Why Nicki Minaj flew 6,000 miles to China but did not perform

Nicki travelled to Shanghai for a 90-minute performance at DWP China Festival in Shanghai in exchange for a hefty $3 million paycheck.

However,  just days before Minaj was set to land in China, DWP on its website posted a statement severing ties with the festival organisers. DWP is an Indonesia-based company responsible for the DWP Festival (Djakarta Warehouse Project) in Bali.

The brand posted a statement which reads: “The event rumoured to take place in Shanghai on 17th & 18th of November 2018 is an unauthorized use of DWP trademark. DWP as a brand has no association with the event. The alleged lineup artwork of DWP China, which has been circulating online is unauthorized.”

But that’s not where the confusion ends. Immediately after DWP made its announcement, DWP China Festival organisers responded with a statement of their own insisting that they were a legitimate festival and sanctioned by the parent company DWP. DWP China even offered up a power of attorney document as proof of its official DWP affiliation status.

After getting wind of the controversy, Nicki refused to take the stage, which led some fans showing their displeasure on social media.

Addressing the situation, Nicki promised her China fans on Instagram that she will be back with a better partner. “I’ll be back you guys for my real fans, in Shanghai, in China. I love you so much. And I’ll be back with a better partner this time, okay?”