A telecoms company is bringing in a major rap artist for an exclusive concert as a freebie for certain subscribers.

 

The concert -- Nicki Minaj Live in Manila Pink Friday Tour -- will be exclusive to subscribers of BlackBerry smartphones and Globe Telecom, Inc.

 

The one-night performance will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Wednesday night.

 

Like an actual starship, Trinidadian-born singer/rapper Nicki Minaj took off, reached great heights with her international recording career, and has yet to come down.

 

After releasing three mix tapes between 2007 and 2009, Ms. Minaj released her debut album, Pink Friday in 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America a month after its release.

 

She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, including the worldwide hit "Super Bass," which has since been certified quadruple-platinum, and has sold more than four million digital copies as of last May.

 

As part of her world tour to promote her album, Ms. Minaj will make her only stop in Southeast Asia in the Philippines for the Globe concert.

 

Since last month, customers who purchase either a Blackberry Curve 9220 or a BlackBerry Curve 9320 smartphone from Globe with a Globe My Super Plan can get exclusive access to the concert.

 

"Globe is very excited to partner with BlackBerry in bringing Nicki Minaj up close and personal to her Filipino fans," Martha Sazon, head of Globe Postpaid, told reporters.

 

"Flying in an international artist for an exclusive concert in the country as the only Southeast Asian destination is something we have never done before. As part of our continuing efforts to further grow our postpaid business, we are making Nicki Minaj’s concert party as our biggest freebie ever," she added.

 

Known for her wacky and eccentric style, Ms. Minaj is set to take the stage in SM Mall of Asia Arena wearing yet another colorful ensemble while belting out her hits "Super Bass" and "Starships."

 

The 29-year-old singer -- whose real name is Onika Tanka Maraj -- has been putting in a lot of work performing around the world, and it has paid off.

 

Last month she took to the stage in London, before jetting back to the US for the BET Awards.

 

She recently achieved a career milestone on the Billboard charts by having both a Top 10 selling song ("Starships") and a Top 10 selling album (Pink Friday) on the same time.

 

Ms. Minaj’s "Starships" also tied the record of Black Eyed Peas’s "I Gotta Feeling" for having the longest uninterrupted steak at the Billboard’s Hot 100’s Top 10 since it debuted on the list at 20 weeks. -- Jeffrey O. Valisno