S. Samuel
R&B singer Ray J has stepped forward to deny speculation that he may have been the person responsible for heating up tensions between Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj earlier this year.
Speaking with radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, Ray defended himself after previously going on stage and calling out “Lil Kim impostors” last summer.
“I’m reaching out to the whole world….to the whole hip hop community because that’s just how I felt at the time. Never once did I mention anybody. That’s what you do in hip hop, you throw it out there, you have a little friendly competition..it is what it is.” (Power 105.1)
Ray also weighed in on who’s music he likes more, Kim or Minaj’s.
“I like Nicki Minaj. I don’t [have her album] but my sister is like the number one Nicki Minaj fan,” he added. “I got to pay my respects to Kim and truly say after listening to a lot of the stuff Nicki has done, I’m very impressed. I’m very impressed. From how I felt in the beginning until now…night and day…I love what she’s doing and I can be a man and just say at first I was cool, it was alright then it started getting better, now its just really on point.” (Power 105.1)
In early July, Ray publicly called out Lil Kim’s swagger jackers during a concert.
Ray J took a moment to express his feelings on females in rap, primarily Nicki Minaj. “I’m seeing a lot of Lil Kim imposters,” Ray J stated. “I’m not saying no names, but you know who,” he continued, referencing biting Kim’s style after calling Kim the greatest female rapper ever. Lil Kim added, “We love her. We just want her to pay homage,” making an obvious reference to Minaj. “If you don’t pay homage then f*ck you,” she concluded. (Hip Hop DX)
In late November, Minaj spoke with radio personality Angie Martinez about Kim being a bully toward lady emcees.
“It’s one of those moments where you say, ‘don’t play with me,’ because I respect you, I love you, I’ve said it in every interview time and time again, and if that’s not good enough with you mama, then it’s something deep rooted in you. Something is bothering you inside. That’s your insecurity bothering you. [If] it’s not Nicki Minaj, it would have been any girl that started poppin’. She picked a fight with Foxy [Brown], then she picked a fight with Eve, then she picked a fight with Remy [Ma], then it was Ms. [Voletta] Wallace, then it was Nicki Minaj. Everytime you in the news is ’cause you gettin’ at somebody. Where’s your music? Put your music out. When I see your name on Billboard, that’s when I’ll respond to you. Other than that, goodbye.” (Hot 97)
Check out Ray J calling out Lil Kim’s “impostors” below:
