Nicki Minaj to join Britney Spears on North American tour

(AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck)

On April 12, pop star Britney Spears announced that hip hop artist Nicki Minaj will join the North American leg of her upcoming world tour. Tickets go on sale beginning April 30.

Spears teased the news on her Twitter page on April 11 after reports of the Spears/Minaj union hit the web. The official announcement, posted on her website, follows last month's debacle regarding Enrique Iglesias, who pulled out of Spears's tour hours after the singer made the announcement.

Spears also announced that opening act Jessie and the Toy Boys, fronted by American singer Jessie Malakouti, and Australian DJ duo Nervo will perform every show. The first of Spears's 26 shows will kick off June 17 in Sacramento, with the tour wrapping up in Toronto on August 13.

The 29-year-old Spears released her latest LP, Femme Fatale, which is her seventh studio release. The album released in the UK on March 28 and the US on March 29 and so far has peaked at number one in four countries, including the US, Australia, and Canada.

Last year, Minaj released her much-talked-about debut album, Pink Friday, which peaked at number one in the US, where it saw its greatest success. Famed for breaking new ground for female rap artists, she became the first female rapper to have seven hit songs on the US Billboard charts last year - the songs include her collaborations with rappers Ludacris, Usher, and others.

She is currently touring with rapper Lil Wayne on the "I Am Music II" tour, which wraps up on April 29 in Vancouver, Canada.

Tickets for the Spears/Minaj tour go on sale on April 30 (and May 7 for select shows) and are available at LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com.

Stay tuned for details:
http://www.britneyspears.com
http://mypinkfriday.com