microphone music XXX Picture: THINKSTOCK
Picture: THINKSTOCK

THEIR names may not be as recognisable as Nicki Minaj’s, but David Eary, Stuart Scott and Airey Scott — founders of Airey Scott Entertainment — have cracked the big time and are bringing the hip-hop star to South Africa next month.

The Durban company was established in 2008 with only R100,000. They own two properties where they host events — the Pegasus Lounge and Boom Town.

The Pegasus Lounge was designed to host corporate clients attending the Durban July premier horse-racing event, and has grown to accommodate 1,500 people. Boom Town was opened in 2013 and can host 5,000 guests.

Airey says he saw an opportunity in the international promoting space in the urban hip-hop music market. "The first shows I organised were at the Maboneng precinct in Johannesburg when I brought 2 Chains."

The company also booked American jazz artist Jill Scott for the Durban July.

"The international music platform is very difficult to crack," Airey says. There are issues of trust to consider and assessments are intense, "they check everything, including your pedigree".

He approached 2 Chains’s agency and that opened the doors for his company. He then booked American rapper Kendrick Lamar in 2014 and his three shows were well attended.

Airey says that to host an artist as big as Minaj, a company needs a proven record of producing quality shows. "SA is capable of holding international-standard events, the World Cup displayed that."

Minaj has made few "diva" demands, he says, but her people are mindful about the hotel she is booked into and the arrangements being made for her stage. "SA is rich with luxury and international-standard facilities," Airey says.

Minaj made history when she simultaneously occupied four top 10 spots on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart, the first female artist to achieve this. She has the more hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart than any female rapper and is ranked third. Twelve of her entries entered the top 10 Billboard's Hot 100, yielding another record for a female rapper.

She has sold more than 50-million singles and 5-million albums worldwide. She is the recipient of several awards including American Music Awards, MTV VMA’s, Billboard Awards, People’s Choice Awards and BET Awards.

A global-touring phenomenon, Minaj has sold out venues including London’s O2 Arena, Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena and the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. She has starred in films including Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Other Woman.

She has been a judge on American Idols and was cast alongside Ice Cube and Cedric The Entertainer for Barbershop 3 due out later this year.

With 96-million fans on social media, Minaj will be pulling out all the stops for her South African tour. She is due to perform some of her chart-topping numbers, including her latest offering. Her third full-length album, The Pinkprint, arrived at the top of the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, cementing her as rap's reigning queen.

Minaj’s three shows will take place in Johannesburg at the Ticketpro Dome on Thursday March 17, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday March 20 and will conclude in Cape Town’s Grand Arena, Grand West on Tuesday March 22.

Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketpro.co.za and selected Edgars retail stores, with prices ranging from R490.