I’ll start this by saying, I STAN Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj. Both women not only deserve their flowers but they also deserve respect at the highest level. However, after the 2021 BET Awards, DJ Envy asked Lil’ Kim whether or not she would battle Nicki Minaj in a Verzuz battle.
As far as we’re concerned, this matchup should never happen. Here’s why we don’t need a Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj Verzuz battle…
What is Verzuz?
In case you’re unaware, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz created Verzuz — the online battle against the most celebrated artists and producers — to get us through the 2020 quarantine. While Rolling Stone reports Timbaland and Swizz Beatz were fortunate enough to sell the series to Triller, the greatest impact seems to be cultural.
Many people enjoy the nostalgia the event brings. Seeing our music legends celebrate one another is the greatest takeaway, but the underlying “competition” element has always been there.
The Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj beef
Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj have a lot of history. In an interview with Angie Martinez at Hot 97, Nicki shared that whispers in the business began to make her ears perk. And while she cites Lil’ Kim as one of her primary influences, she finally had the opportunity to ask her face-to-face if they were good at a LIl’ Wayne concert. Nicki said Lil’ Kim responded with: “Yeah, we good,” followed by hugs and kisses and a picture.
XXL Mag shared that Lil’ Kim had a different recollection of the night’s events. Lil’ Kim said, “Picture somebody saying to me, ‘We good?’ I’ll ring her throat, snatch her larynx out.” Yikes.
In 2009, the two were put on Birdman’s song, “Grindin’ Making Money.” Metro claims neither woman didn’t know the other would be on the song, and rumors began to ramp up when Lil’ Kim rapped: “They’ll never be another me/What, you out your mind?’
And then the men got involved. Footage leaked of Ray J shading Nicki with Lil’ Kim in the background giggling. No less than 24 hours after, Drake offered his two cents. Rap Radar reports that Drake said to Nicki: “I don’t give a f**k what Lil’ Kim or nobody else is talking about. You’re the baddest chick to ever do this s**t!”
Nicki, seemingly frustrated with murmurs, responded with her pen on the “Hello, Good Morning” remix, where her infamous line: “Did I kill a queen” made everyone instantly think about the Queen Bee aka Lil’ Kim.
Since then, the two have not gone directly at each other as much. and they have chilled in terms of referencing each other negatively. Nicki has even continued to name Lil’ Kim as one of her influences, which, is why we just don’t see it for a Verzuz.
A better matchup
Instead, the most suitable person for Lil’ Kim is definitely Foxy Brown. Why? Because they’re from the same era. They both dominated ’90s hip-hop and gave us some of the best music that’s still in rotation. When it comes to the vets in the industry who are in need of being celebrated and praised on a bigger platform, we can’t think of two women who are more deserving than Kim and Fox. Of course, they’ve had their personal issues as well, but this Verzuz battle just makes way more sense to us.
The best part of Verzuz is the ability to celebrate the songs, the features, and the key elements of music for that time. Even as we all observed the tension of Brandy vs. Monica and Keyshia Cole vs. Ashanti, there were still enlightening moments of the women celebrating each other, and laughing over memories. We would love to see this same camaraderie between Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown.
In the end, there is still no clear path to a Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj Verzuz battle actually happening and we’re okay with that. We stan Lil’ Kim, Nicki Minaj, and Foxy Brown, and we want nothing more than to see all of the ladies shine in a way that makes sense for the culture.
What do you think about a Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj Verzuz battle?