Nicki Minaj Surprises Brooklyn With Cyndi Lauper For 'Pink Friday Girls' Performance

Nicki Minaj surprised attendees of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour show at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Tuesday night.

Minaj brought out Cyndi Lauper, best known for her 80s hit "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." In 2010, Minaj covered the beloved track with Katy Perry, which was her first gateway into a friendship with the legendary pop singer.

Lauper sported bright pink hair and a neon and black outfit while she took the stage with Minaj. The two joined together for the track "Pink Friday Girls" off Pink Friday 2.

Minaj sampled Lauper's iconic song on the record, in which Lauper, later joined by Minaj, sings the chorus of her own song. Singer Lourdiz, who appeared on Minaj's "Cowgirl" hops on a looping bridge, singing "Just wanna, just, just wanna have fun (Have fun.)"

Lauper previously praised "Pink Friday Girls," posting the track to her Instagram story and tagging Minaj, including a shiny pink heart.

The rapper reacted on X with glee: "I'm told she's never cleared a master recording. I am so grateful. I've always loved her as you guys know."

In Tuesday's performance, Lauper shined on the track's chorus, dancing with Minaj and bouncing around the stage as she sang out, "Oh Daddy dear, you know you're still number one/ but girls, they wanna have fun/Oh girls just wanna have!"

They embraced in an endearing hug, after which Minaj playfully bowed down in front of Lauper. The singer returned the gesture before smiling and hugging the rapper again.

"I have been speaking about this woman in my interviews since I first began rapping," said Minaj.

The two first met at the 2011 Grammy Awards, where Minaj showered Lauper with praise.

"People don't know how obsessed I am with you...I always list her as one of my fashion icons, it's so crazy to meet her this way, here on the Grammy carpet," said Minaj.

She asked if Lauper had seen her cover of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" with Perry, to which Lauper replied that she hadn't yet. "We were channeling you because we love you," gushed Minaj.

In a 2012 New York Magazine interview, she pointed to Lauper as fashion inspiration, saying that she was "intrigued by color and by interesting hair... Cyndi Lauper's videos-that's what intrigued me."

Lauper returned the compliment in an interview with Sway's Universe, in which she said, "I like Nicki Minaj a lot," when asked which particular hip hop artists she enjoys. She included Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, 50 cent and Eminem among the other rappers she admires.

Lauper isn't the first guest to join Minaj on stage. At her Toronto show on Tuesday night, she brought out Drake. The two performed "Needle" from Minaj's Pink Friday 2. In Philadelphia, local rappers Freeway and the Young Gunz made an appearance.

The Pink Friday Tour will finish its North American leg on May 13 before picking up again in Europe on May 23.

Tags

Nicki Minaj, Cyndi Lauper