are co-sponsoring a system with the HIV summit that will occur next spring. We really want to connect and start talking about it within the Black community. We’re also highlighting the religious component; we know we cannot be absent within the Black community,” she said. “You cannot really talk about this without the religious community being absent. So, we have connected with our religious roundtable members and connected locally with ITC over in Atlanta University Center, and we are connecting throughout Louisiana with religious leaders that we know are vital, an important part of it.” 

Standiford said they will be having discussions with stakeholders in Atlanta, pastors, and preachers about the umbrella of health equity.  

“We’re talking about HIV the same way you’re talking about transportation as being the issue. We’re talking about housing, nutrition, and access. It’s all related as we talk about social determinants of health,” she said. “You’re not just talking about one aspect of why somebody is not able to gain access to a PREP or certain spaces that we know that oftentimes is related to housing, related to transportation, related to education, related to insurance.” 

For more information, visit https://georgiathrives.org. 

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RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) hosted the Atlanta Veterans Job fair early Thursday morning at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.  

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., over 700 veterans attended the event utilizing RecruitMilitary’s various resources for resume refinement, pursuit of higher education, and placement services.   

In October, according to RecruitMilitary, the veteran unemployment rate was 2.9%.  

Veterans bring numerous skills from their military background that are fundamental in various roles and industries. Although their service does not automatically qualify them for employment and the job search is not easy, their skillset is what wins the attention of employers and that’s where RecruitMilitary steps in.  

Over 50 employers including the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, Lockheed Martin, Kinder Morgan, Inc., Amazon, and many more were in attendance and ready to network with the local military community.   

The employment of veterans is working for the civilian workforce for many reasons including: 

• Veterans possess skills from military training that are embedded into their work ethic; non-veteran job candidates must learn these skills upon employment. 
• Veterans are easily adaptable and accustomed to wearing many hats – trained to adapt quickly & efficiently. 
• Veterans understand how to navigate the political climate in a corporate structure following years of structured employment within the military ranks. 

Event Director Rob Mulvihill, who is also a U.S. Navy Veteran said the job fair is about transitioning service members.  

“Veterans, National Guard Reserve, etc. This is the backbone of the military independence. We have about 58 companies that here and just over 700 pre-registered candidates that are looking to find it,” he said.  

The importance, he said, is giving veterans a platform where a plethora of companies are currently working with them who have heavy military recognition.  

“They know what that person mainly brings to the table or what they can bring to the table for a company,” he said. As a Navy Veteran myself, my advantage is I’ve been there making that transition. It’s daunting getting out the service whether it’s four years or 24 years trying to figure out what you can do after. Networking is everything and that’s what this is about. It’s the ability to get expertise in data sources, to access the books, and have a conversation with them and meet them.” 

As advice, Mulvihill said he would tell someone to go to https://recruitmilitary.com and click on “job seeker” and fill out their profile. 

“We’ve done some research for their companies, and one of the biggest things is making sure their profiles are at least 85% done. Some folks will register for a hiring event and when they do that brings their profile to 26%. If you’re on LinkedIn, Indeed, or any of those other platforms and you have a 26% profile, it’s not likely you’ll get hired. We do say 85 is the threshold to be a top tier candidate. Prepare, don’t just come walking in not knowing anything about these companies. Also, have an elevator pitch ready with introducing yourself for maybe 10 or 15 seconds. Preparation is key.” 

While employment of veterans is working, RecruitMilitary also focuses on the growth and change of the professional status of employed veterans. 

RecruitMilitary’s primary programs include one to one, customized career placement services, more than 100 military-centric career and networking events each year nationwide, as well as the nation’s largest sole-purpose military job board.  

Together, DAV & RecruitMilitary provides additional wrap-around services such as military benefits, education/training, support processing VA claims, and mentorship opportunities.  

For more information, visit https://recruitmilitary.com.  

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