Culture

MAGA Rep Offers to Protect Nicki Minaj Amid Feud With DJ

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

A Florida Congresswoman gave the rapper her personal phone number.

Nicki Minaj and Anna Paulina Luna.
The Daily Beast/Getty

Nicki Minaj has gained an unexpected ally in her feud with singer SZA and Top Dawg Entertainment: Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.

Though the feud began with a few jabs on X Thursday afternoon, it quickly escalated into what Minaj alleged were threats on her life, prompting the “Super Bass” rapper to call on Luna for help.

The exchange began when Minaj tweeted that SZA was only offered a feature on Drake’s 2023 song “Rich Baby Daddy” because Minaj had previously turned it down.

Nicki Minaj (L) and Drake (R)
The feud began when Minaj alleged that R&B singer SZA was only offered a feature on Drake's song "Rich Baby Daddy" because the "Super Bass" rapper had turned it down. John Shearer/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcp

The “Kill Bill” singer did not respond directly, but later tweeted “Mercury in retrograde… do not take the bait,” which many interpreted as a reference to Minaj’s comments.

The feud then intensified when DJ and Twitch streamer MackWop addressed Minaj during a livestream on Thursday, saying, “Hey, Nicki, relax, relax before you get put in a blender like your boy did.” MackWop works with Top Dawg Entertainment, the record label to which SZA is signed.

Though many fans interpreted “put in a blender like your boy did” as a reference to the 2024 feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake—Drake and Minaj are signed to the same record label—Minaj quickly expressed concern that MackWop’s intention was far more sinister.

MackWop
MackWop, an affiliate of the record label Top Dawg Entertainment, made the comment about Minaj amid the rapper's feud with SZA, who is signed to Top Dawg. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images

The 12-time Grammy nominee reposted the clip several times on X, writing, “Is this a threat? @FBI.” She then tagged Rep. Luna in a post and wrote, “This man just publicly threatened me. I’ve notified the FBI & CIA. I want this thug locked up & I’m ready to talk about everything these ppl have done to me.”

Luna was quick to jump into action, responding, “Please text my cell, I will forward this to law enforcement immediately. Threats of violence and assassination should be taken very seriously.”

Anna Paulina Luna
Republican Anna Paulina Luna was eager to assist Minaj with any potential threats—though it's unclear why the rapper called on her. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

It’s unclear exactly why Minaj chose to call on Luna, as the rapper does not live in Florida, and Top Dawg Entertainment is based in Los Angeles.

Regardless, Luna confirmed Friday morning that she had spoken with Minaj, writing on X that her office would be “doing everything we can to ensure her safety.”

“We take threats of violence and assassination very seriously,” wrote Luna. “RICO is also illegal.”

SZA
SZA never directly responded to Minaj's comments. Instead, the feud escalated when an associate of her record label warned Minaj to "calm down" or be "put in the blender." Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images

Though Minaj, who was born in Trinidad, is not a U.S. citizen and has never openly supported Republican candidates, the rapper has attracted the attention of the MAGA crowd in the past thanks to her vaccine skepticism and controversial political views.

Though the rapper didn’t get into specifics about the potential threat or what “these ppl” have done in the past, she wrote in a subsequent post, “[MackWop] has ties to other ppl who’ve been a part of very shady business & is now threatening harm as well as admitting to a crime about someone else. Which boy was put in a blender?”

Minaj’s tweet tagging Luna was in response to a fan’s post alleging that MackWop and associates “use/pay other people to take the lives of those who are inconvenient to them.”

In her post on Friday, Luna also wrote, “I am deeply concerned that there has been unchecked corruption within certain aspects of the rap industry. Artists should be respected and not afraid of managers, labels, etc.”