Nicki Minaj and SZA find themselves locked in a fiery spat, with tensions escalating rapidly. On Tuesday, July 15th, the 42-year-old Minaj took to X to paint SZA, whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe, as a far less prosperous artist compared to herself. "SZA, if every tune you've ever crooned vanished in an instant, the music landscape wouldn't even blink," Minaj asserted. "I've trekked to nations where your name doesn't resonate." She further mocked, "What's your legacy beyond auto-tuned yodeling that needed fixing?"
Minaj's fiery tirade was ignited after SZA, 35, seemingly responded to an earlier post by Minaj that took a swipe at Terrence Henderson, president of Top Dawg Entertainment, according to a Billboard report that same day. (SZA is signed under this California-based independent record label.)
In the initial post that seemingly ignited the flames of discord, Minaj penned, "Do you recall that TDE gent who relentlessly bullied me on Twitter for no apparent reason? We've got the proof...From now on, I'll dub him 'Minus 30 Million.'"
SZA's response on X read, "Mercury retrograde...Don't take the bait, lol. Silly goose." This prompted a direct rejoinder from Minaj, who shared SZA's post alongside her own response: "Go redraw those freckles, bookie. #JusticeForDemoree #DepositionPerez Liar liar, pants on fire. You sound like a dead dog barking."
Minaj's #JusticeForDemoree hashtag referenced a May lawsuit filed by Demoree Hadley, daughter of Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, accusing Perez of orchestrating Hadley's two-week confinement in "mental health institutions without just cause," according to NBC Miami. (Perez "repeatedly" denied any misconduct, with the outlet revealing that she filed her own lawsuit against her daughter's husband over fears for Hadley's wellbeing.)
Minaj's "dead dog" post seemingly incited a counterattack from SZA, who responded via X, "I wasn't even addressing anyone. I had just stepped off stage, rambling about retrograde. Damn, now I'm pissed. Do you want a piece of this?!!"
The acrimonious exchange reached boiling point with Minaj's latest X post. Besides lambasting SZA's vocal prowess, she contrasted their respective successes. "Did you glance at the overseas venues I headlined solo on my festival tour last year?" Minaj asked. "Have you ever captivated 80,000 souls under one roof?"
She continued, "Boo, I'm an icon. You, my dear, are not. The end. You're the wallflower trying to blend in at school. You're still clueless about your true identity! I bet you've gone nights skipping that facial cleanse. Bitch, how do you recall every freckle's placement?"
SZA isn't the only musician to clash with Minaj in a war of words. She has a notorious beef with Jay-Z, both offline and on social media, rumored to have stemmed from their collaboration with Tidal, a music streaming platform founded by the 55-year-old Jay-Z in 2015.
