Nicki Minaj and Cardi B weren’t always enemies. Before the rappers engaged in an explosive brawl in September 2018, the ladies were once friendly, even collaborating on a song together — but at some point, things went downhill.
Watch the video to relive the moments that contributed to the reigning rap queens’ long-running feud!
Casting the First Stone
Minaj may have taken her first shot at Cardi B in August 2017 with her song “No Flag. “I heard these labels tryna make another me,” she rapped. “Everything you getting, little hoe, is ‘cause of me.” One month later, Cardi seemingly responded to the jab on “No Limit” with the lyrics, “My career takin’ off, these hoes jogging in place, how these hoes out of shape? Can you stop with all the subs? Bitch I ain’t Jared.”
All Good Here
Cardi B addressed speculation that there was trouble brewing with Minaj during an appearance on The Breakfast Club in September 2017, saying that her lyrics on “No Limit” weren’t directed at anyone in particular. When asked if she had ‘beef’ with the “Chun-Li” rapper, Cardi laughed it off, saying, “She ain’t never f—kd my man!”
Feelin’ Slighted
Despite allegedly exchanging barbs at each other in their own songs, the rappers collaborated together with Migos on “Motorsport.” The final product prompted the Love and Hip Hop alum to suggest that Minaj had altered her original verse to one-up her. In April 2018, the “Barbie Tingz” rapper revealed she was hurt by Cardi B’s reaction. “When I first came in the game, if a female of that stature had done a feature with me on it, I would only be singing their praises and saying, ‘Thank you,’” Minaj said during an appearance on Apple Music’s Beats 1. “The first interview [Cardi] did after ‘MotorSport’ came out, it just really hurt me ‘cause she looked so aggravated and angry. … I kind of felt ambushed.”
Making Peace?
Minaj and the “Bodak Yellow” rapper seemed to have squashed any beef between them at the Met Gala in May 2018 when they were photographed chatting. “I never was feuding with anybody; there was a misunderstanding. I think [Nicki] felt a certain type of way about something. I definitely felt a certain type of way about something,” the “Get Up 10” singer told Howard Stern following their meet-up. “I didn’t wanna ever talk about it in public because I felt like we gonna see each other again and we will talk about it and it’s always, like, little issues.” She added, “I spoke to her at the Met Gala about it and it’s just, like, see? It’s just something that had to be talked about because it was an issue.”
Coming to Blows
The simmering feud between the rappers came to a head in September 2018, when they were involved in a scuffle at the Harper’s Bazaar Icons Party in New York City. An insider told Us at the time, “Cardi came in swearing and shouting. Nicki just stood there and was cool. She did not flinch. Cardi was throwing punches, trying to get at Nicki and then threw her shoe at Nicki.” The “Finesse” singer was later escorted out of the party by police, sporting a large lump on her head.
Making a Statement
Following their brawl, Cardi took to Instagram to share her side of the story, where she alluded her actions were caused by Minaj criticizing her parenting. “I’ve let a lot of s–t slide! I let you sneak diss me, I let you lie on me, I let you attempt to stop my bags, f–k up the way I eat! You’ve threaten other artists in the industry, told them if they work with me you’ll stop f–kin with them!! I let you talk big s–t about me!!” she wrote on September 7. “I addressed you once in person, I addressed you a second time in person, and every time you copped the plea!! But when you mention my child, you choose to like comments about me as a mother, make comments about my abilities as a mother, make comments about my abilities to take care of my daughter is when all bets are f–kin off!!”
Just a Misunderstanding?
Minaj spoke out herself during an episode of Queen Radio on September 10 — and admitted she was humiliated by the encounter. “I was a part of something so mortifying and humiliating to go through in front of the upper echelon … people who have their lives together. The way they passed by looking at this disgusting commotion I will never forget. I was mortified. I could not believe how humiliating it all felt … how we made ourselves look,” Minaj told her listeners. Added the “Feeling Myself” rapper, “I wanna say that I would never discuss anyone’s child … I would never talk about anyone’s child or parenting. It’s so crazy to me that people always need to make [me] the bad guy. When you have to say that I said or did something that I never said or did … I am not a clown. That’s clown s—t.”
Still Going at It
Cardi B seemingly clapped back on Wednesday, September 12, in response to Minaj’s radio remarks. “NUMBERS DONT F—– LIE,” she posted on Instagram. She then shared a video from a 2016 concert. “7/29/2016! NO LABEL, NO RADIO PLAY, FRESH OUT OF LOVE AND HIP HOP, ONLY 200K IN MY BANK ACCOUNT, MY FIRST TOUR !!! nobody can make you feel like you cheated yourself or you don’t deserve to be where you at when you KNOW YOU WORKED YOURSELF TO THE TOP !!! THANK YOU BARDIGANG !YOU BEEN HERE SINCE THE GET GO!”
