In the run-up to Nicki Minaj‘s new album Queen, the rapper gave an interview to Elle magazine. In it, she discussed what to expect from Queen, her viewpoints on sex and her own sex appeal, her dedication to being a perfectionist, and Meek Mill. But when it came time to discuss Cardi B and their rumored beef with each other, Nicki does a good job of sharing her feelings on the Bronx rapper without actually saying anything.
Nicki made veiled comments about “New York rappers” who are “doing nothing but trap songs, because they feel that that’s the way to make it,” adding that those same rappers try to sound like “people from down south.” She doesn’t say mention any rappers by name, but the writer, Devin Gordon, pushes the issue with her:
When people read that thing you said earlier about New York rappers—they’re going to read it obliquely. You’re not naming any names, but that’s how things get read.
“I don’t think there’s any one person doing trap music right now. I think the whole industry is doing trap music.”
But you said people from New York.
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe I should’ve said, ‘Me as a New York artist.’”
Later, Nicki talked about rap being in a “kumbaya and goody-goody” time for the moment.
“That’s not the kind of rap I grew up on,” she said. “But rap is different now. You gotta pretend you like people and stuff. Everybody’s gotta get on the bandwagon. They get on the love bandwagon, and they get on the hate bandwagon. They hate people they don’t really hate, and they love people they don’t really love.”
It seems safe to say that regardless of Nicki’s true feelings about Cardi B, and the sometimes sexist nature by which their “beef” is encouraged, Nicki doesn’t see anything wrong in stoking the fires when rap beef is a healthy exercise for the genre.
