Nicki Minaj fans say they're losing respect for the rapper amid her 'embarrassing' attacks on Megan Thee Stallion (2024)

Although Megan didn't include any names in the song, Minaj interpreted this lyric as an attack on her husband, Kenneth Petty, who pleaded guilty to the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1995, when he was also 16. According to New York state's sex offender registry, Petty used a "knife/cutting instrument" against his victim.

In response, Minaj shared a freestyle rap on Instagram Live that mocked Megan's height and her gunshot wound: "Bad bitch she like six foot / I call her big foot / The bitch fell off / I said get up on your good foot."

Last year, rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan in the foot. Megan has been open about the mental and physical pain she suffered as a result of the assault.

Minaj has continued to post incessantly about Megan on X (formerly Twitter). She has repeatedly mentioned Megan's stature and foot, as well as Megan's mother, who died of brain cancer in 2019.

She has also reshared and liked posts taunting Megan, including one that combined Minaj's freestyle audio with footage of Megan limping on the street after she was shot.

Minaj went so far as to align herself with Ben Shapiro, a right-wing news pundit who recently released a parody diss track about liberals and "woke Karens." (It's unclear how Shapiro factors into this feud, but he previously made headlines for slamming "WAP," Megan's hit collaboration with Cardi B.)

Finally, on Sunday night, Minaj dropped a new song titled "Big Foot." Despite claiming it's not a" diss track," she promoted the release with a photo of Megan crying.

Indeed, the song is full of jabs about Megan's mother, her appearance, and her ex-boyfriend Pardison "Pardi" Fontaine, who's rumored to have cheated on her.

"Big foot but you still a small fry / Swearing on your dead mother when you lie," she raps. "This little begging whor* / Talking 'bout Megan's Law / For a free beat, you could hit Megan raw / If you a ghostwriter, Pardi in Megan jaw."

As one of the most celebrated and groundbreaking figures in hip-hop, Minaj commands a legion of fans. Her most passionate supporters, known as "Barbz," have gleefully promoted "Big Foot" and celebrated Minaj's never-back-down attitude.

However, others have responded to this feud with concern, distress, or newfound disdain.

Minaj's campaign against Megan (which has so far gone unacknowledged by the Houston artist herself) has been criticized by many onlookers online, including people who still admire Minaj's talent or have defended her in the past.

In one viral TikTok by @veganhippiesol with over 1 million views, the self-identified former fan said she's lost respect for Minaj.

"As somebody that has recently retired their Barb flag, no ma'am. I just cannot believe the evolution of Nicki Minaj," the TikToker said.

"A lot of women in rap are influenced by her. That is a true statement. Nobody can take her accolades away from her," she continued. "However, her most recent actions are very questionable and disappointing."

Another TikTok by @lawyerbae included a thoughtful critique of Minaj's legacy as a rapper — and how it's affected by her outsize reaction to "Hiss."

"There are myriad of ways that Nicki Minaj has come for other women, just point-blank period," the TikToker said. "Megan addressing it in a diss track is not only classy, but it's also what you do as a true student of hip-hop who really respects the culture."

Journalist and culture critic Gerrick Kennedy also shared his negative reaction to "Big Foot" on X.

"This cannot be the same woman who made 'Itty Bitty Piggy,'" Kennedy wrote, referring to a fan-favorite Minaj track from 2009. "I am astounded by how bad this is. From the flow, to the punchlines. Nicki Minaj allowed her own bitter jealousy to take her crown."

Many reactions on X echo this sentiment. Others simply poke fun at Minaj for doubling down while Megan has remained silent.

Representatives for Minaj and Megan did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.