Nicki Minaj Disses Lil Kim In BET Awards Speech For Giving Up On Her Career

Lil Kim had everyone talking thanks to her reunion with fellow Bad Boy members at the BET Awards, but Nicki Minaj wants everyone to know she still thinks the rapper is pretty irrelevant! She even threw a major diss at Kim during a buzzed- about acceptance speech. Watch it here!

Nicki Minaj, 32, was definitely the queen of the BET Awards on June 28, and she did not want Lil Kim stealing her thunder. To make that perfectly clear, the “Anaconda” singer threw some shade at her fellow female rapper while accepting the Coca-Cola Viewer’s Choice Award, in which she subtly calls her out for ‘giving up’ on her career as an artist.

“Don’t give up on yourself no matter what,” Nicki said in her memorable speech. “This is for everyone in this room. I want to tell you to please make it your business to follow your dreams because one day you will look around and your dream will be gone and you will be mad at somebody. But be mad at your g–d—self.”

She concluded by flipping her hair, flashing a smile and walking off the stage. Although Nicki never named Lil Kim directly in the speech, many are speculating she was referring to the 90s star, who hasn’t really released any new music since the early 2000s. The opportunity for Nicki to make the diss was perfect, too, because earlier in the show, Kim produced major buzz for reuniting with Diddy and other former Bad Boy members during an epic surprise performance.

In case you forgot, Nicki and Lil Kim have a bit of history that includes some beef. In 2014, Kim used her music to call Nicki out, rapping on her track “Identity Theft,” “Anything you tryna do, I done did, I gave birth to your style.” Ouch! That same month, Kim spit a verse on one of Beyoncé’s songs, “Flawless,” which Nicki had just remixed one day earlier. “Am I trippin’ or did this h- just say my name? Queen of rap, f— outta here. Queen’s back, f— outta here,” she sang.

Nicki Minaj’s Embarrassing Mistake In BET Awards Speech

Meanwhile, Nicki’s speech received attention for more than just her diss! While accepting the exciting award, she actually forgot what category she was up on stage for. “What was this award for? I’m sorry!” she asked, during the speech. Once she realized it was the Viewer’s Choice, though, she got super excited. “Viewer’s choice?!” she confirmed. “Oh my God, y’all, thank you! I was in the back.”

Tell us, HollywoodLifers: Do you think Nicki was throwing shade at Lil Kim? What do you think of the diss?

— Alyssa Norwin