UPDATED 10/7, 9:28 a.m. ET: Nicki Minaj is calling out the coverage surrounding recent photos of Kelsey Nicole, former friend to Megan Thee Stallion, in shoes from her LØCI range.
According to Minaj, who called any assertion that Nicole modeled for her collection a “lie,” the truth is neither she nor anyone on her team “knew anything about” the images in question until they were made public.
“She posted a photo in my sneakers. … She is in no way professional connected to my sneaker brand,’ Minaj told fans on Sunday, later adding in the same extended tweet that she was both “too busy” and “too successful” to be tasked with dealing with such “clownery.”
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Nicki Minaj might've ruffled some feathers with her latest campaign for her LØCI shoe line.
Since debuting the sneaker collaboration earlier this year, Minaj has heavily promoted the brand on social media and store pop-ups. But fans never would've guessed that the "Everybody" rapper would recruit Kelsey Nicole Harris, the ex-friend and assistant of Minaj's rival, Megan Thee Stallion to star in a new campaign for the brand.
In an Instagram carousel posted on Tuesday (Oct. 1), Harris encouraged her followers to purchase shoes from the LØCI x Nicki Minaj collaboration, wearing the eco-friendly sneakers in the "Press Play" style.
On social media, Minaj caught flak for the campaign decision, with fellow New York rhymer Azealia Banks criticizing both her and Harris on X. While Harris removed her post on X altogether, Minaj hasn't responded to the campaign backlash.
Harris and Megan Thee Stallion's friendship ended shortly after the "Mamushi" artist was shot by R&B singer and rapper Tory Lanez in July 2020. Harris, who was in the vehicle during the shooting, publicly condemned Megan for not clearing her name after the shooting. Harris walked back her previous statements about Lanez showing threatening behavior towards her and Megan when she testified during his trial. In 2020, Harris made a diss track about Megan, titled "Bussin Back," in response to Megan's "Shot's Fired."
Minaj and Megan's fallout happened just months after the artists collaborated on 2019 single "Hot Girl Summer." Things came to a head earlier this year after Megan dropped single "Hiss," with lines that many assumed were about Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty. While Minaj would respond with diss track "Big Foot," Megan would later address the feud in a Billboard story, telling the publication that she doesn't "know what the problem is" with Minaj.
"I don’t even know what could be reconciled because I, to this day, don’t know what the problem is," Megan said when asked about the chance of reconciliation.