JT came to Nicki Minaj’s defense following the rapper’s Grammy loss on Twitter, Sunday. The post comes after the Recording Academy’s social media accounts mistakenly announced that Nicki and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” won Best Rap Song. In actuality, it was Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers” that took home the award.
“I salute Nicki Minaj for not tapping out & still dropping music knowing it’s so many odds against her!” JT wrote. “It’s big money to end Nicki but it’s a BIGGER God! Keep being you! Your legacy will never be undone!!!! @NICKIMINAJ. I love you.” When one fan asked her to focus on promoting her own music instead, she replied: “Babe all my tweets are about my music my thumbs hurt from tweeting about it I took a break to speak on what matter to me, I see what matters to you. ME :).”
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – MARCH 17: (EDITOR NOTE: A special effects camera filter was used for this image.) JT of the City Girls performs during “On Big Party Tour” at FLA Live Arena on March 17, 2023 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Her support for Nicki Minaj comes amid the rapper’s ongoing feud with Megan Thee Stallion. That beef began when Megan took a subtle dig at Nicki’s husband, Kenneth Petty, for being a registered sex offender on her song, “Hiss.” In response, Nicki went on a series of rants on social media and released the diss track, “Big Foot.” Check out JT’s praise of Nicki below.
JT Voices Support For Nicki Minaj
I salute nicki Minaj for not tapping out & still dropping music knowing it’s so many odds against her! It’s big money to end Nicki but it’s a BIGGER God! Keep being you! Your legacy will never be undone!!!! @NICKIMINAJ I love you
Other winners at the 2024 Grammy Awards include Victoria Monét, Lil Durk, and more. Be on the lookout for further updates on JT and Nicki Minaj on HotNewHipHop.
It goes without saying that Nicki Minaj’s Barbz are a force to be reckoned with. This has been demonstrated time and time again, most recently with their explosive reactions to Megan Thee Stallion dissing Nicki on “Hiss.” Nicki was nominated for two Grammy awards this year, including Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Rap Song for her Barbie collab with Ice Spice, “Barbie World.” Unfortunately, she didn’t secure either of them, leaving her Grammy-less.
Billie Eilish took home Best Song Written for Visual Media with her Barbie soundtrack contribution “What Was I Made For?” while Best Rap Song went to Killer Mike. His track with Andre 3000, “Scientists & Engineers,” featuring Eryn Allen Kane and Future came out on top, also earning him an award for Best Rap Performance. His sixth studio album, Michael, additionally scored Best Rap Album.
Recording Academy Wrongly Declares “Barbie World” As Winner
The #GRAMMYs official account mistakenly announced ‘Barbie World’ as the Best Rap Song winner, instead of ‘Scientists & Engineers.’ pic.twitter.com/gFWtwT4QyH
Needless to say, the Barbz are feral. To make matters worse, the Grammys’ official Twitter/X account mistakenly announced “Barbie World” as the winner of Best Rap Song. Some Tweets also suggest that the official Grammys website had it listed as the winner, leaving social media users to speculate. Some suspect that “Barbie World” was supposed to win, but someone on the inside stole the win away from Nicki.
This is obviously unconfirmed, but either way, they’re convinced. Some of Nicki’s peers have even hit social media since the announcement, suggesting that they have their suspicions too. Nicki herself has yet to weigh in, but surely it’ll be explosive when she does.
The Barbz Are Feral Over Grammy Snub
What do you think of the Grammys mistakenly announcing “Barbie World” as the 2024 Grammy winner for Best Rap Song? What about Killer Mike’s win? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates. Check out some of the Barbz’s reactions down below.
the intern on the recording academy twitter after posting the barbie world tweet: pic.twitter.com/2ODtXpSGty
— i’m a rockstar, you btches not hard ✯ (@ONSOMEPACSHIT) February 4, 2024
Lmfaooo that check cleared!! I believe Barbie World was supposed to win but they probably changed it at the last minute because of what happened last week… that’s so fuckd up! Jay z you will be dealt with!!! Wow. pic.twitter.com/Yx17ldj2hu
The Barbie World situation right now is going to gain us some sympathy points from the general public. God works in mysterious ways pic.twitter.com/GT4uW05B5c
they have never announced an award incorrectly and the first time they do it, it’s with two would-be first time winners one having never won a grammy throughout their legendary 15+ year career?
The Grammys in real time sabotaged nicki minaj! If you google how many Grammys does Nicki have it clearly says she won for Barbie World! Nicki was telling the truth about those corporations going against her! Smfh that woman is too powerful and it’s clear as day! pic.twitter.com/OiiD78IYGU
A recent report from Luminate has revealed that Lil Uzi Vert is leading the pack in total global streams among the 2024 Grammy nominees for “Best Rap Song.” Uzi’s track “Just Wanna Rock” has amassed an impressive 1.84 billion total global streams to date, outshining competitors such as Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” with 1.7 billion global streams and Drake & 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex” with 1.29 billion global streams.
The Philadelphia native continues his dominance in U.S. total streams, securing over 810.7 million streams to date. The closest contender in this category is Drake & 21 Savage’s “Rich Flex,” which garnered approximately 697.9 million U.S. total streams.
Lil Uzi Vert’s success extends beyond streaming numbers. In 2023, his album The Pink Tape debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking his third No. 1 album. Notably, the album became the first rap album to claim the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart in 2023.
Uzi’s influence transcended the music industry in 2023, as he performed on prestigious platforms ranging from the Grammys to Wrestlemania 39 and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As the Grammy Awards approach, Lil Uzi Vert is a formidable force in the Best Rap Song category, backed by his chart-topping success and undeniable global appeal.
December is a time that people use to reflect back on their personal lives, and at the same time, pop culture publications put out retrospective pieces detailing all that we’ve seen unfold in the industry over the past few months. At HNHH, we shared our thoughts on the biggest pop culture moments and best dressed artists, among other things, but currently, it’s Rolling Stone who’s under fire for their annual round-up of the best hip-hop songs. In the past, the outlet’s founder, Jann Wenner, has faced backlash for stating that women and Black creatives “don’t articulate” at the same level of their white, male counterparts. After seeing the publication put Sexyy Red at the top of their Best Hip-Hop Songs OTY list, some social media users are raising their eyebrows.
“Jann Wenner, the co-founder of ‘Rolling Stone,’ literally said that Black artists aren’t articulate and now using this as the benchmark for rap music… [Wild],” one person wrote after seeing the placement of “SkeeYee.” Another Twitter user argued that, “They’re trying so hard t course correct they overshot.” Elsewhere, others pointed out that while the viral track is “probably the most played rap song of the year,” that still “doesn’t make it the best.”
Others named by Wenner and his staff on the list include Latto and Cardi B’s “Put It On Da Floor Again,” Ice Spice’s “Deli,” and Veeze’s “Not A Drill.” Multiple J. Cole features also got love, including “The Secret Recipe” with Lil Yachty and “First Person Shooter” from Drake’s For All The Dogs. Later on we hear from the Canadian again on “Who Told You” alongside J Hus, followed by Gunna’s “fukumean” and Doja Cat’s “Agora Hills.”
Keep scrolling to read more of the incoming reactions to Rolling Stone‘s controversial hip-hop list. Do you think Sexyy Red deserves the top spot for making waves with “SkeeYee” this year? If not, let us know in the comments which 2023 release would’ve been your top pick.
They have announced the nominees for Best Rap Song at the 2024 Grammys. There are some songs people probably expected in the group and some surprising choices. Over the years, people have criticized the Grammys for multiple reasons. One of the biggest is how they treat their rap/hip-hop category. This time around, they’ve nominated songs that touch several segments of the genre, but no matter who they choose, there will be people who are not satisfied. This year’s nominees are trendy songs, many of them being used for sounds all across TikTok. Some songs came out this year while others came out last year, a testament to the specific eligibility period that all nominees must meet. No matter who wins, all the nominees’ streams will increase since their music will be exposed to a new audience.
Doja Cat enters the 2024 Grammys with a different approach from previous years. Listeners know Doja for her chart-topping pop hits, but even some of those have moments of her rapping. Now, in 2023, she has gone all in with her rapping and did so in her own unapologetic way. This track, “Attention,” was the first single for her 2023 album Scarlet. It established where she was going for the latest stage in her career. The track still features Doja’s singing on the hook, but she rapped all her verses.
Production came from Y2K and Rogét Chahayed, who crafted a smooth and confident soundscape for Doja to share her truth. The rollout for the single featured a promotional image of Doja naked and drenched in blood. Once the music video was released, viewers saw the image came directly from it.
“Barbie World” – Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice With Aqua
It’s only right that the 2024 Grammys have a song from one of the year’s biggest movies as a nominee. It pairs Ice Spice, one of the biggest women in rap this year, with Nicki Minaj, one of the biggest women in rap of all time. This is their second collaboration this year. Both rappers weave references to the Barbie brand in their verses and use them to brag creatively. Production comes from Ice Spice’s go-to collaborator RIOTUSA, who used drill and Jersey Club elements. Aqua, who created the original song “Barbie Girl,” is also sampled on this new version. The song is short but has still accumulated over 346 million streams and hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This nominee at the 2024 Grammys is a song that was played on the radio many times. People credit it for bringing the subgenre of Jersey Club to mainstream listeners. Users all over TikTok were emulating the moves from the song’s music video, and it became a staple for social events. The song’s simplistic lyrics made it easy for listeners to rap along and for it to get stuck in their heads. “Just Wanna Rock” was released in October 2022 and continues to be used across multiple forms of media. Uzi’s hometown of Philadelphia took pride in the song, and the Philadelphia Eagles used it during their entrance at their NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Much to the joy of their fans – they won. Uzi also performed the song at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in California.
“Rich Flex” – Drake & 21 Savage
Drake’s Grammy speech from 2019 was a monumental moment, but they still nominated him at the 2024 Grammys. This track comes from his collab album with 21 Savage, Her Loss. This is the first song on the album and its most popular, with over 677 million streams. In fact, “Rich Flex” is the source of the “21, can you do somethin’ for me?” meme that took over social media. Meme status aside, listeners praised the collaboration.
21’s verse takes a moment to interlope Megan Thee Stallion’s flow from “Savage” in his own creative way, which surprised all listeners. They also liked how 21’s signature ad-libs fit in during Drake’s hook but praised the song’s beat switches most. Drake sings over a soulfully sparse beat at the song’s halfway point, which switches again as an aggressive trap beat comes barreling in. Naturally, Drake adjusts his delivery to match it.
“Scientists & Engineers” – Killer Mike Feat. André 3000, Future & Eryn Allen Kane
This song might be the most surprising choice in this category at the 2024 Grammys. They often overlook lyricism-focused songs, especially ones from nonmainstream artists. However, “Scientists & Engineers” was an exceptional song for rap fans. As expected, as soon as the André 3000 feature on it was announced, listeners were clamoring for the song’s release. Much like any release from the past decade with an André 3000 feature, they were ready to declare his verse the best one of the year. Additionally, Future’s feature on the song initially shocked many listeners, but they commended him for his contribution to the track. The song comes from MICHAEL, the Grammy-nominated album by Killer Mike that many have called one of the best rap albums released this year.
Kendrick Lamar won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance as well as Best Rap Song with his track, “The Heart Part 5.” Lamar shared the single ahead of his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. The song was not included on the tracklist for the album.
For Best Rap Song, Lamar beat out Jack Harlow’s “Churchill Downs” featuring Drake, DJ Khaled’s “God Did” featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, John Legend and Fridayy, Gunna and Future’s “Pushin P” featuring Young Thug and Future, as well as Future’s “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems. With Best Rap Performance, he finished ahead of DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” Doja Cat’s “Vegas,” Gunna & Future’s “pushin P,” as well as Hitkidd & GloRilla’s “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).”
AUSTIN, TX – OCTOBER 01: Kendrick Lamar performs during the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park on October 1, 2016 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Erika Goldring/FilmMagic)
Lamar has now won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance two years in a row. He also ranks as the most-awarded artist in the category with six victories over the course of his career. Last year, his collaboration with Baby Keem, “Family Ties,” won the award. As for Best Rap Song, Lamar has won the award four times. His previous songs, “I,” “Alright,” and “Humble,” all notched him wins.
Overall, Lamar received the second-most nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards. He’s up for a total of eight awards. Going into Sunday, Lamar had won 14 Grammys during his career. Later, Lamar will compete for Song Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and more.
It’s already been a busy night for the Grammy Awards, as Viola Davis recently became an EGOT winner. She notched a Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording with her performance of the audiobook for her memoir Finding Me. As for all else that goes down at tonight’s ceremony, HNHH will have you covered. Revisit the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5” below. The piece features Lamar using deep fake technology to appear as Jussie Smollett, Nipsey Hussle, Kanye West, and more.
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