The battle between Queens-bred lady rappers Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim has been raging almost since Minaj hit the scene. And the bigger Minaj gets, so too, does Lil’ Kim’s ire. Kim has been throwing jabs at Minaj for a while, peeved that Minaj hadn’t payed the Queen Bee enough “homage.” To be sure, much of Minaj’s early style–namely the Barbie fascination and the colored wigs– was clearly inspired by Kim. Minaj even cribbed Kim’s Hardcore LP cover in one of the images she used on her Sucka Free mixtape.
For the most part, Minaj has kept quiet in response to Kim’s repeated baiting of her in the press, but recently she reached her limit. “When you see Gaga, you see Madonna—but Madonna never hated on Gaga,” Nicki told Wendy Williams last week, according to MTV. “Why in the Black community we gotta hate on each other instead of saying ‘Thank you for showing me love, thank you for keeping my name alive?’ The same way she opened doors for me, I’m opening doors for her. Nobody was playin your music and you damn sure couldn’t get an interview to save your life. You getting interviews and every time you do interviews they’re asking you about Nicki Minaj. So it’s like we help each other. That’s the point, we’re helping each other. But if you are bitter, get a life.”
But as the beef escalates, Minaj’s style has migrated further from her original inspiration, and maybe this is not such a bad thing. She caught our eye at the AMA’s because she was wearing a fantastical dress designed by the amazingly talented Indian designer Manish Arora. And it seems Gaga is on her mind. Her video for “Massive Attack” looks way more Gaga-inspired than Lil’ Kim-ish, in a good way. Manaj is struggling to find her style footing but it’s fun to watch. Of course, this is not to discount the Queen Bee’s style influence. Katy Perry might also want to give the Queen a bit of credit for her penchant for colored, thick-fringed wigs.
We’re calling it a draw for now. Minaj’s evolving style keeps us on our toes but you can’t mess with Kim’s classic style. But who do you think is winning?
Tags: Lil' Kim, Manish Arora, Nicki Minaj
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Nicky comes off more mature in this matter than Lil’ Kim. If Lil’ Kim was more content with the way her life turned out she would have perceived Nicky’s homage flattering but since it looks like she’s not that content the rage is on….
nicki is better
Nicky comes off more mature in this matter than Lil’ Kim. If Lil’ Kim was more content with the way her life turned out she would have perceived Nicky’s homage flattering but since it looks like she’s not that content the rage is on….
If she were white, the only comparison people would be drawing would be to Gaga, and Gaga would be gracious about it. As it is, I can see a clearer inspiration from Gaga than from Lil Kim, though, I’ve only really seen her in that Ludacris video.
i love both of them…but nicki minaj is more relevant right now, as is her style
http://whycantmybestfriendbeme.blogspot.com/
Bahahahah NUFF SAID? don’t try and sound all bad ass. We know kim started it all.. But now nicki is ending in hoe!
lil kim started it all…1st rap female wearing the best and talking about it…nuff said
Nicki was born in Trinidad though
WhO eVeR gOt SoMeThIN bAd To SaY Lil kim did dha shit first and Lil Kim aint no hater so….. STFU if yhu thinkinq dat
WhO eVeR gOt SoMeThIN bAd To SaY Lil kim did dha shit first and Lil Kim aint no hater so….. STFU if yhu thinkinq dat
And yet what would Dorothy Dandridge say about Lil Kim biting on her style (if she were alive, that is)?
http://www.grownupintheq.blogspot.com
“Kim’s classic style”…never thought I’d see those words in the same sentence
a True Lady!
I think the difference is Lil Kim looked like an eager $20 ho while Nicki looks like she’s having fun.
M3@nWh!l3, !t $33m$ l!k3 @ll th3 R@p N!ck! M!n@j @nD L!l K!m f@n$ c@m3 0ut 0f th3 w00dw0rk f0R th!$ t0p!c…W0W!
o gurl i kno dey dint jus talk sh!t bout my bitch kim **ripaaliyah**
I just saw this and I am fcuking DYYYYYYYING…..!!!
LMAO!!!! Peter, you’re officially a “h0t m3$$”.
Oh please nothing Nicky is doing is new. Kim will always be the fashion queen of rap.
I love that Minaj has taken the high road. Lil Kim (who I used to love) needs to get over herself and find a new hobby.
Lil Kim is from Brooklyn
Thanks – fixed. They both grew up in Queens.
maybe they should be thanking all the strippers who wear colorful wigs lol! It’s not as if Kim was the first to do that or anything else for that matter, so few things are truly original these days it’s all been done before! David Bowie was an original! Debra harry, Annie Lennox, Chrissy Hyde, even Madonna was once an original…sadly no more, now she look like a woman who is desperate to prove she still looks young and sexy…so not sexy!
nicki ♥ kim♥♥
hating the typos in this story, but laughing my ass off about this so-called battle.
NiCKi MiNAJ iS BETTER ,,,,LiL KiM NEED TO GROW DA FCK UP && ACT HER DAMN AGE !!!!!!!
They are both around the same age. Nicki is 30
nicki is 25 kim is 34…
LIL KIM ALL DAY…..LOVE HER…JUST WAIT AND SEE…KIM IS COMING…TRUST ; )
I love lil KIM she’s the Best !!
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They are both around the same age. Kim started out at a much younger age. Niki and Kim are both in their 30′s. You need to hear both sides of the story. After hearing both of them tell their story, I must say that Kim is in the right. Niki defenitly disrespected her. Kim is always going to be better than Niki. Some of Niki’s raps don’t make sense. I love them all but I have to give this one to Kim.
Nicki was born in ’84…she’s hardly in her 30s
I would definitely attibute Nicki’s style to herself. She is ultimately fool once she gets dressed. Kim may have been as risque but she effected and shocked people because that’s who she is. I feel like Nicki watched what KIm did & simply tries to do it all over again. That is what I cannot stand about her. Of course there is nothing new under the sun but pay attention to Nicki & you will see that there’s not much that comes from her spirit lyrical or fashion wise. She’s just there. To be gone tomorrow. I’ve never been impressed with her style nor her lyricism. SHe is a gimmick. That’s it. “Lil Kim’s everybody’s sexual reference.” Not just some dumb wig wearer who cannot a fluid rap to save her life.
That interview was on HOT97 with Angie Martinez not on Wendy Williams….. here is the link to the whole interview http://www.hot97.com/angiemartinez/
i can’t at people writing blogs and don’t know hip hop history, Lil Kim is from brooklyn all day, don’t get it twisted.
Kim ethered nicki. there is no coming back. the niggas bumping ‘black friday’ in the car right now, ain’t no dude i know playing that ‘i see thru u’ shit!
Lil Kim > Nicki
Queen Bee!! Lil KIm started the shit and will destroy Nicki lyrically. Why are we even comparing Legendary status to someone who had one good year. Please stop. THe beef is helping both of them sell records at the end of the day. Nuff Said
Nikki its fashion icon
she is funny and beauty !
myonlyspotlight.blogspot.com
Nikki talks about hating on each other in the Black community….the real issue is that neither Nikki nor LilKim have been any kind of role model for their communities – open legs and degrading lyrics are not “classic style” or “fun”.Both women add to the idea that young women of color are measured simply by their sexual appeal.
Nicki is part of the new guard in pop music, along with Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and even Gaga. Although I prefer it when she raps, as I think that’s stronger than her slower music, I put her in the pop category more than the straight up rap hip/hop category. Nicki is also part of the latest wave of style in pop ushered in by GaGa. There’s not a truly original part about her – her style (along with GaGa’s) is an amalgamation of those who came before her – the latest wave are all the Tumblr of pop starts. That also said, I’ve always loved Kim and always will – Kim to me seems more real and has more of a story behind her. I actually stopped following Nicki on Twitter recently b/c she was like a walking ad for her new album – she really had nothing interesting to say. That said, I think she’s a smart businesswoman – although she’s still trying to find her footing, she did it right by getting featured on a wide variety of people’s tracks in the past year. It’ll be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
Nicki Minaj never said she didnt look up to lil kim nor she tried to BITE her swag she said she look up to lil kim and her and lil kim had spoke before all the drama got started. LiL kim is a legend bt over all Lil kim is just mad that Nicki Minaj has succeeded Kim had her time. Like Nicki said its just hatred in the black community get off Nicki Minaj dick everybody damn let it go LiL kim I love you bt your time is UPPP until you come out and do wat nicki is doing then let it go. Nicki i love you dont switch nothing up do you mama !
I really like her style, it so different from Lil Kim.
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