In the latest development in their long-standing rivalry, Lil Kim has challenged Nicki Minaj to battle it out, hit-for-hit, in a Verzuz matchup. While speaking with DJ Envy on the BET Awards 2021 red carpet, Kim touched on parenting and becoming a teacher during the pandemic before the conversation shifted to whether the Brooklyn rapper would participate in a Verzuz and if so, against who?
“Not going to say who against, but would you do a Verzuz?” Envy asked Kim, with the Queen Bee replying with an emphatic, “Yes,” to the idea of participating in the popular live-streaming series. “Is there anybody that you’d do it against? Or are you just ready for anybody,” Envy prodded, with Kim answering by simply replying, “Nicki,” giving her Queens-bred counterpart an open invitation to face-off with one another to see who’s the superior artist and hit maker. Check out Kim’s comments at the 28:19 mark of the video below.
? @DJEnvy is about to have our #BETAwards 2021 Red Carpet Livestream rocking! ? Watch now LIVE! #CulturesBiggestNight https://t.co/p6AOYlQx55
— BET (@BET) June 27, 2021
The short clip of Kim speaking with Envy quickly circulated through social media, becoming a trending topic. Many fans reveled at the thought of seeing the two rap legends performing their signature records while ultimately settling their score, and debated on which artist would be victorious if the showdown were to actually happen.
Lil Kim’s gripes with Nicki Minaj dates back to the late aughts when fans found a striking resemblance between promotional pictures for Minaj’s 2007 mixtape, Playtime Is Over, and Lil Kim’s classic artwork for her 1996 solo debut, Hard Core. After a verbal exchange between the two backstage at a Lil Wayne concert, the beef escalated, with Lil Kim going on the offensive, dropping her 2010 mixtape, Black Friday, which included various slights against Minaj on the same week Minaj dropped her solo debut album, Pink Friday. Minaj would ultimately clap back in interviews and in song, releasing “Tragedy,” a 2011 diss track aimed at her predecessor. The beef has gradually simmered over the years, however, with Kim’s recent declaration, it looks as if the tension between the two remains alive and well.
In addition to her remarks on the red carpet, Kim also took the stage at the BET Awards 2021, performing Queen Latifah’s 1993 single, “U.N.I.T.Y.” during the award show’s tribute to the hip-hop icon.