Drama between celebrities is nothing new. It seems like every day they find something to fight about, and before you know it there’s a full-on war that has people taking sides while the two millionaires settle their differences. That’s exactly what happened this January, with rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj. After the release of Megan’s latest song, things quickly spiraled out of control, and now the courts are involved and careers are at risk.
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In December 2023, Nicki released her album “Pink Friday 2.” In the song “FTCU,” some think she was referring to Megan with the line “Stay in your Tory Lanez, bitch, I’m not Iggy.” This is a reference to when, in 2020, Megan was shot in the foot by rapper Tory Lanez, and the subsequent trial in which Australian rapper Iggy Azalea came out in support of Tory. The line was a surprise to fans because Megan and Nicki have had a good relationship in the past, even collaborating back in 2019. This line isn’t the one that set off the drama this January, but it still stood out to fans because of the obvious jab at Megan, and was a sign of how things might not have been going well between the two.
On January 26, Meghan released her latest single, “Hiss.” While some are calling it a diss track, this song is actually much deeper; a reflection on her career and how people have exploited her and used her for clout. As Daniella Mehlek-Dawveed wrote for the Duke Chronicle, “ ‘Hiss’ is not a creation but a direct portrayal of the human experience[…] Megan demonstrates her firm grasp on the power of transparency, and it is a testament to the brutality of self-rediscovery.”
In the song, fans noted a controversial line,“These hoes don’t be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan’s law.” The law she is referencing is named for Megan Kanka, a 17-year-old who was tragically raped and murdered by her neighbor, a known sex offender. Her family, who had no idea they were living across the street from such a dangerous person, fought for the creation of the law, which now requires states to keep a publicly available database of sex offenders and people who have committed crimes against children.
While this line didn’t mention Nicki directly, it caught her attention because her husband had previously gotten in trouble because of Megan’s law. In 1995, her husband Kenneth Petty was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison. When he moved to California in 2020, he failed to register as a sex offender within five days, leading him to be put under house arrest and probation, and made to pay a fine of $55,000. Then, in 2021, Nicki and Kenneth were sued by the victim after Nicki allegedly bribed her to take back what she said. Nicki’s brother, Jelani Manaj, also has a history of sexual assault. He confessed to assaulting his 11-year-old step daughter multiple times, and was convicted of rape in 2017. Nicki has defended her brother despite his horrific crimes.
On January 29, just three days after “Hiss” was released, Nicki dropped a new song called “Big Foot” in an attempt to clap back at Megan. The song received a mostly negative reaction, as people were disappointed by how Nicki reacted to the situation. “Big Foot” was criticized for being full of low blows; for example, the title is a reference to Megan being shot in the foot. Additionally, the line “Lying on your dead momma,” repeated several times, is a reference to Holly Pete, Megan’s mom who passed away from brain cancer in 2019. YouTube user @comesifa7469 summarized people’s opinions on Nicki perfectly, writing “it’s sad to think she could have retired from the game with style but instead she became bitter and hateful, especially towards younger female artists. What a shame.”
One TikTok user analyzed the art made for “Big Foot,” including one image of a city street, full of police officers and with giant footprints leading off into the distance. The TikToker spoke as though talking directly to Nicki, saying, “This artwork to me, tells me that you see Meg as this beast, this force to be reckoned with, this beast that is destroying, coming for your territory,” going on to say this represents how Nicki feels “threatened.” “What was the budget for this artwork, two dollars?” they continued, criticizing Nicki’s obvious use of AI to make the image. “Ma’am, why does this cop have two fingers, why does the caution tape have gibberish on it, and why are we surrounded by ‘polie’ cars?”
Despite the fact that most people, including some former fans, are on team Megan, many are still on Nicki’s side. A few barbs went too far and doxxed the location of Megan’s mom’s grave, calling for it to be vandalized.
Sources say that Richard Kanka, the father of Megan Kanka, is very upset and even considering taking legal action after Megan Thee Stallion used his daughter’s name in “Hiss,” calling the line “disrespectful and offensive” according to Newsweek. This caused mixed reactions online. Twitter user @LyricalNYC commented on the situation, writing “How can it be disrespectful when this law is helping other people and she got people to actually look into Megan’s law?[…] Nonetheless I understand he doesn’t want it involved in rap beef in general.” Another Twitter user, @beysrep, wrote “oh nicki probably paid him.”
If anything good came out of this situation, it’s that more people are now aware of Megan’s Law and Nicki’s controversial past. It would be sad if Nicki’s career took a permanent hit because of her reaction to a line that likely wasn’t even directed at her. Or maybe it would be deserved if she continues to associate with and defend sex offenders. Obviously, she is not to blame for the actions of the men in her life, but she is responsible for continuing to support them. For now we can only hope she will realize she is in the wrong and apologize.