Explained: What was American rapper Latto’s feud with Nicki Minaj

In the dynamic and ever-evolving world of the music industry, clashes between artists often capture headlines and spark widespread discussions. One such feud that garnered significant attention was the rift between rising American rapper Latto and the reigning queen of hip-hop, Nicki Minaj. We bring you the details of the whole feud.

Outlook International Desk

Updated on: 17 August 2023 11:09 pm

American rapper Latto

The feud between Nicki Minaj and Latto dates back to 2022 when Nicki Minaj expressed frustration upon learning that her highly successful single Super Freaky Girl (2022) is not being considered for hip-hop categories at the upcoming Grammys. Instead, it was up for the Best Pop Solo Performance category. Subsequently, Nicki brought Latto into the situation without apparent cause, leading to a feud.

Nicki directed her dissatisfaction over the Grammy nomination towards Latto, suggesting that if Super Freaky Girl (2022) is not being recognised in that category, then other pop-adjacent rap tracks like Latto's Big Energy (2022), shouldn't be acknowledged either. She emphasized that both tracks were produced by Dr. Luke, and thus, fairness should be maintained. Nicki claimed that anyone disagreeing with this perspective was either a "Nicki hater or a troll."

Latto initially refrained from responding publicly to Nicki but later disclosed that she had tried to engage in a private conversation. This move unexpectedly triggered a fierce exchange between the two artists, with shots being exchanged on social media.

It appears that the discord might have arised from tweets that Latto posted a week prior, which some interpreted as directed towards Nicki.

On October 6, 2022, Latto posted and subsequently deleted a tweet stating, ‘Big Energy' is the highest selling solo song of the year and longest charting solo song by a female rapper ever btw." This tweet was believed by some to be aimed at Nicki's accomplishments. Although unconfirmed, the tweet remained up for a few weeks without a direct response from Nicki.

Learning of Nicki's comments, Latto expressed her disappointment on social media, feeling unfairly singled out for something she felt she had not done.
Nicki Minaj even took to Twitter to call Latto an "entitled Karen," suggesting Latto failed to support her as a black woman. Latto countered by referencing past perceived slights from Nicki and even shared instances where Nicki allegedly insulted her earlier.

Nicki and Latto traded pointed remarks on social media, with Nicki sharing private messages and Latto highlighting her admiration for Nicki in spite of the feud. Latto also mentioned Nicki's husband Kenny Petty being a registered sex offender.