Nicki Minaj Stands Up for Lil Wayne in Twitter Rant Against Jay-Z

JAY-Z is facing significant criticism after it was announced that Kendrick Lamar would perform at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans. Many fans and artists believe that Lil Wayne, a New Orleans native, should have been chosen to headline the event in his hometown.

Artists like Nicki Minaj, Birdman, Juvenile, Cam’ron, and Master P have openly expressed their disappointment. Nicki Minaj even accused JAY-Z of intentionally snubbing Lil Wayne, claiming Kendrick was being used as a “pawn” by JAY-Z to bring down Lil Wayne’s Young Money label.

On September 9, Nicki Minaj tweeted about how she felt Jay-Z’s decision was unfair. She suggested that Jay-Z might be letting personal feelings get in the way of recognizing Lil Wayne’s contributions to hip-hop. According to Nicki, Jay-Z’s choice seemed to be influenced more by personal grudges than by Lil Wayne’s impact on the music industry.

“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego. Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out. A white man. Shit sad. House NIGGER TINGZ. but it’s GOOD FI DEM!!!!!!! No loyalty ? Welp. then niggaz will keep son’ing you!!!!!”: Nicki tweeted.

Nicki defended Lil Wayne passionately, highlighting his influence and contributions to hip-hop. She pointed out that Lil Wayne has played a huge role in shaping the genre, helping to launch the careers of other major artists like Drake and herself. She noted that Wayne had been generous and supportive, even without formal agreements, which showed his dedication to music rather than just financial gain.

In her tweets, Nicki explained that Lil Wayne’s influence goes beyond just his music. She mentioned how his style, including his distinctive hair and tattoos, has inspired many other artists. Nicki made it clear that Wayne’s impact on hip-hop culture is significant, and she expressed concern that his achievements were not being properly acknowledged.

The rap Queen tweeted: “And btw, you don’t know the half of what lil Wayne has done for me & others. Wayne had drake & I on his tour w/no papers signed. He was on all of my mixtapes w/no papers signed. This man has literally changed the FACE of hip hop. The hair too. IYKYK. He inspired so many to tat their faces & get locks. Inspired your faves to wanna be a great MC. he never was in this for the money. It’s always been for the love of music.”

The rap Queen also addressed the idea of giving respect to legends while they are still alive. Nicki suggested that there should be more appreciation for artists like Lil Wayne who have made significant contributions. She warned that not respecting these icons could lead to regret later on.

Nicki further stated, “God forbid if Wayne was to leave this earth right now, the culture would be in mourning. That’s why so many ppl keep saying to give our legends their flowers while they are still around to smell them. Sitting around all day playing games with ppl life & legacy. God ain’t sleep. Gee Roberson you will learn that, too. Very soon.”

Nicki Minaj responded to a social media user who claimed that the first rapper to headline the Super Bowl halftime show should be someone who represents the art at its highest level, arguing that Lil Wayne did not fit this description for 2024. Nicki Minaj replied:

“God will punish you. Mark my words. The man that has not only pushed his pen the hardest, but gave the game more than 1 hip hop ICON as well on his watch? Represent the RAP game?!?!! The best RAPPER don’t represent the RAP GAME well enough 4u? Black ppl. Wow. If this don’t hurt your heart to read, it will one day. Look @ how our legends keep being treated. After they’ve given so much to us. Who are you?!!!! You GOD?!?!!!!! Judgmental swine DELETE!!!!!!! lol you will regret tweeting this. Life is funny that way. Don’t you dare turn your nose up @ Lil Wayne you dick munchin bozo.”

Nicki ended her social media rant by making a point that it is possible to respect both Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne. She said that real fans of rap, including Kendrick himself, understand and honor Wayne’s legacy.

She concluded, “You can love & respect Kendrick and still love & respect Wayne. Even Kendrick loves & respects Wayne. Every real rapper loves & respects Wayne. #GagCityDC TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!!!!! The whole DMV AREA I’ll see yall soon. We will have a beautiful, magical, successful show. #DTLR 💋.”

The rap Queen used her platform to stand up for Lil Wayne, expressing her frustration over what she sees as an unfair treatment of a hip-hop legend. She called for more respect and acknowledgment for Wayne’s lasting influence on the music industry.