Much ado has been made about Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim‘s on-going “beef”, no doubt due to the ladies publicly sparring on song and during interviews. Speaking at the VH1 Divas: Salute The Troops last night, female Hip-Hop pioneer MC Lyte gave her two cents on the issue.
What does she think of the feud? Who does she feel would win in a battle? Find out after the jump…
For non-US readers, a snippet of Lyte’s comments:
“Those who really need to be worried by Nicki’s record is Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado,” she tells VH1. “Nicki is coming out to win. She’s not thinking of the block. She’s not just thinking of the city. So she’s able to handle so many areas of what it takes right now to be an international star.”
1rst
Well said mc lyte and before everyone jump and talk ish that wasn’t a shade to nicki i think the beef is gettin old and stupid move on and keep making great music
LOL @ the host siding with Kim and trying to persuade Lyte. Kudos to her for paying it no mind and have a great perspective on the big picture.
So only white girls who have been associated to hip hop acts have to worry about Onika?
I love Mc Lyte and I respect the woman but this is a “shade-but-no-shade” comment she made here.
But I also think the beef is old and useless.
What’s amazing to me is that when 2 men are at in in the hip hip game it’s cool. Its “Beef” and we can’t wait to hear what the other one says. But when it’s 2 women, they are being bitchie, they need to get over it, it’s about jealousy…..THIS IS HIP HOP! There’s nothing wrong with a little battle people. The problem is they should put it on wax and let their skills do the battling for them instead of doing all of these RIDICUOLOUS interviews!
I think that was a great response. She’s right Nicki’s records are more along those lines she’s trying to cross over and it’s working for her so it’s really the ppl who MC Lyte named that should watch their heads. And I agree @Gangstera the beef is old.
McLyte is being politically correct. She is saying Nicki aint hip-hop so no hip-hop artiste need to worry. This b**** is as commercial as them white females listed.
I concur.
MC Lyte’s response shows great maturity and wisdom. Lil Kim may never have the international access to opportunity that Niki Minaj has. Lil Kim looks really desperate right now.
Exactly!!
Nicki is catering to an international audience. I don’t know what people don’t understand about that. The is , it’s working. that’s why everyone mad. See, everyone and dey mama is talking about Nicki.
*DEAD* WTF are people talking about Nicki catering to an international audience? So people not in the US only like watered down bubblegum Hip-Pop?! NO!
Look it up “Barbz” her album bombed everywhere besides the US and Canada and it’s sliding there too now lol
MC Lyte practically said Nicki isn’t Hip-Hop so sit the f*** down.
Kim 2 – Nicki 0
MC Lyte clearly gave a response like a true legend in the game. Not really taking any sides. But LOL @ Nicki being competition for Fergie, Gwen Stefani, and Nelly Furtado. More like Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and other garbage pop artists!
Random: Gwen Stefani & Nelly Furtado >>>>>>>>>>>>> all them other bishes.
I GOT FROM THAT NICKI AINT HIP HOP.. NICKI AINT TOUCHING ANY OF US ITS THE POP B****** THAT NEED TO WORRY SO FOLKS KIM WINS
She debuted at #36 on the UK official album chart.. It goes to show that shes suitable for the US market.. Shez also dng great is South Africa
errr how did Nickis album bomb outside the USA … UK 34 and Ireland 45 …when was the last time a female rapper even charted outside the USA (other than missy) …swere this Nicki hates getting silly now … Nicki is doing well over here in the UK …unlike other female mcs
LOL at Lyte’s response! hmm…It’s clear Nicki is watered down hip hop i.e sessentially hip-pop AND
Fergie and Gwen are NOT worrying about Nicki, lol. I think people know Lil Kim’s name as much or more than Nicki internationally. She did a mini-world tour earlier this year in the UK, Germany, Sweden etc so it’s not liek folks don’t know Kim.
She just needs to drop a cd, don’t worry about sales, just drop good music. I think she can go gold in the us and at least 800k total WW which is a good look for her.
Another black trash feud,
seriously any news about humans and not black animal trash feuds?
I don’t quite know what to make of those coments . Seems like she side stepped taking a swipe at Kim which I applaud her for but the comparisons to white, pop, slightly outlandish singers have me scratching my head and I concur with the poster above, why are women beef being held to a different standard than men beef! weird and sexist in a bad way!
@sugar honey ice tea
The only ‘mainstream’ female rapper to release an album recently was Trina earlier this year and I doubt her label shipped her cd internationally or even did any promo outside of the US ie. radio/print etc so your statement doesn’t mean anything.
#45 in Ireland is probably about 1500 copies if that as their sales are very low. #34 in the UK is probably around 12-13k. I’m sure when she does X-Factor, her sales will go up but any other market, the album isn’t doing much right now.
M.C. Lyte is NOT throwing shade at Nicki at all. She is simply stating the facts. If you had the opportunity watch Nicki’s special, she said that her MTV VMA performance with Will.i.am was THE MOST IMPORTANT performance of her career. You have read in between the lines as to WHY she would say this. Lyte read it accurately.
Nicki’s goal is to become an internationally successful POP artist. So, her competition is Katy Perry, Kesha, Gaga, Fergie, Gwen, etc….MC Lyte is completely on point.
Um take it how you want it, but Mc Lyte just really said Nikki is not Hip Hop…..
Stop trying to interpret what Mc Lyte is saying, what shes saying is exactly what she said. WHy should she jump in and take sides in somebody elses beef??? Its one things for the fans to get involved, but the artist are gonna mind their damn business because who they choose might very well take a toll on their fan base. The beef should have been deaded with records a year ago when it all started….so now thats why were saying its old….when we heard Nas and Jay-z had beef we heard records INSTANTLY….there was no half assing about it. This s*** IS old….period. Great Comments from MC.Lyte
@DANE U SAID IT
*DEAD* at people saying Nicki is doing well in the UK, 36 is a FLOP IDGAF what Genre especially when her and her feature video’s have been all over TV for ages.
And no 36 in the UK is not about 13k somebody debuted at No 26 a couple weeks ago with 7.5k so Nicki probably sold like 3k here and she’s at No53 or something this week, Ireland would be even lower sales than in the uk.
And FYI there are female rappers being released in the UK, MIA reached 21 with her new album.
I didn’t listen to the video but 1 things right that is Nicki is a POP artist. Pink Friday is a POP album with POP productions, POP hooks and rap verses. It’s like Nicki minaj the singer featuring nickis rap verses. It’s NOT A HIP HOP ALBUM. Nicki is a lil Wayne knockoff. Kim is like jayz, all hood, all rap no singing, no POP sounds. So shes right about that but I can’t respect Nicki anymore because she confesses to abandoning herself just to be a pop star. (listen to ‘Dear old Nicki’)Who does that? Thats why her hometown don’t show her much love cause that ain’t what she came out with. If any of you heard her mixtapes. Or seen her ‘come up’ dvd her s*** wack she was rapping the same s*** lil Kim was saying but it was real wack. She really was an awful rapper. Her lyrics was garbage. If she had any originality and stop trying to be like Wayne and Drake then maybe I wouldn’t have deleted her album but she a knock off. She’s a collage of lil Kim, lil Wayne, Drake and whoever else writes her verses. She’s wack.
Salt n Pepa have always done well internationally. But i dont see how that statement is a compliment to Nicki AT ALL. Lyte is basically saying what Nicki is doing is not Hip Hop???
nicki is hip-hop/r&b-pop artist she want to appeal to everyone not only to pepole from the hood she don’t want to become a has been like most of the female rappers nicki came to win FYI she was singing on her mixtapes too so cut that crap off
It’s clear to me that Lyte is a fan! She was accurate on everything she said! Nicki never said that she was 100% hip hop! She got it in her trust me but she know to be successful and not stuck in the mold of the other hip hop female MC (Trina, Foxy, Remy, Diamond..) Yhu got to grab all audience attention! Nicki is doing a good job at that!
I thought lil kim was international already…I see princes in the Middle East paying her 1mill to perform…? WTF…Onika is pop-hop
And why all of a sudden is her opinion relevant? Because she’s a legend! The same reason Lil Kim can basically say whatever in the hell she wants too! Living legend…only chick with 5 mics…
I just re-watched the interview (don’t just read the snippets for the non-US readers, watch the interview) and MC Lyte is extremely COMPLIMENTARY of Nicki. I mean, Lyte gives her much respect.
I am a Nicki fan. To the other Nicki fans, what is the problem with what she is saying? Because she didn’t straight up say that Nicki, equally, has block credibility as well as pop credibility? If this is the problem, I think it is a ridiculous request of Nicki fans to expect Lyte to articulate this point for everybody else.
Pink Friday is a pop album. There is nothing wrong with that. If you disagree with me and you want to read Pink Friday as a hybrid sort of album (hip-pop, r &b), that too, is fine. However, at end of the day, MC Lyte is very supportive of Nicki’s particular moves.
Nicki does not and cannot define the totality of hip-hop music. Who can? Instead, she is carving out her BRAND of what she sees as hip-hop. What is the problem here?
LOL! Lyte said Nicki isn’t HipHop *dead* but so true….
YAWN…. WHILE YOU ALL RIDING KIM D*** I HOPE YOU ALL BUY HER ALBUM, WHICH PROBABLY WONT BE RELEASED TILL 2018 LMAO
There is nothing wrong with not just representing for the hood. This girl clearly wants to just do her own thing, so let her! & the reason why it’s different with men & women is because its so few women doing this that it looks very ugly when we “beef”. Yea there are male rappers who don’t get along but there are also male rappers supporting each other. If there is one main chick doing it and everyone is coming at her head then we look stupid and catty, & that is exactly what men expect of women! Being one dimensional gets you no where! Some people get it and those who don’t eventually fade away.
@ FUTURESTARDELUX
It’s funny how you called Nicki ‘watered down hip-pop’ , then you try to back up your statement about rappers being released in the UK, with MIA being on the charts….
So what if Nicki is ‘watered down hip-pop’, what is MIA?
You’re a bit contradicting.
DEAD DEAD DEAD..
if nicki wasnt hip hop why would she claim lil kim is making it hard for female rappers like her?
u stans just like to contradict yall self..first yall claim shes a rapper, now yall claiming she s a pop singer?
mc lyte just shut that b**** that without saying s***..
u know u have no respect from the rap community if a legend rapper, claims ur only competition is fergie, gwen, and nelly f..
I’m tired of people keep saying Nicki’s album flopped outside the U.S.
It’s even good for a primary uS artist’s debut album TO EVEN CHART INTERNATIONALLY!
So get your facts straight.
Her top fifty debuts in UK & Ireland were good.
okay first off i dont think alot of you watched the interview mc lyte said said all good things about nicki she said she was like missy on steriods and that when she listends to nicki it is like going on a vovage an that nicki got her BUSINESS down and that nicki is diffrent……nicki says she doesnt want to be in a box restricted to a certain type of music so what mc said is true aND im glad she supports nicki and the lady forced her to bring up kim talking about nicki grunts like her WTH she was just trying to get mc lyte involved in their dumb beef
@RATED XXX(AKA RATED X)
you must didnt listen to the whole interview either she said when she hears nicki its like shes in a voyage mc lyte says alot of good things about nicki she just restating that nicki not putting herself in a box like mc lyte said she coming to when and she got her business in order thats a huge complient from a rap legend
and nicki is female rapper she just not only that and fy1 female rappers arent only hip hop i can say kesha is a female rapper she is rapping just like MIA and fergie are rappers
@LolSmileyFace, B**** please i live in the UK and i know my own charts… 36 is a FLOP no hiding it, don’t tell me about 3k 1st week is good when the No1 album sold 500k 1st week lmao! Especially since her vids are all over TV it isn’t like she’s an underground artist lol
@KaelaSoul, the diference is that nobody has ever said MIA was a hardcore rapper unlike Nicki’s stans trying to say she goes harder than Kim lmao! MIA has always been alternative rap i don’t even think there’s anybody doing the s*** she is. And the point i responded to was that no female rappers were releasing in the UK, MIA is a rapper, she released and she charted higher than Nicki despite not having a 10th of her airplay and vid plays.
You guys are insane. MC Lyte didn’t say Nicki wasn’t hip-hop. She just said that Nicki was different than say Kim because Nicki isn’t after impressing the streets and the hardcore rap fans, Nicki is after international superstardom and the business aspect – which Lyte applauded.
I also could NOT agree more with MC Lyte about Nicki. When I see Nicki, I see Missy.
@FutureStarDelux
Why the HELL do you have that damn Gravatar? Seriously *rolls eyes*.
@RihannaForever, Kim is more famous than Nicki WW lol and she did that with REAL rap, Lyte basically said Nicki aint hip hop don’t play like she didn’t.
I got the Gravatar to show what a w**** Slutyonce is lol
@FUTURESTARDELUX
when has a Nicki fan/stan EVER said Nicki was hardcore??? If you listen to her early work, its clear that she can be, but I aint never heard a Nicki fan say Nicki is hardcore. I mean the album is titled Pink Friday…..wtf
I think you jus tryin to make sense out of your MIA comment. When i didn’t even know MIA was consider hip hop.
@FUTURESTARdelux
Some of u contradict yourselves so much to the point that anything u say will b a negative in regards to Nicki
First shes not real hard core hip hop according to u but u bash her international sales as if the UK knows anything about real hardcore rap music
The fact that Nicki minaj even charted overseas without stepping in the territory at all and as a new artist. Remember she never went overseas for promo tour or anything like Drake did. She didn’t even promote in Canada because they turned her away from the border for something.
But its like people want BIG BIG BIG so quick.
Can artist grow to become big anymore? Damn. Nicki is doing something good for female rap because shes helping it evolve. That’s what I see MC lyte saying. She knows because if u look back at Mc Lytes discography, you will see horrendous numbers compared to the men and she didnt even stay in the game that long or garner that many hits even with her talent.
Remember not too long ago female rappers were getting shelved everywhere and dropped from labels because people were sick of the same tired formula from them. So whats wrong with nicki finding the formula that works? Isn’t that the point of it all?
Yall taking Mc Lyte’s comment way out of context. If you actually watch the video, MC Lyte actually explained what she was talking about. She basically saying Nicki isn’t trying to be in a box and she’s trying to be world wide. Nicki isn’t just trying to be a rapper that represents one specific hood or place. Yall say she’s not hardcore, why because she doesn’t talk about guns, drugs and other irrelevent s***. But anyway I think everybody needs to be worried cuz Nicki is doing her damn thing, no matter what yall haters say. #TeamNicki!
Just to clarify when i said about Nicki being “hardcore” i didn’t mean full on i meant REAL hip hop and My MIA thing made perfect sense.
@ MUZIKJUNKIE! “She basically saying Nicki isn’t trying to be in a box and she’s trying to be world wide.”
I feel what you are saying, fundamentally, but Nicki’s fans overuse “getting out of the box” to justify Nicki’s license into the pop mainstream too easily. When looking at the brilliant album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” for example, you see an artist who REFUSES to compromise her art. She is speaking DIRECTLY to “the hood” on this album. Yet, others just happen to feel this album. 8 million sold in the U.S. 20 million sold worldwide. The audience had to COME to the artist and not in the reverse—this is the reason why Nicki is receiving this type of criticism when it comes to the “hip-hop vs. pop” debate. With that said, speaking directly to “the hood” does not necessarily suggest that “a box” is present. The universal is housed in the particular.
An artist whom people feel is PANDERING their work will always receive less respect. This is the nature of art.
I don’t think we overuse the “out of the box” quote to justify her work. I think people just like to try and criticize Nicki because she’s not your average female mc. Because she’s different and because she’s not afraid to be herself ,or because she doesn’t try too hard to be a certain character because that’s what people expect from her as a rapper. #TeamNicki
Why would she mention Gwen Stefani? She doesn’t even make music anymore. Dumbass MC Lyte
Gwen Stefani and Nelly Furtado? Are they even on the charts right now?
@Mr. T and @WorldWideChica
Could NOT agree more.
@FutureStarDelux
M.I.A, by the way, is as much a rapper as Ke$ha. M.I.A is considered electro/alternative. Perform adequate research.
Kim had moderate success worldwide. Nicki is on her DEBUT record, so of course international success when Nicki has yet to do ANY international promotion outside of the Caribbean and North Ameirca is minimal. TRY AGAIN.
Also, that wasn’t a real picture of Beyonce, anyways. Why is it that you hate everyone but Lil Kim? What a hater…
@MUZIKJUNKIE!, ” I think people just like to try and criticize Nicki because she’s not your average female mc. Because she’s different and because she’s not afraid to be herself ,or because she doesn’t try too hard to be a certain character because that’s what people expect from her as a rapper.”
Yes, I absolutely agree with you. My question is, what does the average female look like or sound like? Is she Da Brat?I Is she Queen Latifah? Is she Boss? Or is she Lil Kim or Foxy Brown? I’m not being facetious when I ask these questions, i’m being serious. If what you mean by average you mean “sexual,” “I’m gonna show my body,” “i rap about s** and clothes,” etc….then I say that this is an extremely problematic way of reading female rappers when male rappers MAKE THEIR MONEY by being misogynistic, homophobic, masculist, materialistic, and violent.
But when thinking about Lil Kim, we all have to think much more critically than this. Is Lil Kim this average female MC? You know, the one who ALWAYS talks about s**, the one who is being slutty, the one who is disgraceful to black women and Nicki Minaj is a better role model? The better example of what a female emcee should be?
For any Nicki Minaj fans who think “YES,” you are embarrassing.
Lil Kim’s lyrics have been studied by Ph.D.’s . The book “Hip-Hop Revolution in the Flesh: Power, Knowledge, and Pleasure in Lil Kim’s Lyricism” demonstrate this point. This is an ACADEMIC press, not some bootleg press by the way.
Kim is Iconic in rap. There is nothing Nicki’s fans can do about that. What we can all do, at this point, is be smarter about the ways in which we read the copy that comes out. Be smarter about the ways in which female emcees are pitted against each each other.
With that said, Kim was MORE than justified in responding to Nicki. Kim IS Legendary. Nicki is trying to BECOME Legendary. This is, ultimately, what we are talking about.
FUTURESTARDELUX
STFU already! Nicki Minaj is hardcore, feminine, animated, and just silly. So what are you talking about she claimed to be a hardcore rapper and then changed it up? Nicki Minaj has constantly talked about how she took acting in high school and that’s were she gets her animation in her music from. WTF is wrong with that? It’s a damn shame that so many stupid hip-hop ghetto hoodrats don’t know about music and are so close minded! Nicki is hip-hop and incorporates different genres of music such as R&B, Pop, and Electronic in her songs. Why should she be trapped in a box? You can’t say that songs like “Roman’s Revenge,” “Here I Am,” “Blazin, and “Did It On Them” are “true” hip-hop songs with hardcore or just generic hip-hop beats. Everything else is a mix between the genres listed above.
I can’t understand why people are so hard on Nicki. Lil Kim is not a f****** legend! She only became a legend a few weeks ago when she decided to diss Nicki. Before that, I never heard of anyone calling her a legend and she damn sure isn’t no icon. The real female hip-hop and rap legends are Salt N Pepper, Missy Elliot, MC Lyte, and Lauryn Hill. Every body else just had their little shine.
Beefing had always been stupid, whether it be a man or female so there’s no excuses as to why it should continue on. Lil HIM is just made that no one cares about her anymore! She got lucky back in the day because that’s when hip-hop was big and she always showed up at the VMAS in raunchy outfits and got publicity for it!
@ Lola, I was completely with you until you said that Kim is not Iconic. Sorry, she is. There is absolutely nothing you can do about that. You can, certainly, disagree with that status but she is Iconic, period point blank.
Kim has been in the game since ’95- spitting UNFORGETTABLE rhymes. Please do not attempt to disrespect her contribution to the game. This is where you start sounding like a typical, clueless, Nicki Minaj fan. That is not a good look. Avoid that look at all cost.
I am a true Nicki fan but the fact of the matter is Pink Friday is NOT a classic-sorry. This is not to say that she will not/cannot produce a classic- I am anxiously awaiting it.
Again, Kim is Legendary.
Nicki Minaj hasn’t released any singles here yet (Australia) (excluding Check It Out. I choose to ignore that trash exsists). Nor have they been plugged here or anything. People know Nicki for her rap on 2012 & a s*** load of other songs she’s featured on already, without anything being plugged. So all you Nicki haters should probably look at some facts before you post them.
I’m not a huge Nicki fan (especially after Pink Friday), but her stuff will sell. It’s easy listening, friendly pop stuff. It’s what the Australians like and no doubt, other parts of the world will catch on to.
KIM GOT THIS SHTI IN A F****** BAG NICKI MINAJ…IS NOT RAP SHES TRYING TO GET PEOPLE INTUNED WITH HER “POP” SIDE IN OTHER WORDS WHAT MC LYTE WAS TRYING TO SAY IS YEA ITS GOOD THAT SHE INTERNATIONAL BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT THE QUEEN B**** LIL KIM HAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT BECAUSE NICKI MINAJ IS NOT REALLY A HIP HOP….ALL OF THE [PEOPLE SHE NAMED WERE POP ARTIST..MEANING MINAJ IS #NOT F****** WIT KIM….HANDS DOWN KIM GOT THIS S***….CANT WAIT TIL HER NEW ALBUM DROP NEXT YEAR
It’s kind of funny how MC Lyte is saying Nelly Furtado, Gwen Stefani and Fergie gotta worry about Minaj’s record. Them three woman been there, done that…Nelly’s doing a Spanish album, climbing the latin charts, Gwen Stefani is recording with No Doubt again and Fergies been having chart success with the Black Eyed Peas. They are way out of Nicki’s league. Nicki will always be in a box no matter how much people say she’s not. Pop, dance-pop and R&B are the only things she’s been doing.. oh and “rapping” I guess.
@Lola, it’s also funny how you say Kim ain’t iconic when Nicki dresses like her in photoshoots and got the barbie thing going on with this pop music b****. By the way, Nicki isn’t hardcore and barely meets the real hip-hop standards, it takes more than her gimmicks and cool punchlines. You can’t change the definition of hip-hop, or it won’t be hip-hop.
OH Yeah…and by the way, hip-hop has ABSO-F******-LUTELY NOTHING TO DO with Billboard charts or any chart for that matter. It was meant for the streets, where you know what’s good hip-hop and what’s wack as f***. You can’t throw hip-hop out there and expect the secular audience to know what it is…that has happened already and it confused the pop kids. That’s why you now have Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane, New Boyz and the rest of those little wack ass nobody rappers.
I nicki goin to eat lil kim up but it kind of hard to said cuz botth of them doin they thing but nicki hot rite now
I respect MC Lyte on her perspective… Honestly i agree… Kim appeals to one audience while Nicki appeals to more… Kim is major in the black community but Kim appeal does not reach outside of that… Nicki has appeal in the black community but also in the white community… Its not about Nicki being a sell out its about money… All these rappers in the game are in the game to make money… The industry isnt ballin like it used to be so you have to hussle… Nicki could have stayed only in the black community but honestly as a new artist you have to venture out and do more… Nicki has elevated the game although i might not like all her music or that damn bride of frankenstien wig she rocks but hands down she has changed the entire game… when i think of Nicki i dont see a rapper i see a hip hop artist and Like Jay Z said Hip hop has pulls from every genre not just rap so i see nicki as an internation start vs Kim being a national start if u catch my drift… Kim has held the crown down for a long time but kim will always be Kim she is a female rapper… Nick has many hats, Singing (no beyonce tho), and her rap style is versitile she had that hood, but she ahs that corky, fun, bubble gum, pop, rythmic and animated flow that ever rapper is incorporating into there music now… I say nick may have pull her image at start from Kim but nicki has paved her own way and made a name for her self not onlyi in the black community but internationally and every rapper wants to be a international star Nicki has that appeal…
@LOLA… now althought ima bigger Nicki fan than Kim and i feel how i feel you cant take the impact that Kim had on the rap game when she was in ehr prime… Now i understand what you mean by Iconic but i think you letting your love for NM blind you to the fact that Lil Kim is the reason alot of female rappers are out the game… Kim killed alot of female rappers careers… And even tho Nicki is hot Kim is the reigning Queen and thats point blank…