The long-simmering rivalry between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj has boiled over once more, this time spilling into vicious social media exchanges that pull in their children and question album success. Just days ago, as Nicki Minaj celebrated her son Papa Bear's birthday—marking another year for the boy she shares with husband Kenneth Petty—the mood soured quickly. Cardi B, fresh off releasing her second studio album Am I the Drama?, fired back at perceived digs from Minaj, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj, about inflated sales figures.
Indeed, the feud, which dates back to 2017 when Cardi accused Nicki of trying to derail her career, has always carried a sharp edge. But this week's Twitter storm feels particularly raw. Nicki, posting from her verified account, mocked Cardi's Billboard chart performance, claiming the Bronx rapper's numbers were propped up artificially—perhaps through bundled deals or streaming tricks. Cardi didn't hold back, responding with a barrage of tweets that labeled Nicki as jealous and obsessed, even threatening legal action over what she called defamatory lies. Moreover, the insults escalated when references to their kids surfaced; Nicki alluded to Cardi's daughter Kulture in a post that many read as a low blow, while Cardi countered by questioning Nicki's parenting amid the birthday festivities.
However, beneath the drama, sales data tells a mixed story. Am I the Drama? debuted strong, moving over 200,000 equivalent units in its first week according to industry trackers, though Nicki dismissed it as underwhelming compared to her own catalog peaks. Fans, divided as ever, flooded timelines with support for either side, turning #CardiVsNicki into a trending topic overnight. The back-and-forth, laced with explicit language and personal barbs, highlights how these two queens of rap remain locked in a battle that mirrors broader tensions in hip-hop's female frontier.
Yet, as the tweets pile up, one wonders if this endless cycle of conflict ultimately diminishes the artistry both have fought so hard to claim.
