The Truth About Cardi B And Nicki Minaj's Feud

Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, two women who are undisputedly both on top of the hip-hop game right now, have been at one another's throats via their music, social media slams, or in-person snubs. It's unfortunate because both emcees are talented, fierce, and stunning. If they didn't despise one another so much, imagine what they could do together! Instead, these successful women seem to have bought into and fueled the narratives about their supposed rivalry, further contributing to the sexist nature of pitting strong women against one another instead of lifting one another up.

Unfortunately for rap fans, it's really unlikely that Minaj and Bardi will collaborate on anything other than petty drama. This beef seems like it's going to keep cooking until it's beyond well-done, even though it appeared at one point that the ladies had squashed it. Here's everything we know about Cardi B and Nicki Minaj's nasty and confusing feud.

It initially seemed like the rivalry between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B was just some drama cooked up by fans, and it may not have even bothered the ladies in the beginning.

"Silly rap beefs just get me more checks," Minaj rapped on her verse in Katy Perry's "Swish Swish" in May 2017. However, Minaj also made it a point to name-drop Cardi's then-boyfriend (now husband) Offset in the track. 

Soon after, Billboard reported that Cardi took to Instagram to lament the dark side of the music industry, and many speculated that her relationship with Minaj was part of the problem: "When somebody used to be fake to me it was cool because I could approach a b***h and punch her ... Now that I'm in the industry ... you gotta see people play you and just say nothing ... that s**t be breaking my heart because the people, your idols, become rivals."

Though more alleged evidence of bad blood continued to circulate online, both ladies denied feuding. In fact, Cardi called Minaj a "legend" during an interview posted on Twitter in August 2017. The following month, Minaj congratulated Bardi on "Bodak Yellow" hitting No. 1, tweeting, "Congratulations to a fellow NEW YAWKA on a RECORD BREAKING achievement. Bardi, this is the only thing that matters!!! Enjoy it." Cardi replied, "Thank you!! This means sooo much coming from you!!"

Sweet, isn't it? Not for long...

Just a month after both ladies bonded over Cardi B's success, more alleged trouble ensued over their joint collaboration with Migos on "MotorSport." When the track was released in October 2017, fans immediately got to work attempting to decode each woman's lyrics as a diss directed at the other. There was also a lot of gossip about how and why Bardi wound up on the track in the first place.

During an interview with Capital Xtra in November 2017, Cardi said "Quavo told me to get on the song, and I just felt like it was a perfect opportunity for me." She claimed Minaj's final verse wasn't even finished when she first heard the song, but Minaj tweeted that she was the one who encouraged Migos to put Cardi on the track. In other words, it appeared that these emcees' egos may have been fishing for credit.

And that was only the beginning...

The backstory behind NIcki Minaj's verse on "MotorSport" took on a nasty life of its own in the ballooning battle with Cardi B. There were reportedly multiple versions of Minaj's verse, and according to HipHopDX, the original sounded like a diss aimed at the up-and-comer: "If Cardi the QB, I'm Nick Lombardi." In the released version of the track, Minaj spits: "If Quavo the QB, I'm Nick Lombardi." In a tweet directed at Cardi, Minaj made it clear that she only changed her part because others asked her to on Cardi's behalf — not because she wanted to. 

When Cardi noted in interviews that Minaj had changed her verse, the self-proclaimed "Queen of Rap" apparently took that commentary as an insult aimed at her abilities, telling Beats 1 Radio that she felt "ambushed." Minaj claimed others found it "entertaining to make Nicki seem like a bad guy."

There was also gossip aplenty about why the two women didn't film the associated music video together. Minaj said it was because her hair stylist, Tokyo Stylez (who is also Cardi B's stylist), had a scheduling conflict. However, Bossip reported that neither lady used Stylez for the video shoot.

Whatever went down with "MotorSport" seemed to have been resolved by the Met Gala in May 2018. The crimson-clad Nicki Minaj owned her "bad guy" complex on the red carpet at the Catholicism-themed fashion celebration, but once inside, she and Cardi B were photographed chatting peacefully alongside mutual friend and Moschino designer Jeremy Scott.

Following the Met Gala, Cardi discussed her conversation with Minaj on The Howard Stern Show (via People). "I never was feuding with anybody; there was a misunderstanding ... I didn't wanna ever talk about it in public because I felt like, 'We gonna see each other again and we will talk about it.' And it's always like, little issues ... but you know, fans are always gonna make it a big thing." As for what the little issues were? Bardi's lips were sealed. "I'm not gonna talk about it, but I really feel a certain type of way. My feelings was really hurt."

It definitely seemed like they were friends in July 2018, when The Blast reported that Minaj gifted Cardi a $5,000 gift basket for her baby girl, Kulture. The basket reportedly included stuffed animals, clothes, toys, pampering products for Cardi, and a sterling silver rattle ... because that's how the other half lives.

Whatever peace was made between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B was dead and gone by early September 2018, when the rappers and their entourages got into an all-out brawl at a New York Fashion Week party.

TMZ captured video of security holding Cardi back as she screams at Minaj and her crew for allegedly talking smack about her baby. A melee ensues and Cardi reportedly throws one of her signature red-soled Christian Louboutin heels toward Minaj's group, giving a whole new meaning to "these is bloody shoes." Cardi is escorted out of the swanky event like some sort of alternate universe Cinderella, with a knot on her head, a ripped gown, and one shoe missing. 

It's unclear what exactly sparked the attack. TMZ reported that Cardi approached Minaj's group "aggressively," while a source told Page Six the fight started after Cardi was pushed from behind and "went flying." Minaj reportedly was uninjured, with an insider telling TMZ that Minaj remained "cool as a cucumber" the entire time.

What pushed Cardi B over the edge at Fashion Week? She apparently believes Minaj was dissing her skills as a mother. "I addressed you once in person, I addressed you a second time in person, and every time you copped the plea!! But when you mention my child, you choose to like comments about me as a mother, make comments about my abilities to take care of my daughter is when all bets are f**king off," Cardi posted on Instagram shortly after the fight. Cardi also alleged Minaj tried to sabotage her career by threatening to blackball other artists who collaborate with Cardi. 

Whatever her motive, witnesses say Cardi went overboard. "Cardi should have never acted like that," a source told People. "You shouldn't get physical. The aggression obviously came from Cardi. Nothing seemed to start the fight other than Cardi seeing Nicki up close."

Sources say that Nicki Minaj didn't attack Cardi B at all — at least not physically. "Nicki was very calm. She was shouting from behind the bodyguards but she didn't move," a source told People. In fact, after the incident, Minaj appeared to spend the rest of the night acting like nothing happened, posting to Instagram and winking at paparazzi.

Sources told TMZ that Minaj does not plan to get law enforcement involved, but she did issue a warning — or perhaps a veiled threat – on Queen Radio the week after the attack. "You put your hands on certain people you gon die. Period," she said (via TMZ). "And y'all sitting here making this s*** a joke? I'm not the b***hes in the strip club and I'm not a b***h on a reality show. My money is very f***ing long."