A recent livestream of Nicki Minaj has set tongues running in the hip-hop community, as many are pointing out something that DJ Akademiks claimed: the rapper said some things on this livestream which could be perceived as subtle dissing at Drake and PartyNextDoor.
Although Nicki Minaj herself didn’t confirm and refute these allegations, Akademiks insisted that on the livestream, she labeled two artists “ugly boy 1” and “ugly boy 2.” Since the two recently did tracks with Latto and Ice Spice, respectively, both female rappers at odds with Nicki Minaj, fans speculate this meant Drake and PartyNextDoor are being targeted.
These comments since set off a storm in online discussions; while some fans have taken Minaj’s side, others feel she stirred a pot of drama where it wasn’t any. DJ Akademiks also gave an opinion on the situation, referring to it as high school behavior, and that artists should be free to collaborate without receiving judgment from colleagues.
This isn’t new territory for Minaj, who time and time again finds controversy over just how loyalty from her collaborators should skew in relation to her. She has repeatedly demanded undivided loyalty; tensions arise when her collaborators end up working with artists she’s had disputes with.
Neither Drake nor PartyNextDoor has clarified whether or not he was in fact the subject of her comments, but that has only fed the flames in the very public debates over loyalty and collaboration within hip-hop. As with so many of Nicki Minaj’s controversies, the fans have gone to social media; some to defend her, others critiquing the perceived drama.
