From Cardi B to Remy Ma, Here’s a Look at All of Nicki Minaj’s Beefs

As we watch a new feud begin to blossom between Minaj and Cardi B, Billboard takes a look at the beefs Nicki has previously taken part in her career.

Clockwise from top right: Cardi B, Lil Kim, Nicki Minaj, Remy Ma & Taylor Swift Getty, AP; Design by Jessica Xie

In her 14-year career, Nicki Minaj has cemented her status as one of the most outspoken MCs in the game today. She has never been one to hold her tongue and makes it her mission to always come out on top, whether it be through verses or album sales. It’s the no-nonsense attitude that has gotten her into a number of feuds over the years, and she doesn’t seem to be changing her ways anytime soon.

On Friday (Sept. 7) Nicki Minaj and Cardi B were involved in an altercation at Harper’s Bazaar’s ICONS New York fashion week party. In the footage released on social media, Cardi is seen yelling obscenities and throwing her shoe at the Queen rapper while also leaving the event with no shoes and a nice-sized knot on her forehead. Cardi and Minaj each gave their sides of the event, leaving the internet intrigued as it confirmed the alleged year-long beef between the rivaling female rap stars.

Minaj feuded with a number of people in the past including Lil’ Kim, Remy Ma, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and more. She has mentioned her displeasure feuding with others in the past as she feels she’s a nice person but she hasn’t ran away from a challenge yet. As we watch a new feud begin to blossom between Minaj and Cardi B, Billboard takes a look at the beefs Nicki has previously taken part in her career.

Taylor Swift

The beef with Taylor Swift started when Minaj voiced her opinions about not receiving a nomination for video of the year at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. “If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year,” Minaj tweeted. Swift, who had the most nominations of the night, replied to Minaj’s tweet with a now-deleted tweet of her own saying, “I’ve done nothing but love & support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other.” Nicki responded saying she wasn’t talking about her with Swift calling a truce and apologizing shortly after. During the show, Swift joined Nicki on stage during her opening performance.

If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year

— QUEEN (@NICKIMINAJ) July 21, 2015

Miley Cyrus

Nicki Minaj had some business to attend to with Miley Cyrus at the 2015 VMA’s after Cyrus had some choice words for her in a New York Times interview. In the interview, Miley called Nicki “not very polite” and “not too kind” in response to Nicki’s criticism on “Anaconda” not getting a video of the year nomination. Cyrus felt the comments were selfish and needed to be said in a softer, pacifying tone to gain any respect from her.

After receiving the award for best hip-hop video, Nicki called Cyrus out for her New York Times interview. “Now, back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me the other day in the press,” Minaj said looking in Cyrus’ direction. “Miley, what’s good?” Cyrus, who appeared shocked, tried to talk down the whole situation reminding how interviews are manipulated before congratulating Nicki with a hair flip. Not much has happened between the two since then.

Mariah Carey

When Nicki was casted as a judge for the 12th season of American Idol, no one would’ve thought she would come to war with her fellow judge Mariah Carey. But in a matter of weeks, the pairing turned sour as both women got into it on a number of occasions. It was reported by People Magazine that Carey felt Nicki could not sing and that she was not a good fit to judge the competition. One day, Nicki had enough of Mariah as she burst into a yelling match with the “We Belong Together” singer. As Nicki walked off the set, it was reported that she threatened to shoot Carey. The two never resolved their differences as they both left the show shortly after.

Lil Kim

Nicki’s feud with Lil’ Kim goes all the way back to the beginning of her career. When she first made her way around the mixtape circuit, Nicki drew heavy comparisons to the Queen Bee for her risqué style and sharp lyrics. Minaj had given credit to Kim in the past but the Brooklyn MC was not impressed. She took to radio shows and concerts to speak out on Minaj who she felt copied everything about her. The two would proceed to throw subliminal shots at each other until the beef got even more serious as Minaj dissed Kim throughout her Pink Friday album. This led to Kim releasing a mixtape full of diss tracks aimed at Nicki titled Black Friday.

After Nicki dissed her again on “Tragedy,” Kim hit up New York City’s Power 105.1 The Breakfast Club to speak on the situation with Nicki. Kim felt Nicki shouldn’t have thrown all the subliminal shots at her and that the two will never make amends. The beef simmered down until Kim released her own remix to Beyoncé and Nicki’s “Flawless” remix dissing Minaj. The beef continued in 2017 with Kim taking sides with Remy Ma in the Bronx MC’s beef with Nicki. But in an interview with Real 92.3 in LA in 2018, Kim voiced her support of Nicki wishing her the best with her new album Queen.

Remy Ma

The beef between Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma started back in 2007, when Nicki dropped the “Dirty Money” freestyle on her Playtime Is Over mixtape. Nicki drops a couple bars that many believed were directed at Remy and her queen of rap title. “Tell that bitch with the crown to run it like Chris Brown,” Nicki rapped.

After years of subliminal shots and mutual praise, Remy dropped the seven-minute long diss track “ShETHER” that directly calls out Nicki. Remy eviscerated Minaj taking jabs at everything from her ghostwriting allegations to Nicki’s alleged plastic surgery. Nicki responded with a video of Beyonce calling her the queen of rap but Remy released another diss record titled “Another One.” Nicki finally responded two weeks later dropping three singles with one of them (“No Frauds”) addressing the “ShETHER” diss. The beef died down after Remy ended Nicki’s seven-year run as the best female hip-hop artist at the 2017 BET Awards and Nicki continued to use her album sales to showcase her superiority.

Travis Scott

Nicki’s beef with Travis Scott came after her new album Queen debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 behind Astroworld. After getting into it with DJ Self and Safaree in regards to her Queen album, Nicki felt Travis used underhand tactics to push his album sales forward, using merchandise bundles as well as partner Kylie Jenner (and their baby daughter Stormi) as leverage for ticket sales for his Astroworld Tour. Nicki couldn’t deal with Queen coming in at No. 2, dragging Travis all over Queen Radio, and dissing publications like Pitchfork and music executive Irving Azoff in the process. Nicki also sent the Barbz after a Billboard writer for misinforming fans about her tour. No one really responded to Nicki, including Travis, as Nicki continued to skewer anyone who dared cross her.

Cardi B

The confrontation between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj began in the spring of 2017 when Nicki allegedly liked a comment on Instagram clowning Cardi’s rapping skills. Speculation rose even more when Cardi joined Remy Ma on stage at Hot 97’s Summer Jam 2017, in the midst of Remy’s beef with the Minaj. Nicki would then be featured on a track with Cardi’s husband Offset titled “No Flag.” Many believed the record had shots directed at Cardi but Nicki later denied it on Twitter. Things got a bit more testy following Cardi’s breakout single “Bodak Yellow” topping the Hot 100 charts: Nicki congratulated Cardi on the achievement, but their relationship raised some flags after a weird collaboration on Migos’ “Motorsport.”

People thought the two women MCs were taking shots at each other on the song, but they denied any such thing. The visual for “Motorsport” dropped and it was obvious Nicki and Cardi filmed on different days fueling the rumors that they were at odds. Cardi also revealed in an interview with Capital Xtra that Nicki’s final verse was different than the original she laid down before Cardi got on the song.

Nicki wasn’t too happy with this, as she revealed in an interview with Beats 1 Radio she was hurt by the interview and that Cardi had never showed her genuine love. Fast forward a few months, and the beef seemed to be over when Nicki and Cardi were spotted at the Met Gala speaking to each other cordially. But things escalated again when Nicki implied Cardi was being too sensitive to the criticism surrounding their relationship. “To me, she may have taken issue with things that I’ve said, but I’m not going to bite my tongue, “ Minaj said.

The beef became a reality when Cardi approached Nicki at NYFW in an attempt to resolve the issues between them. The act resulted in Cardi getting an elbow to the face that then led to Cardi throwing her shoe at Nicki, and getting into a scuffle with Nicki’s friend Rah Ali. Cardi took to Instagram to talk about the situation, saying she’s had enough of the back and forth. Nicki waited until the next episode of Queen Radio to give her two cents, and she left nothing on the table. Nicki called out Cardi on a number of things saying her behavior was erratic and that the “I Like It” rapper needed help. Cardi hasn’t bitten back, but the fire doesn’t seem to be put out just yet.