Nicki Minaj has been a cultural leader since the mid-2000s and, for ten years, had total dominance of the female hip-hop space. With no competition and unparalleled lyricism, Minaj reached heights other MCs could have only dreamed of. However, a lot of that initial success went to Nicki’s head.
The beef between Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim is Minaj’s oldest one, and it began shortly after she gained commercial success. Initially, it was mainly due to Minaj’s aesthetic and lack of respect for the ‘Crush On You’ lyricist.
When she first entered the mainstream, Minaj (real name Onika Maraj) was known primarily for her eccentric style and brightly coloured wigs. With Lil’ Kim wearing similar hair in the 1990s, many accused Minaj of stealing and ripping off Lil Kim’s style, and this led to a sense of competition and uncomfortable tension between the two.
Lil’ Kim (real name Kimberley Jones) would often get asked about Minaj in interviews, and the ‘Starships’ artist considered Kim, as an older artist, to be relatively condescending and unsupportive of her as the new face of female rap.
That said, in an interview with Angie Martinez following the release of her debut album, Pink Friday, in 2010, Minaj decided to address Jones directly, stating, “She just really jumped out of the window, and you got to be careful when you pick fights. That’s what I learned in this business. You just never know. I think people get me mistaken with like a real Barbie; they forget where I’m from. If I have to revert back, I can and I will.”
Responding to Lil Kim’s various comments about her, Minaj continued, “Don’t play with me… I respect you and love you. I’ve said it in every interview, time and time again. And if that’s not good enough for you mama, then it’s something deep-rooted in you. Something is bothering you inside — that’s your insecurity bothering you.”
Highlighting Lil’ Kim’s tendency to bully female artists, Minaj concluded, “She picked a fight with Foxy, then she picked a fight with Eve, then it was Miss Wallace, now it’s Nicki Minaj. You know what scares people? Success! When you don’t make moves and you don’t climb up the ladder, everybody loves you because you’re not competition. I feel like, you are going to go down in history now as a sore loser, as opposed to going down in history as the Queen.”
You can hear Nicki Minaj addressing Lil’ Kim in the video below.
