Nicki Minaj’s beefs with SZA and Jay-Z explained

What is going on?

The latest: SZA claps back

Having previously avoided being messy, SZA shared screenshots of texts sent by Minaj that make it clear she once wanted to work with her.

Previously:

Opening X, the app formerly known as Twitter, feels like playing roulette with your own sanity at the best of times. On Tuesday, for example, you might have tapped in and seen Nicki Minaj and SZA exchanging words with one another, immediately closed the app and got on with your life. If so, congratulations, you’re a better person than me.

If you want the context without contributing to Elon Musk’s bank balance: here is the short version. Nicki seemingly took aim at Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) executive Punch when she posted “Tiny Dick Executive” and claimed he had bullied her. SZA responded (“Mercury retrograde .. don’t take the bait lol silly goose”) in a way that was vague enough to be deniable but that her followers still took to be about Minaj.

This turned Minaj’s attention toward SZA, who went in on the singer, saying she is “Sounding like a fkng dead dog” and “looking & sounding like she got stung by a fucking bee.” SZA, to her credit, didn’t rise to the bait and replied (in a now-deleted post): “I don’t give a fuck bout none of that weird shit you popping .” Minaj later added, “Shutup ugly.”

SZA, who is currently on tour in Europe alongside Kendrick Lamar, pointed out that her life away from her phone screen is going swimmingly. “I get bullied by millions online every day then step my ass out onna packed stadium tour where ppl show me REAL love . IN REAL LIFE .”

Minaj then posted a much longer response in which she claimed she is a far bigger live draw than SZA.

“Wait. Does Sza think she’s more successful than me? Lol yall catch me up pls. Sza if every song you’ve ever done vanished right now the music business wouldn’t even miss you. I’ve been to countries that never heard of you. I know you’re not THAT stupid are you? Stadiums? Did you look at the venues I played on my OWN headlined FESTIVAL tour out of the country last year? Bitch have you ever headlined to 80K ppl? Btch what have you ever done besides yodel with auto tune that needed retuning? Boo im an icon. You’re not. The end.”

Earlier this month Minaj was posting about Jay-Z. In a series of posts shared on X on July 9 she claimed that Jay owes her between $100 and $200 million over an issue related to TIDAL, the streaming service that launched in 2015 with Minaj as one of its many A-list artist owners.

In the long series of tweets that followed, Nicki made repeated references to Jay-Z and to Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, someone who also came up in her messages about SZA. Perez, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics in 1994, was pardoned by Donald Trump In 2021 and, more recently, was accused of wrongfully institutionalizing her daughter, Demoree. Minaj has brought up this pardon repeatedly in recent weeks as she continues to lash out at anyone she perceives has wronged her.

It’s all happening on X and none of it is making anyone feel good.