Is Lil' Kim Dissing Nicki Minaj Just to Stay Relevant?

By Jason Newman Posted Feb 17th 2011 11:13PM

Pop-Ed: Rapper Lil' Kim is out to reclaim her erstwhile position at the top of the female rapper food chain by doing what any desperate rapper does to get back into the spotlight: Start beef with the younger competition.

Those familiar with 'All About Eve' will recognize the story, with newcomer Nicki Minaj playing Eve Harrington to Kim's Margo Channing. Now, Kim's ratcheted up the stakes, decapitating Minaj on the cover of her latest mixtape 'Black Friday' (pictured here) and recently releasing the nearly seven-minute long title track attacking Minaj.

The feud started in spring 2010, when Kim publicly excoriated Minaj and claimed the latter's style -- specifically Minaj's love of wigs popularized by Kim in the mid-1990s -- ripped off her own pioneering look. Days later, Kim told a radio station:

"When [female rappers] come in the game and they realize that I'm not going away and my fans are still here and they can't just step on me, they get upset and then they don't want to be my friend anymore. I think that's really childish and stupid. Because all I ask for is respect, and I show the same respect back. Pay homage, at the end of the day a lot of things go on behind the scenes that people don't know about. It will be aired out, because you can't hide the truth."

The beef escalated from there, with the two rappers exchanging words in interviews and selected tracks.

Feuds in hip-hop, of course, are as old as the genre itself. Yet many of the classic lyrical battles -- Common vs. Ice Cube, Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J -- seemed less focused on commerce and more about actual respect and lyrical superiority. In this post-Biggie/Tupac era, rap beefs feel like just another line item on a record label's publicity plan. You can argue that in terms of sales, Kanye West won the 50 Cent/Kanye West "beef" in 2007, when 50's 'Curtis' was released the same day as Kanye's 'Graduation.' The real winner: the shareholders of Universal Music Group, parent company of both artists.

Paradoxically, though, this latest act of desperation that is the Minaj beef may be exactly what Kim needs to regain her reputation in hip-hop (though the queen title is probably gone for good). Her debut album, 1996's 'Hard Core,' went double platinum and established her as the Queen of Hip-Hop. But since then, the rapper has released three albums to varying degrees of success, with 2005's 'The Naked Truth' barely making a dent in the genre. (A year in jail on perjury charges in 2005 didn't help.)

On 'Black Friday,' the rapper sounds rejuvenated, delivering a four-minute, near-continuous riposte filled with renewed energy and clever one-liners ("You and Diddy, sorry bunch of swagger jackers/I mothered you hoes, I should claim you on my income tax"). In the video, Kim is seen stomping on a brightly colored wig favored by Minaj. The video ends with a quote from Michael Jackson (via Herman Melville), saying, "It's better to fail in originality, than to succeed in imitation ... period."

Hip-hop is not 'Highlander.' There can be more than one female emcee rhyming at the same time. But Lil Kim vs. Nicki Minaj is far from the Jay-Z/Nas 'King of New York' battle of 2001, in which the two hip-hop titans both solidified their already dominant positions in the genre. The more shots that get fired Nicki's way, the more desperate and sad Lil' Kim looks to get back to her position circa 1996.

As the once-beloved actress Margo Channing spirals down into obsolescence in 'All About Eve,' she tells her friend, "And what is [Margo], besides something called a temperament, which consists mostly of swooping about on a broomstick and screaming at the top of my voice? Infants behave the way I do, you know. They carry on and misbehave ... when they can't have what they want, when they feel unwanted or insecure or unloved."

You're welcome, Kim.

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Tags: Hip-hop, Lil kim, Nicki minaj

Comments

(34)

Thursday 17 February

By maureensigg

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Little Kim is and will always be THE ORIGINAL! Minaj stole her style. And Minaj doesn't hold a candle to Lil Kim's lyrical skills!! Minaj sucks, in my opinion. She pretty much talks on top of a beat, where Kim has talent and has always been original!

By grader

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I couldn't agree more

By carlos

mmm...talent like in a cat in heat rrrrrrrrrrrrr/meow Lil loser is so yesterday and not revelent.

By Ben

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"Is Lil' Kim Dissing Nicki Minaj Just to Stay Relevant?"

Where the hell have you been?

By Hello Gorgeous!!

She needs to check her own BS at the door since KIM STOLE HER LOOK FROM EVERYONE! You're not original,a t least Nicki brings something different to the game other than talking about your clitoris & licks & riding sticks & swallowing. Tri-full-ling!! Done, give it up! Oh and BTW, she did pay homage, to the rightful MCs who STARTED the female rap game in the first place by saying her idols are Queen Latifah and Mc Lyte and Salt n Pepa. You know, the REAL ORIGINALS! Dumb, she's just dumb. Kim, you're too old for that BS, act like a woman already.

Friday 18 February

By SniffMeBalls

Lil Kim is a "never was", and Nicki Minaj is a "never will be".

By tony

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like yourself

By Mary

Lil Kim is the Queen of Hip Hop She is an international multiplatinum grammy award winner with a dedicated fanbase. Just because they don't hang out on twitter doesn't mean they don't exist. And just because you blog don't mean you make the decisions. These basement bloggers sicken me making statements with no merit.

Tuesday 08 March

By Vera

REALLY....SHE WOULDN'T HAVE WON THE GRAMMY WITHOUT THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE TRACK....STOP IT.

By Michelle

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Minaj hit Kim first, do your research.

By big j

I LOVE NICKI SHES GOT A HOT BODY

By Blonde Ambition

Jealousy can be such a bore.

By Shawna

So true Kim will always b the queen of rap ...minaj is just a rite now sensation..lets b real can we see her in the game even 2 yrs from now? she wack n she need 2 stay in her lane..a 2 hit wonder..Chill Minaj need to chill n respect the female she swagger jacked

By gocavs2011

Lmao yah, Kim's grand total of 4 albums in 15 years just screams "queen of rap." Get real.

By Jazz

But you guys still making stories about KIM? So your still talking about here good or bad! Stay Up Queen Bee

By sandra

This is too damn funny. Lil' Kim is accusing Nicki of stealing her looks of wigs..cause that look was original.

The question such be, which look is Nicki stealing? Since Kim has morph herself into someone unrecognizable.

By JBaer

I see no problem. Nicki Minaj makes wack music--and so does Lil' Kim.

By Trisha

Oh, Kim, you old washed up thang! Give it up, child. Make way for the new and improved version of you............

By joan

both have their faults-- kim, for acting vicious and nicky for responding. I am disappointed in nicky because I think she has a little, Kim on the other hand is void of such a characteristic.

By Stacey

Thank you!

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