What started out as Nicki Minaj addressing the Recording Academy’s decision to shift “Super Freaky Girl” from the GRAMMY’s Rap category to Pop, using Latto’s breakout track as an example, ended in a heated war of words between Nicki and the “Big Energy” artist, that got deeply personal and included all the receipts.
Listen to Women of Hip Hop and more on the free Audacy app
Let’s break it down.
Taking to Twitter, Nicki noted if it were applied consistently to other artists that straddle the crossover line, she would have no issues with the GRAMMY category shift. However, in her opinion that is not the case.
“I have no prob being moved out the RAP category as long as we r ALL being treated FAIRLY,” Minaj tweeted. “If SFG (‘Super Freaky Girl’) has 2B moved out RAP then so does Big Energy!” she added, referring to the Latto’s hit. Adding, “ANY1 who says diff is simply a Nicki hater or a troll,” before noting “I’d actually LUV 2 c a more street record win- male OR female! IJS rightIsRight.”
Minaj followed up that sentiment by posting a 17-minute video on Instagram expanding on her opinion. “If you can’t tell by now that there is a concerted effort to give newer artists things that they really don’t deserve over people who have been deserving for many years, then you’re not paying attention,” Minaj says in the clip. “And by the way, this is not to say any song is bad or any female rapper is bad. I always say this: Any rapper, female or male, that wins a GRAMMY, you should be f***ing proud of yourself. But why is the goalpost only ever moved when it’s Nicki? Well, I’ll tell you why. They don’t want the people that they have in the industry to go up against me.”
Latto, of course, wasn’t exactly here for Nicki’s shoutout, tweeting, “Damn I can’t win for losing… all these awards/noms I can’t even celebrate.”
And from there the fireworks began.
Nicki's response was to call Latto a Karen, and not so subtly mentioning Latto’s passed fan-girl behavior towards Nicki. Tweeting, “This Karen has probably mentioned my name in over 100 interviews. Says she waited in line for 'Pink Friday' w|her Barbie chain on, bangs, pink hair… but today, scratch off decides to be silent; rather than speak up for the black woman she called her biggest inspiration.”
Leading Latto to go ham and telling Nicki Minaj, “Ur literally older than my mom tryna be a bully.” Yikes!
The back and forth only escalated from there. With Nicki offering up some pretty thirsty receipts, and Latto holding literally nothing back in return.
Peep screenshots of the Twitter war below.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram