Nicki Minaj is on track to make history once again following the release of her fourth studio album Queen. As Minaj climbs up music charts, industry experts predict Queen will debut at No. 1. If predictions hold, this will be Minaj’s third number one album, making her the first woman to snag three number one rap albums. This is hardly a surprise given Minaj’s resume. But despite her record-breaking career and never-ending list of accolades, the Queens native is constantly tasked with proving her status among rap legends. And she’s over it.
On Tuesday, Minaj sat down with Elliott Wilson to discuss what she calls a “double standard” in the rap game during CRWN, an interview series hosted by TIDAL. While fans wondered if Wilson would probe Minaj about her recent Twitter beef with ex-boyfriend Safaree (who was allegedly offered a book deal and a men’s hair club endorsement post-beef), the rapper came to set the record straight about who holds the title of the queen of rap.
“That’s really like you bringing Jordan right here and asking him if he has the top position,” she told Wilson. “That’s like bringing Jay right here and asking him if he has the top position.”
While Cardi B was never mentioned by name, Wilson asked about the status of their relationship after the drama surrounding their “Motorsport” collaboration. According to Minaj, the two New York rappers promised one another that they were no longer going to “feed into the bullshit” during a conversation at the Met Gala, but there is “always some shit happening.” Though Minaj says she doesn’t like to engage in drama, she said she’s ready if necessary.
“If a person keeps on offending you then you have to address it,” she said.
Regardless of the drama surrounding Minaj’s name, she emphasized the importance of her music and Queen in particular, as veteran rappers like Jay-Z and Lil Wayne have praised her latest work. For Minaj, her years in the game and the numbers speak for themselves—and she’s not going anywhere.
“There’s been a calculated push by people in the industry to end my career in the past year and a half,” she told Wilson. “You can’t get rid of me, bitch.”