Culture

Is Nicki Minaj Ruining Her Reputation?

by Ky Stewart  30 January 2024
nicki minaj megan thee stallion drama explained hiss bigfoot

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Instead of enjoying my weekend and easing into the week, I’ve been watching Nicki Minaj continue to dismantle her reputation with a vicious tirade against Megan Thee Stallion. 

Making fun of Megan getting shot in the foot, calling her “Bigfoot”, bringing up Megan’s deceased mother, endorsing doxxing by her fans… Nicki Minaj appears to be doing everything in her power to tear Megan down. Nicki is spiralling down a rabbit hole and the Barbz are being dragged down with her. 

Where exactly did all this come from? Why is Nicki going after Megan so fiercely? Let’s put the pieces together, shall we? 

Megan Thee Stallion Releases New Song ‘HISS’, Subtly Shades Nicki Minaj

On January 26, Megan released her new single ‘HISS’. Considering how good ‘Cobra’ was, we were in for a real treat. And no one expected the song to help implode the careers of one of the biggest rappers in the world. 

On ‘HISS’, Megan raps “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law”. For context, Megan’s Law is a US federal law that requires the police and other law enforcement agencies to register sex offenders in a public database. The law was introduced in New Jersey after seven-year-old Megan Kanka was raped and killed by her neighbour, a known sex offender. 

So why would that line piss Nicki off so much? Well, Nicki’s husband, Kenneth Petty, is a registered sex offender after he was charged with first degree attempted rape when he was 15. In 2022, he was arrested for not registering as a sex offender in California after he moved in with Nicki and sentenced to 120 days of house arrest. The victim sued both Nicki and her husband for harassment claiming the couple threatened her with a bounty to recant her allegations. What’s more, in 2020, Nicki’s brother Jelani Maraj was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for raping an 11-year-old girl. 

The Megan’s Law bar is incredibly smart and one that could apply to pretty much the entire music industry at this point; Nicki taking it as a personal attack is just telling on herself. How are you going to hear someone talk about sex offenders, not even mentioning your name, and think it’s about you because your husband and brother are convicted sex offenders? Yikes babe. 

Since everything unfolded, ‘HISS’ skyrocketed straight to the top of the charts, making it the highest solo debut by a female rapper in the history of Apple Music (US). In just two days, the song hit Number One on Apple Music’s Top Songs, third on Apple Music’s Top 100 Global, and second on Apple Music’s Top 100 USA. The music video (which was funded by Megan now she’s independent) has gained more than 5.9 million views (at time of publication) making it the second most trending music video on YouTube. 

Even though Megan funded the music video herself, she hasn’t had to rely on AI like Nicki has throughout her Pink Friday 2 promo. 

Nicki Minaj Attacks Megan Thee Stallion On Every Platform She Can 

I feel so sorry for Nicki Minaj’s social media team, if she has one, because she’s non-stop attacked Megan on Instagram, X, TikTok, and the radio. ‘HISS’ had barely been out for an hour before she started her tirade on Instagram Live, sharing snippets of a diss track aimed at Megan. The main line Nicki kept playing was “Bad bitch she like six foot, I call her big foot/ the bitch fell off, I said get up on your good foot” — a reference to Megan getting shot in the foot by Tory Lanez. It’s a disturbing move, especially after the belittlement Megan was forced to endure from the industry over the assault.

During the same Live, Nicki called Megan a “bullet fragment foot bitch” before saying “said it hiss I said piss”. She then goes on to rant “you bringing up 30 year old tea from when this man was a 15-year-old child … cause no man will ever fucking love you … lying on your dead mother”. First of all, I’m confused about the reference to Megan’s mother, but it’s a low blow to drag someone’s deceased mother into anything. Secondly, calling your husband’s attempted rape “30 year old tea” is incredibly problematic on several different levels.

Nicki then went on Stationhead (a platform where artists can host town halls with their fans) to continue her onslaught. “You let everyone be thrown under the bus. You let DaBaby be thrown under the bus, Tory, your best friend, your mom,” she said. Nicki also said that the tirade was her alter ego Roman Zolanski (inspired by the film director Roman Polanski who pleaded guilty to having intercourse with a minor). 

Nicki accused Megan of calling a female rapper she works with a “dirty Mexican”. True or not, at this point, Nicki seems to be clutching at whatever she can. 

If nothing else, the past weekend proved that Nicki has A LOT of free time.

Nicki Supports… Ben Shapiro?

For some unknown and godforsaken reason, Ben Shapiro decided to enter the chat — and he sided with Nicki. This is how I learned, against my will, that Ben released a rap song, which I refuse to listen to. Ben posted that he was “coming” for Megan’s new song before saying that Nicki was “correct about your flow”. I don’t actually know what’s worse, Ben Shapiro having a rap song called ‘FACTS’ (something he notoriously never has) or that he defended Nicki Minaj. 

Either way, Nicki’s support for the ultra conservative pundit was just too much for me.  

To put it lightly, Ben’s views have been repeatedly called out as racist, transphobic, homophobic, and misogynistic. An incredibly large part of Nicki’s fanbase, those who have stuck by her for years, are queer people of colour. It’s incredibly disappointing and honestly heartbreaking that she would support someone so damaging to our community just to continue her one-sided fight with Megan. Megan, on the other hand, has always lifted the queer and trans community up. 

Nicki Continues To Be Consumed By Megan — And AI

You know that expression “No rest for the wicked”? Well Nicki has taken that to new extremes. Instead of sleeping, she just kept tweeting. 

Nicki announced the release of ‘BigFoot’ with another AI generated image (seriously Nicki enough with the AI) of a pink boot stepping in a giant footprint next to a photo of Megan upset. Very normal behaviour. 

When Pop Base announced that Nicki threatened to release five extra diss tracks about Megan if she “so much as BREATHE [sic] wrong”, Nicki threatened to dox the Pop Base account manager in her second song. She claimed Pop Base were lying that the song was about Megan. Hello?? You literally tweeted a photo of her. I also never thought I’d live to type the sentence “Nicki Minaj has threatened to dox Pop Base”. 2024 is already full of wondrous surprises. 

Because I can never know peace, Nicki continued to post AI artworks making fun of Megan getting shot in the foot. 

Nicki claimed that Megan’s team are scared of her releasing ‘BigFoot’ because “those numbers gon embarrass her lying lypo ass”. She also said she “got proof of what SHE DID!”. Then she said may “god strike you down” to any mother taking Megan’s side. I don’t think God wants any part of this mess, Nicki. 

It made me giggle that Nicki said Megan won’t be streamed in 84 years. A very strange attack because I’m sure technology will advance beyond streaming services by that point but anyways. By this point, people were fed up with Nicki’s antics. Mostly because Megan hadn’t said anything publicly, effectively making Nicki look like she was fighting a brick wall. 

Seriously, I’m at my wits end with these AI album artworks. 

Megan is clearly doing something right if one line in her song can infuriate one of the biggest names in rap to the point where she’s fighting with herself online. And that one line didn’t even mention Nicki’s name. Unbelievable. 

To sum up the first two days of Nicki’s meltdown, she came after Megan’s deceased mother, made fun of her assault, threatened to release multiple diss tracks, sided with Ben Shapiro, and threatened to dox Pop Base. Nice! 

Barbz Start Doxxing People 

Speaking of doxxing people, Nicki’s fans, the notorious Barbz, started to share the names and addresses of people who dared to call Nicki out. Not only is that illegal, it’s incredibly dangerous. I understand fans wanting to defend their favourite artists but if you’re putting other people’s lives at risk you should probably ask yourself if you’re supporting an artist or feeding into their toxic behaviours. 

Related
Is TikTok Normalising Doxxing?

Former Nicki Minaj fan Bela Delgado posted a video on TikTok calling Nicki out for her association with sex offenders and making fun of Megan’s appearance. 

After the video went viral, Bela had to delete the video and private his TikTok account because of the abuse from Nicki’s fans, who doxxed him and his family. Gross. 

It’s genuinely terrifying to think that if you disagree or call out the very problematic behaviour of Nicki Minaj, your life could be put in danger. 

Some might argue that Nicki isn’t responsible for what her fans do. That might be true to a certain extent but she’s still responsible for establishing a toxic environment that enables the abuse, bullying, and harassment of other people. She herself has participated and relished in people getting doxxed. That’s the standard she set for her fans. Barbz are simply following suit. 

Megan Continues To Say Nothing, Icon Behaviour 

Among all this chaos and drama, Megan has done possibly the most iconic thing. Say absolutely nothing. How do you respond to bullies? You don’t. Let them unravel themselves.

Fans suggested that Megan is saving her response for her new album. They said that when a snake hisses, it’s usually a warning sign they are about to strike. The mind is such a powerful place. 

One thing Megan did post on Instagram was a photo from the anime Tokyo Ghoul. Fans thought it hinted at how Megan is feeling because the character Kaneki is hunted down and struggling with the loss of his mother before he goes into a rebirth of identity. 

While Nicki’s been using X and Instagram like a personal diary, Megan’s been busy partying and enjoying the success of ‘HISS’. Legit baddie behaviour. 

Nicki Releases ‘BigFoot’, Internet Tears It Apart 

Then came the warmly anticipated diss track ‘BigFoot’. Although Nicki believes it’s her best work and showcases her “true talent”, people were not having a bar of it. 

They pointed out some interesting lines from ‘BigFoot’ like “Why the fuck is you humping on a minor?” It’s probably a good time to remember that Nicki was booed on stage when she gave a 13-year-old a lap dance. 

Nicki kept calling Megan a “bullet fragment bitch” but in ‘BigFoot’ she claims that Megan had no scar to prove it. Nicki had previously posted pictures of Megan’s foot after the shooting. (The photos were used in court and  I shall not repost them here.) So which one is it?

In fans’ minds, ‘BigFoot’ has certainly proven Megan to be the winner in this feud.  

The numbers on this one don’t lie. 

Somehow the Minions are involved? 

Despite its negative reception, the hype around ‘BigFoot’ propelled it to the top of the charts and it’s vying for the biggest solo female rap debut of 2024 and the biggest debut in Apple Music history. But that doesn’t mean people like it. 

It’s not doing great on YouTube, though. 

Are We Watching The Fall Of Nicki Minaj In Real Time?

The past few days have been nothing short of wild but perhaps the most fascinating to me is that we may be watching the fall of Nicki Minaj’s empire in real time. All because she decided to mercilessly — and, as far as anyone can tell, baselessly — attack another female rapper who never spoke her name. From the doxxing to the attacks on Megan’s character and family, to the way she defended her incredibly problematic husband, it’s hard to see how Nicki can claw her way out the hole she dug herself. Fans have even been cancelling tickets to the upcoming Gag City tour. 

I hope we’ve come to a point in pop culture where mocking the abuse of women isn’t a fun gimmick anymore. Instead I hope we see it as the cheap, desperate shot that it is. 

Nicki’s tirade has taught us a lot of things. Not only about her fanbase but about Nicki Minaj herself. To me, it seems like she’s unable to let another girl in rap have a moment to shine unless she’s somehow in control of it. After all of her antics, is her Queen of Rap crown fading? And has Megan picked it up? 

Regardless, I know that I will have a hard time focusing on anything else. Please hold my calls.

Ky is a proud Kamilaroi and Dharug person and writer at Junkee. Follow them on Instagram or on X.

Image: AP Images