If Regis Philbin slapping Nicki Minaj's rear end on live TV didn't count as an international incident, this certainly does: The cost of Minaj's homecoming concert in Trinidad in October was so high, the nation is reportedly going to have to forgo a health fair and a peace march. Yes, because residents of the Caribbean islands enjoyed hearing "Right Thru Me" and the MC's killer "Monster" verse, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has to tighten its belt.
After learning the price tag for the concert -- part of a launch for an initiative called Localize Itt -- was high, Diego Martin Central MP Dr Amery Browne asked for an audit to break down the specific costs of the October 30th performance, which was documented on the MTV show "Nicki Minaj: My Time Now." Of the total $869,000, Minaj and her associates collected $382,000. The rest went toward advertising, a fashion show, hotels, and assorted fees. Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Roberts, the man who organized the gig with promoter Darryl Braxton, has been forced to admit the event "was not a financial success," as local paper the Guardian put it.
Roberts argues the attention the show earned internationally warrants its expense and accused his opponents of "going on a rampage against Minaj" who he called "the number one Trinbagonian out there worldwide." Somewhere, Billy Ocean is weeping gently and humming "Caribbean Queen."
[Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.com]