Nicki Minaj Performs Maya Angelou Poem, Crowd Freaks Out

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Last night's 'Shining A Light' event in Los Angeles brought tons of celebrities — John Legend and a pregnant Chrissy Teigen included — out to promote racial progress in America. In between sets by Jill Scott, Sting, Pink, Bruce Springsteen, and others, Nicki Minaj took the stage — not to rap, but to recite the late Maya Angelou's 1978 poem, "Still I Rise."

While the entire performance was powerful, about halfway through, it became immediately clear which of the stanzas was Nicki Minaj's — and the audience's — favorite of all. It went something like this:

Nicki Minaj: "Does my sexiness upset you?" (Audience silent)
Nicki Minaj: "Does it come as a surprise" (Audience silent)
Nicki Minaj: "That I dance like I've got diamonds" (Audience silent)
Nicki Minaj: "At the meeting of my thighs" (Audience erupts into whoops and cheers).
Nicki Minaj:

Watch the whole performance below.