The 2025 Grammy Awards nominations are finally here, and it was a big day for women in the music industry. Beyoncé led the whole pack of nominees – any gender – with 11 nominations, the most for any woman in a single year and the most total career nominations (now 99) for any artist. However, there were still some big snubs to talk about concerning these nominations, including a big gap that many Barbz understandably noticed. Despite its submission in multiple categories, Nicki Minaj and her late 2023 album Pink Friday 2 did not receive any nods, including tracks like “Everybody” and “FTCU.” As you can see in the Instagram post down below and its comments, a lot of fans felt like this was a poor decision on behalf of the Recording Academy.
After all, Nicki Minaj found a lot of success with Pink Friday 2 as one of the biggest albums of the past year or so, especially in the commercial realm. Still, other Barbz instead focused on other amazing achievements from this year and the last (a record-breaking tour, other awards, etc.) instead of lamenting the lack of recognition from just one institution. Also, it’s not like the Grammys are the end-all, be-all of the recognition of quality, impactful, and significant music.
Some artists get a lot of love from the Grammys, others don’t, and a few massive stars just don’t submit their work at all. With all this in mind, we wonder if the Recording Academy will address these snubs, whether it’s Nicki Minaj or other artists. As for other hip-hop happenings with the Grammy Awards, Kendrick Lamar led the rap world with seven total nominations split across two of his Drake diss tracks. Certainly not the best look for any Recording Academy members looking to combat the narrative of a Young Money bias…
Jokes aside, Nicki Minaj doesn’t need Grammys to acknowledge her magnanimous presence in the game, her untouchable status, and the blessings that continue to come her way. For example, she recently penned a cute anniversary post for her husband, Kenneth Petty. Still, we can’t lie that some more flowers for the Trinidadian femcee wouldn’t hurt.
Ray J has been pulled into the Diddy orbit over the last week. The singer was confronted by the mogul’s sons at a Halloween party over the weekend. Things reportedly got heated, but Chris Brown and Ray J’s manager stepped in before punches were thrown. The singer hopped on Instagram Live to discuss the confrontation with Nicki Minaj, but the conversation took an unexpected turn. Instead of taking Ray J’s side, Minaj criticized the singer for making light of the allegations that have been made against Diddy.
Nicki Minaj honed in on a comment Ray J made about “as*es being taken” in the music industry. The former was not amused by this comment, and asked Ray J whether it was something he wanted to stand by. “Do you think that’s funny?” she asked. “You seem like you’re joking about it when there are several people traumatized.” Ray J clarified that he does not intend to make light of experiences that the alleged Diddy victims went through. He claimed to be on the same side as Nicki Minaj, but ran into pushback yet again when he asserted that he knows shady activities are being conducted behind closed doors.
Nicki Minaj asked him whether he’s been in the room when “a*ses were being taken,” and Ray J clarifies that he has not. The singer tried to point to different examples of shady practices that he’s caught wind of, but Minaj was not having it. She threatened to exit the Instagram Live chat if Ray J continued to make unfounded claims. Minaj also requested, a second time, that Ray J stop joking about the Diddy case. The whole exchange was a bit scattered and incoherent. Ray J tried to defend himself from Minaj’s criticisms, but ultimately relented. He even apologized to the rapper.
This is not the first time Ray J has discussed the Diddy situation on Instagram Live. He also hopped on a call with Wack 100 to discuss what happened between him and the Combs family. Wack 100 took a very different approach than Nicki Minaj, and issued a warning to the Combs sons. If we run into you,” he told them. “Act like it’s 1995.” Ray J tried to talk Wack 100 down from staging any retaliatory acts. The music executive was not swayed, however. “It’s on,” he stated. “That’s what it’s gon’ be.”
There are few things more important to getting a good workout in than having the right playlist. Having the right soundtrack is vital for most people to getting maximum output, and sometimes what you need in the gym varies by what you’re doing — for example, cardio and weights might need different genres.
Everyone’s taste is a bit different, which is why there’s few things worse than forgetting headphones when going to the gym and having to listen to whatever they’ve got playing over the speakers. That is, unless you have your own fully built out home gym and can pick the music blasting through the speakers, as is the case for WWE superstar Randy Orton. The 44-year-old has been in WWE for more than two decades, and he looks like the kind of guy that is likely playing something pretty heavy in the gym.
However, as he recently explained to Sheamus in his home gym, he goes to a different genre and is far more up to date on his playlist than you’d expect. The Viper is all about the ladies when it comes to the gym, explaining that he has “an extensive female rap artist playlist” rattling off everyone from Megan Thee Stallion to GloRilla and fellow St. Louis native (and WWE fan) Sexxy Red.
It’s clearly not the answer Sheamus was expecting, but as Orton explained, “they get my blood pumpin, what can I say.” I think my only follow-up questions would be what did Randy used to listen to in the gym back in the day and when was he introduced to some of these artists, because he’s been in the gym for decades and I’d be fascinated to know when he figured out that Cardi B and Nicki Minaj got the blood going and the muscles firing in just the right way.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Jason Merritt/Radarpics/Shutterstock
Nicki Minaj is celebrating her lover. On Instagram, she shared images of Kenneth Petty and penned a touching message to him about their romance.
“24 years after we first met. Love at first sight. I’m so proud of you. Thank you for catching me…every single time. Thank you for our little BFF,” she wrote. “Happy 5th Anniversary.”
Even though Nicki Minaj has other femcee beefs to handle these days, the conflict with Lil Kim continues to be one of her most well-known and debated. Moreover, she inadvertently contributed to another point of contention on Wednesday (October 16) during a conversation at Vogue‘s Forces of Fashion event in New York City. The specific claims that Kim fans are mad about is how the Trinidadian femcee claimed that there were no rappers naming their fanbases before Nicki cultivated, supported, and championed the Barbz, citing Justin Bieber’s Beliebers and Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters as her predecessors in this regard in other genres.
“Before l had a record deal, my fans were making a moment for themselves on Twitter,” Nicki Minaj expressed. “I had already given them a name. In fact, do you know that all these artists that give their fans names now, when I started calling my fans the Barbz, there were no rappers naming their fans. […] That was it. Now every single human being that becomes an artist gives their fans a name. Even artists in other countries. I didn’t think it was something that would spread to the hip-hop community at all. But it doesn’t matter, because the Barbz are still superior.”
Nicki Minaj speaks about how the Barbz, Beliebers (Justin Bieber fans), and the Little Monsters (Lady Gaga fans) spearheaded stan culture on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/uppRMOGued
As for Lil Kim fans, they called Nicki Minaj out because they feel like Kim deserves that credit. “Rappers better run and hide, ’cause here comes the Beehive,” the Brooklyn femcee rapped on “The Beehive” off of her 2003 album La Bella Mafia. “Maturing is realizing Nicki Minaj’s number one goal is to take credit for EVERYTHING Lil’ Kim contributed to the game,” one fan retorted. “KIM WAS THE FIRST RAPPER to name their fan base (BEEHIVE) in early 2000s (That’s 20+ years ago!) sorry nicki the fan base names existed BEFORE the internet.” This criticism also extended to include other femcees like Foxy Brown. Check out more reactions down below.
Fans & Lil Kim Defenders React
Maturing is realizing Nicki Minaj’s number one goal is to take credit for EVERYTHING Lil’ Kim contributed to the game… KIM WAS THE FIRST RAPPER to name their fan base (BEEHIVE) in early 2000s (That’s 20+ years ago!) sorry nicki the fan base names existed BEFORE the internet pic.twitter.com/R3KzPWwoWg
She’s so delusional –like Lil Kim aint been callin her Fans The Beehive since La Bella Mafia dropped in 2003. I seriously hope Kim drops 1 more album before it’s all said & done cuz Bitches really need that Reminder… https://t.co/Pav1KQfg2Y
now y’all mad because nicki told the truth and said that barbz were one of the first introductions to artist naming their fanbases online… pic.twitter.com/9m8u7KvBjb
grown ass men are writing entire thinkpieces because nicki didn’t acknowledge fanbase names that were created two decades ago lmao. imagine being so chronically online that you get offended by that dumb ass shit. pic.twitter.com/KiZGCflsRG
my old ass can attest to this personally! we were literally the first three fanbases on twitter i remember it like it was yesterday! pic.twitter.com/HNsdljUqfp
Meanwhile, some other alleged Nicki Minaj shade came in the form of her apparent reaction to the drama between her ex Safaree and his ex wife Erica Mena. That’s just a theory, though, so take it with a grain of salt. Either way, this Lil Kim debate has solid points on both sides, although we doubt they will reconcile.
Nicki Minaj plays with the Barbz sometimes. Whether it’s her usual social media clap-backs to misinterpreted media conversations, teases of new music or other endeavors, or her reflections on being a superstar, sometimes she outlines a lot of paths before making a final decision. In a few of those cases, this can end up scaring the fanbase, although not for long. For example, the Trinidadian femcee recently held a Stationhead session on Sunday (October 13) in which she spoke on the success of the Pink Friday 2 world tour. Then, she sent her die-hards into fight-or-flight mode by suggesting that she may hang up the mic.
“I am doing a hiatus,” Nicki Minaj expressed on the platform. “But I have the Vogue thing, which I’m very proud and honored to do, and a couple things and then I’ll be taking a little moment to reflect.” Of course, this isn’t the first time that she’s teased a break, whether that’s a permanent step away from music or just a much-needed break from her general industry and career moves. Reportedly, Nicki hinted before that this hiatus could happen after the Pink Friday 2 world tour wrapped up, a reality we now live in.
Nicki Minaj Teases Hiatus During Stationhead Session
However, it turns out that Nicki Minaj was once again feeling the temperature and speaking on possibilities, because she quickly dispelled any hiatus speculation via Twitter. “Ain’t going no mthfkn where,” she responded to a post about her supposed break. “Kiss my a** & HIATUS LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” “We don’t announce the hiatus Barbz. Crack is whack. We don’t do that,” the 41-year-old followed up in another post. As such, it seems like the Barbz don’t have to worry about her stepping away too much, which is a relief to hear.
Nicki’s Not Going Anywhere
We don’t announce the hiatus Barbz. Crack is whack. We don’t do that. Dem love chat dem no run dem block! Just relax & let what will be…be *dramatic cinematic music begins*
Elsewhere during the weekend, Nicki Minaj thanked everyone who helped her along the way on her PF2 tour in various social media posts. “Barbz. Wow. We did it,” she wrote in one of these posts via Twitter. “Emotional (to say the least). I love you ALL so much. Every single person who came out- from our very 1st show— every country— my incredible team.”
The Pink Friday 2 World Tour is one of the most successful hip-hop treks of all time, so it’s no surprise that Nicki Minaj wanted to close things off with a bang. She held her last concert of the tour on Friday (October 11) in Elmont, New York, and brought along some special guests to grace the stage. Sexyy Red and 50 Cent (who was already an invited performer on this tour) hit the stage alongside the Trinidadian rap legend. The crowd was loving it, the artists themselves seemed to have a lot of fun, and it was overall a great close to this historic run.
Of course, it’s not like the Pink Firday 2 World Tour wasn’t without its fair share of salacious social media headlines and a few controversies here and there. One of these was how Nicki Minaj’s ex Safaree attended a show, something that Nicki seemed to not be so happy with. “When you’re at peace and when you’re happy, so many things will start coming, you know to try to steal your joy and to steal your peace you know,” she allegedly responded to his appearance via Stationhead. “Please don’t let it.”
As for Sexyy Red and 50 Cent, they both have recent collaborations with Nicki Minaj as part of the Pink Friday 2 era, so seeing them close out the tour with her fit perfectly. Elsewhere, though, she’s dealing with a lot of other issues and obstacles, such as the alleged assault case against her and her husband Kenneth Petty. Still, nothing slowed this tour down, and nothing succeeded in silencing the Barbz. We’ll see what other updates and storylines emerge or develop further in the near future.
Meanwhile, Nicki Minaj also has a few rap feuds on her desk, although she doesn’t want to claim involvement where there is none. For example, she denied hiring Kelsey Harris, Megan Thee Stallion’s former best friend, to promote her sneaker line. All in all, no matter what news broke over the past few months, fans still loved the Pink Friday 2 World Tour thoroughly. It’s now an era to remember…
Safaree made a controversial maneuver this past weekend by popping out to supportNicki Minaj. She is currently in the midst of her Gag City Reloaded portion of the extensive Pink Friday 2 tour. Video of her ex surfaced online, and it went viral. The artist and TV personality was having the time of his life dancing to the Queen of New York’s hits. He even voiced his love for Nicki on X (Twitter), saying, “I’m proud no cap… a lot of yalll will never understand but there is no malice in me… I’m proud.” The former partners had a pretty nasty and tumultuous fall out, especially after the breakup.
But it seems like Safaree is trying to turn a new leaf. He did recently say he’s trying to live life in a new lense, as he expressed that, “I want to start giving back more.” As we hinted earlier, fans, especially of Nicki’s, were pretty upset/annoyed with the co-producer. However, there was also quite a nice number of people that were happy that Safaree was happy. “Some people can’t even get that level of support from phony family members. I’m here for it Life is too short to be a pressed hater,” one IG user stated.
Now, Minaj’s sister, Ming Li, is weighing in on the situation, according to Live Bitez. Li hopped on what appears to be an Instagram Live session while at a salon. She answered some random questions, while even speaking on her new dog that she’s naming after her talented sis. Shoving that to the side, though, Li gave her two cents on Safaree showing up, and all she could really do was giggle about it. “Safaree was cuttin’ up yesterday, hell yeah he was [tee-hees]. I saw that. That s*** was funny [tee-hees].” She seems to not have a problem with it overall, and neither did Nicki on Sunday because she brought out her current boo Kenneth Petty during the performance.
What are your thoughts on Nicki Minaj’s sister’s reaction to Safaree going to the former’s show in Miami? Do you think him attending was weird, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Safaree and Nicki Minaj. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ racketeering and sex trafficking case continues to stun the entertainment industry, it has also given Jaguar Wright a new spotlight. The veteran singer has been a whistleblower—of sorts—for those who lean into audacious and unsubstantiated rumors. It isn’t difficult to find an interview of Wright poised on a couch, chatting about the alleged ills she’s witnessed throughout her career—or, at the very least, things she’s learned through private investigators or the grapevine. Further, there isn’t a name that’s safe from Wright’s stories that include tales of sex abuse, trafficking, drug use, violence, and intimidation. Her allegations take aim at some of the most influential players in the game, and often, Wright expounds on Diddy’s Bad Boy empire.
Some have questioned why Wright hasn’t been sued over her allegations. Others don’t believe that she has as much intimate knowledge of her peers as she presents. Still, enough people have tuned in, including Piers Morgan, who recently invited the singer to his show. While there, not only did she once again mention Puff, but she also included Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z. Wright has accused Hov of shady and violent dealings, and Diddy’s arrest has only amplified her exposure to the masses.
“For four years, I’ve been screaming not just Diddy, but Diddy and Jay-Z are monsters, and the victim-making machine kept going on,” said Wright. Morgan wanted to know why Wright believed Jay has remained tight-lipped about Combs’ case. “Because that’s what he does,” Wright answered. “He starts little fires everywhere and forces everyone to carry water while he sneaks away without a response. That changes now, Shawn. You must respond, you have no choice. Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Robert Kelly, Sean Combs have one person in common professionally and privately: Shawn Carter.”
It is very clear that Wright isn’t afraid to speak her mind, whether or not the public believes her. Moreover, her ongoing interviews over the years have made for viral moments, adding themselves to Hip Hop infamy. However, some, like DJ Vlad of VladTV, don’t believe the hype. He told Piers Morgan that he thinks of Wright as a conspiracy theorist and wouldn’t invite her to his platform. Regardless, there always seems to be a media outlet poised to chat with Wright, and we’ve gathered a few outrageous allegations she’s made about rumors surrounding Diddy, his freak-off parties, and celebrity dealings.
Jaguar Wright Says She Has Been To Diddy’s Freak-Off Parties
According to Wright, she hasn’t just heard about what goes on at Diddy’s rumored “freak-off” parties—she’s attended them herself. During her chat with Morgan, Wright called the music mogul “one of the most dangerous people” she’s “ever met.” She also referred to Combs as “the devil,” claiming he has been wreaking havoc on the industry “for 30 years.” Wright also alleged rituals would take place, people were drugged, and some sex workers who attended the events wore secret cameras. Further, Wright explosively claimed, “I have my own tapes. I see what they do… Putting girls into suitcases. Dumping them in alleyways. It’s horrifying.”
“We got to stop making Diddys,” Wright added. “And if we’re going to do that, then we got to go back. We got to go back to even further: the mentors of these people. Because Diddy was taught how to do what he does systematically, and Clive Davis has been his greatest teacher.”
Alleges Nicki Minaj Has A Video Of Meek Mill & Diddy
After a viral audio clip circulated online, Meek Mill’s name was linked to gossip about Diddy’s alleged nefarious deeds. The sound was of two people, alleged to be men, having a sexual encounter. In an interview with RealLyfe Productions, an outlet that Wright regularly visits, the singer touched on the controversy. Wright alleged that it was Nicki Minaj who leaked the audio because the femcee supposedly had the actual video footage.
“He’s a f*cking fruit loop, he Diddy-fied. He’s a deep-fried f*ggot, period,” said Wright. “F*ck Meek, real rap. Yeah, that was f*cking him. F*cking Nicki put that sh*t out to hear. Goddamn Nicki recorded that at the freak-off in Calabasas. She been waiting to drop that sh*t on Meek.” Wright accused Minaj of hiding that it was Diddy on the tape; however, Meek refuted the allegations. He purported that he was being targeted because of his success and influence.
My voice so powerful as a black man from the ghetto worldwide they want it gone! Ima real king straight out the trenches under control of no human… they learned how to damage “can’t stop us” of brands from bots and campaigns like politicians! pic.twitter.com/pMwRuqPoWY
Accused Diddy Of Being Responsible For Kim Porter’s Death
Although Wright isn’t the only person who has perpetuated this rumor about Diddy and his late ex, Kim Porter, she has certainly added fuel to the fire. Conspiracy theories have surrounded Combs after several of his friends and acquaintances passed away. In a differing interview with RealLyfe Productions, Wright brought up Puff’s pre-Bad Boy career at Uptown Records. She said the label “started with five people: Andre Harrell, Al B. Sure, Heavy D, and Puffy [Diddy].” Wright added, “Kim was the longest-working employee. She was there from the very beginning; she was Andre’s personal assistant. Kim is dead, Heavy D is dead, Andre Harrell is dead, the only two left are Puffy and Al.” Then, she referenced Al B. Sure’s coma health scare. “Al almost died. Isn’t that interesting?”
“They were all writing tell-all books,” Wright continued. “Has Puffy ever been in a coma? Has anything happened to him? He must be the luckiest motherf*cker because it seems like everybody that worked at Uptown Records from the very beginning are gone. Just him.” Although Porter’s “tell-all” was recently released, the author admitted it was a work of fiction.
Said Diddy Had An Encounter With Christopher Williams
While many people that Jaguar Wright often mentions don’t come forward with a rebuttal, Christopher Williams decided to call her out after learning that his name was tied to her rumors. Wright would allege that Williams, who was a prominent singer in the 1980s and ’90s, had an oral sexual encounter with Diddy. Her quotes caught widespread attention, and Williams, obviously, wasn’t too thrilled about his name being entangled in Wright’s interview.
During his chat on Willie D Live with the Geto Boys icon, Williams categorically denied Wright’s claims. “Anybody that knows me knows that is ridiculous,” said the singer. “One person in the world alleges that I gave Puffy fellatio to get a record deal in like ‘92. I came out [singing] in ‘89, I had a record deal in ‘88.” Williams added, “If I were gay, I would be openly gay, so again, that wasn’t even the emphasis of it; it was the other stuff that was said around it.” Additionally, “Now she’s going on and on and on like she’s sure. But I’m like, ‘Bro, she’s hurting.’ I’m praying for her because we have to make a different stand and a different choice at this time. If I’m really solid, how can what she says affect me?”
Wright Claims Diddy Tapes Include Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé & More
As stated earlier, there isn’t a famous person who can hide from Wright’s accusations. In one of her interviews, she listed several famous figures as not only co-signing Diddy’s alleged abuses but as participants who have purported sex tapes with Combs or from one of his “freak-off” parties. “I believe that Barack Obama has a tape,” she alleged. When mentioning Puff’s ex-girlfriend, Wright added, “I know that Jennifer Lopez has multiple tapes.”
Then she claimed that there was a visual of Beyoncé, in addition to saying, “I definitely know, they probably recycled some old Stevie J and Eve stuff. I know Drake got a tape, I know Rihanna got a tape, I know Chris Brown is on one of them tapes. I know Trey Songz has been, like, a supporting actor in many freak-off films. Definitely Usher.” Yet, Wright alleges that the public would be “shocked” at just how many politicians and “royals” were also involved.
“I’m still trying to figure out when Harry and Meghan [Markle] are going to be honest about their freak-off tape,” Wright continued. “I don’t think anybody wants to talk about that.” Her latest interview with Piers Morgan is just the tip of the iceberg of rumors, gossip, and allegations she has made against Combs and several other industry professionals. Meanwhile, Combs remains behind bars, awaiting trial after his bond was denied. Reports of at least 120 accusers against Combs have been shared, and the public awaits on pins and needles for information about which of their favorite artists may have been named in court documents. As for Wright, despite being heavily criticized for her comments and accusations, she remains unmoved.
Has Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion beef sneakily made its way into an entrepreneurial venture? Well, that’s what hip-hop head seemed to think. Earlier in the month, a campaign for Nicki Minaj’s sneaker line, Loci, went viral after users online noticed that it featured Megan Thee Stallion’s former friend, Kelsey Nicole.
However, on October 6, Nicki used downtime from Pink Friday 2 World Tour to address the growing backlash. In a post uploaded to X (formerly Twitter), Nicki slammed The Shade Room for promoting “a lie.”
“She posted a photo in my sneakers,” she wrote. “Me, nor my company knew anything about it until she posted it. So she did what many ppl did when they received my sneakers, they posted a photo in them.”
Nicki did extend compliments to the image. “Kelsey def went all the way out with this professional looking backdrop tho,” she wrote “But she is in no way professionally connected to my sneaker brand…Btw, did Kelsey not tell them she wasn’t modeling for the line Barbz? Did she just let them think that? I gotta get caught up y’all.”
Kelsey Nicole has since deleted the post. But that hasn’t stopped fans of both Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj from blasting her for seemingly attempting to add more fire to their longstanding feud.
(@skinny_dawg) 
–like Lil Kim aint been callin her Fans The Beehive since La Bella Mafia dropped in 2003. I seriously hope Kim drops 1 more album before it’s all said & done cuz Bitches really need that Reminder… 
︎ (@KrisOnTheGramTV) 
men
(@jaeisoverit) 
(@xomarajs) 
(@ChelOnyxia) 
let what will be…be *dramatic cinematic music begins*
Life is too short to be a pressed hater,” one IG user stated. 
