Nicki Minaj Claps Back at Stephen A. Smith Over Comments Defending Jay-Z’s Super Bowl Performer Pick
4 min read
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Nicki Minaj didn’t hold back in her response to Stephen A. Smith, after the sports commentator called her “unappreciative” for criticizing Jay-Z’s role in selecting Kendrick Lamar over Lil Wayne for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show. The clash began after Minaj voiced her frustration over Lil Wayne being passed over for the performance, leading to a heated exchange on social media.
Stephen A. Smith’s Criticism
The drama began when Nicki Minaj took to social media to criticize Jay-Z, who has been involved in the NFL’s live music entertainment strategy through his company Roc Nation since 2019. After the announcement that Kendrick Lamar would be headlining the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans, Minaj appeared to take issue with the decision, accusing Jay-Z of sidelining Lil Wayne due to personal biases.
#StephenASmith skipped over every male that spoke out against #JayZ and came for #NickiMinaj. He is disappointed in how she spoke on Jay.
— TeaWithTia (@RealTeaWithTia) September 12, 2024
Thoughts? Should a man be addressing a woman? Or is he right? pic.twitter.com/3RVqV1bY1r
Stephen A. Smith, on the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, addressed Nicki’s comments. He called out the rapper, stating, “C’mon Nicki, I respect you, I respect your work, I respect what you’ve accomplished, but you ain’t got to talk about the brother [Jay-Z] like that.” Smith continued, explaining that Jay-Z had helped bring many hip-hop and R&B artists to the Super Bowl stage since his involvement with the NFL.
Smith emphasized the difficulty of being a Black man achieving what Jay-Z has in the entertainment world and accused Nicki of being ungrateful for his contributions to hip-hop. “How unappreciative can you be? It ain’t about you as an individual, it’s about us—all of us, as Black people,” Smith said, urging Nicki to look at the bigger picture.
Nicki Minaj’s Fiery Response
Nicki wasted no time responding to Smith’s critique. She fired back on X (formerly Twitter), with a sarcastic and pointed rebuttal. “Oh look y’all, another paid laughy taffy alien who only comes off his knees to turn around & back dat azz up,” she wrote, dismissing Smith’s comments. She followed it up with, “Stephen, we don’t care. Ima tell u right now. We don’t care. If I say more, it’ll be your fault.”
In her response, Nicki also mistakenly confused Stephen A. Smith with another sports commentator, Shannon Sharpe, referencing a viral incident involving Sharpe. “Stephen wasn’t you just moanin’ & groanin’ on live in your bedroom? LMFAOOOO,” she added, before realizing her mistake and clarifying, “Oh that’s not.”
Nicki didn’t stop there, diving deeper into Smith’s appearance by jokingly asking her female fans whether Stephen A. Smith should shave his head or opt for lace fronts.
Oh look yall another paid laughy taffy alien who only comes off his knees to turn around & back dat azz up. LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Stephen, we don’t care. Ima tell u right now. We don’t care. If I say more it’ll be your fault. 🤨 Sit down ugly 😅🤣 #GagCityBUFFALO TONIGHT #Dtlr https://t.co/qFNq19DafN
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 12, 2024
Nicki Minaj’s Criticism of Jay-Z
The feud between Nicki and Smith stemmed from Nicki’s earlier comments about Jay-Z’s involvement in choosing the 2025 Super Bowl performer. Following the announcement of Kendrick Lamar’s selection, Minaj took to social media to vent her frustration over Lil Wayne’s omission, whom she felt deserved the honor more.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” she wrote, directly addressing Jay-Z. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!!” Minaj continued, accusing Jay-Z of letting personal issues interfere with his decision-making.
She compared the situation to Eminem’s insistence on bringing out 50 Cent during his Super Bowl performance, emphasizing that Lil Wayne’s contributions to hip-hop warranted similar loyalty and recognition. Other rappers like Birdman, Ma$e, Cam’ron, and Juvenile echoed their support for Lil Wayne, adding to the debate.
Oh that’s not
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) September 12, 2024
Public Reaction
The exchange between Nicki Minaj and Stephen A. Smith quickly went viral, with fans divided on the issue. Some supported Minaj, arguing that Lil Wayne has been a cornerstone of the rap industry and deserves recognition on one of the biggest stages. Others, however, agreed with Smith, suggesting that Jay-Z’s efforts to include more hip-hop acts in the Super Bowl should not be overlooked.
As of now, neither Jay-Z nor Lil Wayne has responded publicly to the ongoing debate. However, with tensions rising between two of hip-hop’s most influential figures and a prominent sports commentator, this controversy is far from over.
- Also read: Gabbie Hanna Returns After Hiatus, Opens Up About Mental Health and Apologizes in Emotional Video
Shivam Kumar
Hi, I'm Shivam Kumar. I'm pursuing Journalism honors from the IP University. I love the skill of writing and looking forward to learn more of it. Also I love traveling and experiencing new things every day....
