Radio personality Charlamagne tha God and rapper Nicki Minaj have been unfriendly for a while now. In a recent interview with VladTV, Charlamagne AKA Lenard McKelvey revealed that he doesn’t care if they ever reconcile their tumultuous relationship.
Apparently, it all began in 2014 when McKelvey criticized her song “Anaconda.” In the interview, Vlad (Vladimir Lyubovny) asked for information on “what exactly happened” between the two of them.
McKelvey said that he and Minaj used to be “super cool” and that he always respected her and her talent, and that they were so close at one point he was actually on her second album.
“In interviewed her for that album and that went on the end of the album,” he said. “Me and Nikki was always cool but I think it started when “Anaconda” came out. First time I heard it was on the radio. And I was like ‘I don’t like that record it ain’t for me but I said ‘the video probably gonna be fire.'”
Minaj didn’t take to kindly to his comments, he said. “I think our relationship was a little rocky since then. And then I’ve had other opinions about her or her music or how she might have been moving.”
He then reiterated he had “nothing but respect” for Minaj. “I do nothing but salute her. I don’t care if she ever comes to Breakfast Club ever again. I don’t care if we’re ever cool again. It’s like ‘yo, I got respect for her.'”
After spouting that praise, McKelvey slips in a little jab: “Nobody’s above critique. I want to be clear in saying that.” However, make sure the critique is about the art, he said, as opposed to the person.
He goes on to say that he’s privy to things that can happen behind the scenes, like how someone would treat someone else, and he can “bring that to the microphone,” which he said isn’t fair.
“With Nicki I think some of those things might have got personal,” he said, “based on things I saw and heard her doing behind the scenes. But I ain’t got nothing but love for Nicki.”
Well. What a way to dis Minaj while also praising her. Kind of confusing, honestly. He’s saying a lot of stuff by not saying a lot of stuff. Something tells me this interview isn’t going to solve the problems between them.
Check out the video below.