50 Cent has never been one to shy away from controversy or beef, so it comes as no surprise that the G-Unit mogul apparently enjoys the rivalry between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.
50 sat down for an in-depth interview with Billboard that was published on Thursday (February 9). While discussing his purpose behind mentoring upcoming artists like he did with Pop Smoke and DaBaby, the Queens native noted how he loved watching Minaj get upset because it shows her roots from their shared hometown.
“The way I had competitive energy: Hip-hop culture makes you battle,” Fif said. “I love Nicki Minaj, but the funny shit is, I like watching her when she’s upset. I like that because she has something that comes from the experience of living in South Jamaica. I’m looking at it like, ‘Yo, I know they think she’s nuts, but they only think that because they don’t understand.’ I get it. She thinks you’re trying to play her.”
He continued: “When Cardi B came, I thought she was dope. She’s from the bottom. She was in Club Lust in Brooklyn. [Going] from that and actually making a hit record and turning into who she did? I don’t know why anybody wouldn’t like to see that. It felt like she got everything — married, the baby — it came really fast. That’s the American dream right there.”
“When her and Nicki clash, I go, ‘Oh, shit, it’s going to be interesting to watch how it plays out,’” 50 added. “Lyrically, I won’t say anything competitively about the two of them, but I love Nicki. I don’t have anything against Cardi. I think anyone who comes now, she is going to check their temperature. Nicki is going to check if this bitch is friendly or looking to take over the shit.”
Cardi B and Nicki have a murky past that hit its peak in 2018 when the “WAP” rapper allegedly threw a shoe at the self-proclaimed Queen of Rap during New York Fashion Week. The fight was allegedly sparked by comments Nicki made about Cardi’s parenting skills. The latter admitted she saw Nicki like — and then unlike — a negative comment about Cardi’s mothering abilities.
The beef bubbled all the way in 2022, when Cardi wore a wig to an event that some thought resembled something Nicki would sport.
In response, Nicki tweeted: “Trying to embody someone’s look is one thing but trying to embody their whole personality is psycho tingz. Sympathy & Payola, ahahahahaha, vma wig, now u comedian cuz Nicki on hear posting vids & memes. Usually u ranting when ppl u man gone on,” which many assumed was directed at the Invasion of Privacy rapper.
Cardi then tweeted the same day: “This shit is tiring, old, and redundant. Same formula, DIFFERENT YEAR start chaos, drama, and then promote their shit. I actually have a life outside of my house and Twitter. Until bitches put a @ on it they talking to their mother. Byeeee.”
She followed up with a string of “@” symbols in an effort to emphasize her point, but nothing further came of the back and forth.
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