Read on Twitter
Nicki Minaj vs. Lil’ Kim: What happened?
Lil’ Kim made her debut in 1994 with Notorious B.I.G’s group Junior M.A.F.I.A. The group released their debut album ‘Conspiracy’ in 1995 which debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, #2 on R&B/ Hip Hop albums chart, and sold 70,000 copies its 1st week.
Lil’ Kim became the breakout star of the group and began working on her debut album in late 1995. On 11/12/1996 Kim released her debut album ‘Hard Core’ which debuted at #11 on BB200 & #3 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 78,000 copies 1st week reaching Platinum 7 months after its release.
Fun Fact: Rapper Foxy Brown released her debut album ‘Ill Na Na’ 1 week after Kim’s debut (11/19/1996). Foxy’s album debuted at #7 on BB200 & #2 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 109,000 copies 1st week. The album was certified Platinum only 3 months after its release.
On 06/27/2000 Lil’ Kim released her sophomore album ‘The Notorious K.I.M’ debuting at #4 on BB200, & #1 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 229,000 copies 1st week reaching Platinum status only 2 months after its release.
In 2001 Lil’ Kim would be featured on an updated version of Labelle’s classic hit ‘Lady Marmalade’ alongside singers Christina Aguilera, P!nk, & Mya for the “Moulin Rouge” film soundtrack. The song reached #1 on BBH100 & stayed there for 5 weeks becoming Kim’s 1st & only #1.
In 2002 Lady Marmalade (2001) would go on to win a Grammy award for Best Pop Vocal Collaboration making it Lil’ Kim’s 1st & only Grammy win.
On 03/04/2003 Lil’ Kim releases her 3rd album ‘La Bella Mafia’ which debuted at #5 on BB200, & #4 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 166,000 copies 1st week. The album was certified Platinum 7 months after its release and earned multiple Grammy noms.
Fun Fact: Both Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj recorded entrance songs around this time for 2 WWE Divas. Lil’ Kim did Trish Stratus’ and Nicki Minaj did Victoria’s.
In 2005 Lil’ Kim would be sentenced to 1 year in prison due to a perjury charge from a case regarding a shootout between her crew and Foxy Brown’s crew outside of the Hot 97 radio station. Kim would also release her 4th album ‘The Naked Truth’ in September of that year.
The Naked Truth came out not too soon after Kim reported to prison for her sentence. The album debuted at #6 on BB200, & #3 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 109,000 copies 1st week. This would go on to be the 1st & only female rap album to get a 6 mic rating from The Source magazine.
In July of 2006 Lil’ Kim would be released from prison. Kim was unhappy with her label (Atlantic) and refused to record for them for 1-2 years, eventually buying herself out of her contract. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262539773899681801
In 2007 Lil’ Kim would appear as a judge on the reality competition show Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll and have a successful collab with Keyshia Cole and Missy Elliott with Keyshia’s song ‘Let It Go’ (#7 H100, #1 R&B/Hip Hop). https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262544336929120257
2007: Lil’ Kim was also featured on Gucci Mane’s ‘Freaky Gurl Remix’ https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262546122620506113
2007: Nicki Minaj makes her debut with her mixtape ‘Playtime is Over’ and does a remix to Lil’ Kim’s ‘Jump Off’ https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262548715388243968
In the beginning of her career when asked in interviews who her influences are Nicki Minaj cites Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Remy Ma, and Lauryn Hill. She has also name dropped Missy Elliott, Lefteye, Mc Lyte, Salt N Pepa, and Queen Latifah among others as her influences as well.
After leaving Atlantic in 2008, Lil’ Kim went on to sign a deal with Trackmasters, the deal didn’t work out due to creative differences and they sued her for 2.5 million. That lawsuit would bind her from releasing new music without them for 2 years. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262541290652172288
April 2008: Nicki Minaj releases her 2nd mixtape ‘Sucka Free’ and pays homage to Lil’ Kim by recreating her iconic ‘Hard Core’ pose.
2008: Nicki speaking again on how the picture was to pay homage to Lil’ Kim
2008: Nicki pays homage again to Lil’ Kim (as well as Remy Ma and Foxy Brown) with a shoutout on her ‘Sucka Free’ mixtape on a freestyle track called “Who’s Ya Best MC” .
2008: Nicki does a Freaky Gurl remix on her Sucka Free mixtape and keeps Lil’ Kim’s verse on the track. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262556483037904905
2008: Nicki Minaj on being compared to Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown
June 2008: Lil’ Kim releases her 1st mixtape Ms G.O.A.T
2009: Lil’ Kim places 5th on Dancing With the Stars and releases her single ‘Download’ feat TPain and Charlie Wilson. the song peaked at #21 on the R&B/Hip Hop chart and only made it to #9 on Bubbling Under. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262559161969188864
2009: 01/16/2009 Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj finally meet for the first time face to face...
2009: Nicki talking about her first time meeting Lil’ Kim.
2009: At some point this year Lil’ Kim is in talks with Slim and Birdman at Cash Money about doing business together. Kim does a song with Birdman (Grindin Makin Money) and puts Nicki on the song as well. The song underperformed and got scrapped. Cash Money stopped contacting Kim
2009: Grinding Making Money - Kim verse https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262569260259389443
2009: Grinding Making Money - Nicki Verse
Fun Fact: Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj were supposed to collab on a song called “Everywhere We Go” produced by DDot that never came because Kim never sent her verse. The song leaked in 2010 with Kim’s reference verse. It’s cool to hear Nicki shout Kim out in her verse.
Cont: Everywhere We Go - Lil’ Kim & Nicki Minaj (Leak) - Ah what could’ve been, it’s so dope hearing Nicki shout out Kim in her verse and use Kim and Biggies line at the end.
2009: Nicki Minaj releases her 3rd and final mixtape ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ and earns her first chart entry with “I Get Crazy” feat Lil’ Wayne (#37 R&B/Hip Hop) and hits #2 on BBH100 with Young Money’s ‘Bedrock’
2010: Lil’ Kim embarks on a theater and auditorium tour across North America. At a show in Buffalo NY during her song ‘Crush On You’ she came out in a pink wig which she threw off at the end of the song and says “I’m so above this.” This sparks rumors of a Nicki & Kim feud.
June 2010: At one of these shows Lil’ Kim brings out Ray J to perform their hit ‘Wait A Minute’. Afterwards Ray J fires shots at Nicki Minaj claiming she is an imposter. Lil’ Kim backs him up by saying she just wants Nicki to pay homage.
June 2010: Within 24 hours Drake comes to Nicki’s defense firing back at Kim and Ray J.
June 2010: Nicki fires back at Lil’ Kim on Diddy Dirty Money’s “Hello Good Morning” https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262577063493545987
June 2010: Lil’ Kim opens up for the first time about the beef between her and Nicki Minaj to ThisIs50 dot com. Kim claims Nicki had been throwing shots at her & other female rappers in her music and interviews. Kim claims when she met her she’s the one who showed her love...
Cont: Kim again claims Nicki didn’t pay homage when she was coming up.
June 2010: Lil’ Kim performs a show in Nicki’s hometown of Queens NY and throws shots.
June 2010: Lil’ Kim teams up with rapper Keys who went viral for her Nicki Minaj Diss. Kim once again claims Nicki never showed her love or paid homage.
October 2010: Nicki Minaj releases her official response to Lil’ Kim, “Roman’s Revenge” https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262590004653707264
Nov 2010: Nicki Minaj releases her debut album Pink Friday. which sells 375,000 copies pure it’s 1st week (the highest since Lauryn Hill) debuted at #2 on BB200 & peaked at #1. The album became the longest album to remain in the top 10 by a female rapper (14 consecutive weeks).
Nov 2010: Nicki opens up for the 1st time about the feud to Angie Martinez.
Nov 2010: Cont. Nicki opens up for the 1st time about the feud to Angie Martinez
Nov 2010: Cont. Nicki opens up for the 1st time about the feud to Angie Martinez
November 2010: Lil’ Kim releases her official Nicki Minaj diss track Black Friday
December 2010: Lil’ Kim goes on Hot 97 with Angie Martinez and says she’ll do a song with Nicki for 7 million
January 2011: Lil’ Kim does a New Years show and disses Nicki Minaj and Keyshia Cole and drags Mary J. Blige into it.
February 2011: Lil’ Kim releases her Black Friday mixtape with more songs dissing Nicki including a remake of Nicki’s “Did It On Em” called Pissin On Em
Feb 2011: Lil’ Kim claims she broke the PayPal record for selling 113,000 copies of her Black Friday mixtape.
Feb 2011: Lil’ Kim goes on Hot 97 and tells her side of her first time meeting Nicki Minaj.
Feb 2011: Lil’ Kim goes on V103 The Ryan Cameron Show to promote Black Friday and tell her side of the feud.
March 2011: Lil’ Kim takes on Nicki Minaj’s former manager Big a Fendi as her own.
April 2011: Nicki Minaj Tragedy Lil Kim diss leaks. The song was originally supposed to appear on Lil’ Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter IV’
April 2011: Nicki Minaj fires again at Lil’ Kim on Britney Spears’ ‘Till the World Ends Remix’ featuring Ke$ha. Nicki would end also end up touring with Britney Spears as her opening act on her Femme Fatale Tour. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262627347469078529
May 2011: Lil’ Kim and Keyshia Cole have a Twitter Spat
Sept 2011: Nicki fires again on Birdman’s ‘Y U Mad’ https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262766257457238016
Nov 2011: Lil’ Kim announces her upcoming EP (the EP would end up getting shelved) and says she’s working on her 5th album, she releases another shot with ‘I Am Not the One’
Dec 2011: Nicki Minaj fires back on 2 promo singles. ‘Roman in Moscow’ and ‘Stupid Hoe’ (where she makes fun of Kim’s EP getting shelved). The Stupid Hoe video created what we now know as the VEVO 24 Hour Viewing Record. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262769182824939521
Feb 2012: Nicki Minaj performs at the Super Bowl with Madonna and M.I.A and becomes the first solo female rap artist to perform at the Grammys.
Feb 2012: Lil’ Kim goes on Watch What Happens Live and says what she thinks of Nicki’s ‘Stupid Hoe’
April 2012: Nicki Minaj releases her sophomore album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded with a heavier EDM/Pop sound. The album debuted at #1 selling 253,000 its first week and went Platinum within 2 months of its release.
May 2012: Lil’ Kim goes on The Breakfast Club. Kim claims there’s a song on Nicki’s album (PF:RR) called ‘Automatic’ that Nicki stole from her because that was the sound she was about to start.
The song Automatic produced by famous Pop/EDM producer RedOne. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262777866170839042
May 2012: Lil’ Kim embarks on her Return of the Queen tour performing in theaters across North America grossing 6 million
May 2012: Nicki Minaj embarks on her 1st headlining world tour the Pink Friday Tour. The tour went to Oceania, Asia, Europe, and North America.
Sept 2012: Nicki Minaj becomes a judge on American Idol alongside Mariah Carey, Keith Urban, and Randy Jackson .
March 2013: Lil’ Kim’s artist Tiffany Foxx goes in being interviewed on Hot 97 with Peter Rosenberg, Lil’ Kim is on the phone and Peter asks Kim about Nicki Minaj and Kim snaps “you don’t even like her”
May 2013: Despite the beef, While being interviewed on Hot 97 Nicki credits Lil’ Kim as one of her influences
July 2013: Lil’ Kim says she’s releasing a new mixtape called Hard Core 2K13, the mixtape ended up getting pushed back due to her pregnancy. Kim releases 2 new songs ‘I Am Kimmy Blanco’ and ‘Dead Gal Walking’
August 2014: Nicki Minaj is featured on the remix to Beyoncé’s ‘Flawless’ https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262795756618031106?s=21 https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262795756618031106
August 2014: Lil’ Kim announces her Hard Core 2K13 mixtape will now be Hard Core 2K14 and out the same year. Kim takes offense to Nicki calling herself the Queen of Rap and Beyoncé Queen Bey and releases her own Flawless Remix https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262797874410205184
August 2014: Lil’ Kim releases another Nicki Minaj diss called ‘Identity Theft’
Sept 2014: Lil’ Kim releases her Hard Core 2K14 mixtape
Sept 2014: Lil’ Kim speaks again on the feud on The Breakfast Club
Sept 2014: Lil’ Kim TBC cont - Kim claims Nicki was taking shots at her on the Flawless Remix when she said “Queen Bey”
Sept 2014: Lil’ Kim TBC cont
Flashback: Nicki Minaj on The Breakfast Club in 2012 briefly talking about her and Kim’s beef, Nicki addresses always being accused of taking shots at female rappers “a lot of times I be talking about people y’all have no idea who I’m talking to”
Flashback: Nicki Minaj TBC 2012 cont.
December 2014: Nicki Minaj releases her 3rd and most critically acclaimed album The Pinkprint. The album debuted at #2 on BB200 and #1 on R&B/Hip Hop selling 244,000 units.
March 2015: Nicki Minaj embarks on her 3rd world tour, The Pinkprint Tour which grossed over 22 million from 38 shows selling out arenas all over the globe.
June 2015: Lil’ Kim makes a surprise appearance at the BET Awards as a part of the Bad Boy Reunion Medley and at the iHeart Radio Musical Festival https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262820721568419842
June 2015: Nicki Minaj wins Viewers Choice and Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the BET Awards (the latter) for a record 6th consecutive time
March 2016: Lil’ Kim releases her 4th mixtape Lil Kim Season
July 2016: Lil’ Kim is honored at VH1 Hip Hop Honors and in August embarks on the highly successful Bad Boy Reunion Tour with Diddy, Mase, Faith Evans, 112, Total, The Lox, Carl Thomas, and French Montana. The tour grossed 17.5 million from 19 shows.
February 2017: Lil’ Kim, Remy Ma, and Cardi B are opening acts for The Lox’s Filthy America Its Beautiful Tour
June 2017: 3 months after Remy disses Nicki, Lil’ Kim makes an appearance onstage with Remy Ma at Summerjam along with MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Young MA, Cardi B, Lady of Rage, Monie Love, and Rah Digga.
October 2017: Nicki Minaj is featured on XXL’s 20th Anniversary cover and does an interview where she talks about her role in hip hop and reintroducing the female rapper to the mainstream. The media took this as her saying she made female rappers mainstream...
October 2017: Nicki Minaj takes to Instagram to clear this up and acknowledges Lil’ Kim’s contribution to Hip Hop. “Foxy and Kim had Platinum albums and shaped the sound of NY female rappers”
November 2017: Lil’ Kim teams up with Remy Ma on Wake Me Up where Remy takes more shots at Nicki. https://twitter.com/media_nika/status/1262835519903408128
November 2017: Lil’ Kim goes on Hot 97 and claims that her and Remys song isn’t a Nicki diss and that her and Nicki can only be repaired if it’s a business deal.
November 2017: Lil’ Kim on Hot 97 cont
June 2018: Lil’ Kim gets asked about her opinion on Nicki vs Cardi and pretends she doesn’t know Nicki
August 2018: Lil’ Kim is asked about Nicki and if she is offended by Nicki calling her upcoming album Queen
August 2018: Nicki Minaj releases her 4th album Queen. The album debuted at #2 with 185,000 units sold 1st week. The album was certified Platinum 5 months after its release. On the album Nicki recreates Biggies Dreams (Barbie Dreams), something she also did in ‘07 on her mixtape.
August 2018: On her 1996 debut album Hard Core Lil’ Kim remixed Biggies ‘Dreams’ with a different sound and talking about R&B singers. Despite Nicki’s paying tribute to Biggie and 50 Cent (How To Rob), and sounding nothing like Kims, Kim still took an opportunity to shade Nicki.
August 2018: Nicki Minaj once again names Lil’ Kim as one of her influences in an interview with Funkmaster Flex
August 2018: Nicki Minaj once again names Lil’ Kim as one of her influences and says she did what she had to do regarding their beef during a Rap Genius interview.
Flashback: Nicki Minaj in 2009 giving Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown props
Flashback: Nicki Minaj in 07-08 giving Lil’ Kim props for her contribution to fashion in Hip Hop
Flashback: Nicki Minaj giving props to Kim and Foxy on Funk Flex’s Full Throttle in 2010 “I was one of those little girls rooting for them”
Flashback! I’m not sure what this clip is from but Nicki speaking on her first time meeting Lil’ Kim and how she wanted to make sure there was no tension because she didn’t want it to be like that.
October 2019: Lil’ Kim finally releases her 5th album ‘9’ , despite being released in the streaming era the album failed to chart and sold approximately 2,000 units.
