Nicki Minaj cancels Chicago Jingle Ball lineup a day before the show, Lil Wayne steps in

Nicki Minaj cancels Chicago Jingle Ball performance citing personal reasons but promises a makeup show next year. Lil Wayne steps in for her.

Nicki Minaj has announced that she will not be performing at the Chicago Jingle Ball on Monday, Dec. 4 due to personal reasons. The rapper, who is set to release her new album Pink Friday 2 on Friday, Dec. 8, apologized to her fans and promised to make it up to them next year.

This cover image released by Money/Republic Records shows “Pink Friday 2” by Nicki Minaj, releasing Dec. 8. (Young Money/Republic Records via AP)(AP)

Minaj took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to break the news to her followers. “Hope it doesn’t make you sad,” she wrote. “I won’t be able to perform tmrw in #Chicago for Jingle Ball. I was so excited to see you guys. Pls accept my sincerest apologies. I’ll make it up to you on the Chicago stops of my tour early next year. Details to come.”

However, Minaj also revealed that she has a backup plan for the Chicago show, which is part of the iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball Tour. She said that her “beloved brother/boss” Lil Wayne, who she called “the GOAT”, will perform in her place at the Allstate Arena.

The official concert listing on Ticketmaster confirms that Wayne has replaced Minaj on the lineup, which also includes Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, (G)I-DLE, and Kaliii.

The Trinidadian native singer assured her fans that she will still perform at the Atlanta Jingle Ball on Dec. 14 and the Miami Jingle Ball on Dec. 16. She also reiterated that her album Pink Friday 2, which is the follow-up to her 2018 album Queen, will drop on her birthday, Dec. 8.

She recently tweeted, “This album is just beyond anything I could have imagined.” She also warned her haters, “If you on my $h!t list, you will never EVER recover. The. Fkng. End.”

The Barbie World singer’s Pink Friday 2 is one of the most anticipated albums of the year, as it marks her return to music after a hiatus. The album features collaborations with Drake, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Ariana Grande, and more. Minaj has already released two singles from the album, ‘Barbie Tingz’ and ‘Chun-Li’, which have received positive reviews from critics and fans alike.

Minaj has also teased that the album will have a surprise feature that will “blow everyone’s mind”.