Megan Thee Stallion addresses origins of Nicki Minaj beef

‘Hiss’ rapper was asked if there was any hope for a reconciliation

Megan Thee Stallion has admitted she still isn’t sure what exactly started her feud with fellow rapper Nicki Minaj.

The two US artists have been embroiled in a row since at least 2021, when Minaj unfollowed the “Savage” star on Instagram and the pair began taking swipes at one another in their music.

Megan, 29, addressed the beef in a cover interview for Billboard, in which she also spoke about her unwavering support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

In the wake of the shots she took at Minaj on her 2024 single “Hiss”, Megan was asked whether there was any chance of a reconciliation.

“I still to this day don’t know what the problem is,” Megan responded. “I don’t even know what could be reconciled because I, to this day, don’t know what the problem is.”

The most recent chapter of Megan and Minaj’s difficult relationship began when Megan released “Hiss” in January. The track was widely interpreted to include a swipe at Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty.

Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj have been feuding for years (Getty)

It begins with Megan’s declaration that she wants to “get this s*** off my chest and lay it to rest”, before she raps: “These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s Law / I don’t really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y’all don’t want me to start.”

Megan’s Law refers to the US federal law that enforces that information regarding registered sex offenders is available to the public. For some, this line is a veiled remark aimed at Petty, who is a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to attempted rape by force or fear at age 16.

Mere hours after the release of “Hiss”, Minaj launched into a tirade on social media and previewed her song, “Big Foot”, a diss track aimed at Megan.

The song was released in full on 29 January, with notable lyrics such as: “Bad b*** she like six foot, I call her, “Big Foot” / The b**** fell off, I said, Get up on your good foot”.

Megan’s relationship with Minaj had already been in decline by this point, after she collaborated with her rival, Cardi B, on the 2020 hit “WAP”. She had previously teamed up with Minaj in 2019 on their collaboration, “Hot Girl Summer”.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion in the video for 'WAP' (Screenshot)

Minaj unfollowed Megan on Instagram in January 2021, prompting fans to begin labelling them as rivals. Months later, they were convinced that Minaj took a swipe at Megan in her song “Seeing Green”.

In the same Billboard interview, Megan was asked if she took credit for restarting the “competitive rap energy” music fans have seen in 2024, which later saw a major beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

“I would like to think that I start things,” she said. “I don’t know; I just knew what I had to do and what I had to say. If it opened up the door for everyone else to get s–t off their chest, well, I’m glad.”

Of vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Harris, Megan, who recently performed at one of Harris’s rallies, said she felt “blessed” to be alive in a lifetime where a Black woman or “a woman at all” could be president.

Kamala Harris has Megan Thee Stallion’s support (AP)

“This is what the future is about,” she said. “We really about to get a strong, Black female in there. I feel like America needed a woman to come in here and put a woman’s touch on it. It’s been going a little crazy lately, and we need somebody to put their foot down. I feel like Kamala, she gon’ do that.”

She continued: “Now we just got to get out there and go vote. I don’t like it when I see people saying, ‘I’m not voting. F*** it.’

“What the f*** are you talking about? You’re going to complain about what you don’t like but you’re not going to help the cause? I think that’s very irresponsible because if you don’t like what Trump has going on, why even aid in him being the president again?”

The full Billboard interview is available on newstands and online now.