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RAP BEEF TIMELINE · 2015–present

Nicki Minaj vs. Miley Cyrus

“Miley, what’s good?”

DormantHeat index 3/5

Miley Cyrus’s comments about Nicki Minaj’s MTV criticism make their way to the 2015 VMAs, where Nicki confronts the host live on air. A 2019 music-and-radio flare-up keeps the relationship from being called fully resolved, but it never becomes an extended diss-track war.

InterviewPerformanceSocial media

THE RECORD

The moments

  1. Interview · disputed account

    A New York Times comment lands badly

    Discussing Nicki Minaj’s MTV-nomination criticism, Miley calls the tweets “not too kind” and “not very polite.” The comment gives the brewing awards-show friction a direct public target.

    What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj, is not too kind. It's not very polite.Miley Cyrus, 2015 New York Times interview
    Read the receipt ↗
  2. Performance

    “Miley, what’s good?” becomes a VMA moment

    While accepting Best Hip-Hop Video, Nicki turns to the host and confronts her live on the broadcast. Miley immediately answers from the stage, making the exchange one of the VMAs’ defining clips.

    Miley, what's good?Nicki Minaj, 2015 MTV VMAs
    Watch the 2015 VMAs exchange and recap
  3. Diss track · disputed account

    “Cattitude” prompts a Queen Radio response

    Miley’s “I love you Nicki, but I listen to Cardi” lyric revives the story. Nicki replies on Queen Radio with the “Perdue chicken” line; Miley later says both women are queens and that she was not choosing sides.

    Perdue chickens can never talk shit about queens.Nicki Minaj, Queen Radio
    Read Miley’s “Cattitude” clarificationRead the receipt ↗

THE RECEIPTS

Sources and listening

The Guardian — Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus’s 2015 VMA exchangePeople — Nicki Minaj’s “Perdue chicken” response to MileyPaper — Queen Radio’s Miley Cyrus responseELLE — Miley Cyrus explains the “Cattitude” lyric

ARTIST LENSES

People in the surrounding story

Kanye WestArtist · producerA release-week rival who also opens a cross-genre path.Taylor SwiftSinger-songwriterA cross-genre headline relationship.