Nicki Minaj has supported her longtime collaborator and friend, Lil Wayne, via Instagram. Earlier, Wayne went to Instagram to express a now-emotional video after he wasn’t selected to perform as a headliner at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. In that light, it hit pretty hard when they announced Kendrick Lamar.
Lil’ Wayne, known as Weezy for short headlines during an appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast with former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. Asked to make a list of the female MCs, he didn’t hold his tongue: “Ain’t nobody fucking with Nicki.” He did so without hesitation. For him, she’s way at the top.
That meant a lot to Minaj, who responded with a compliment of her own, naming Wayne the best rapper of all time. “I’ll give u a dollar if you can find a lie,” she wrote. Her response was full of thanks and reminiscence about how the belief in her talents that Wayne had furthered her career. “You were ALWAYS there,” she said, pointing to their lasting link.
Nicki has never been afraid to acknowledge how much Wayne contributed to her journey, especially at the beginning of her career. In that same post, she gave kudos to their creative collaboration—”We thank you so much. Long live da BAR! Bar for Bar. No pun intended,” teased Nicki, speaking of their special chemistry.
The relationship between Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne is based on their shared past with Young Money Entertainment. When Nicki was struggling to enter the music world, Wayne noticed her talent. In 2009, he signed her onto his label, and their professional relationship blossomed into a strong friendship. Minaj continued to give props to Wayne for guiding her as she came up, and when one considers the testosterone-saturated world that is hip-hop, nurturing relationships can likely make all the difference.
Wayne’s pride is palpable, even regarding Nicki’s successes. He remembered signing her and Drake at the end of the 2000s and noticed how, by that time, he still did not know they would turn into global icons. “I was excited to see what they could be,” he said. Immediately assuming the mentor role, he urged both musicians to dig deeper into their potential. “They always leaned on the confidence I instilled in them,” he said, continuing the analogy with veterans within sports who guide the newer ones.
Nicki Minaj rivaled another Instagram post about snubbing Wayne from the Super Bowl stage. In her post on social media, Nicki expressed her disappointment, seemingly insinuating that Jay-Z’s decision to select Kendrick Lamar over Wayne might have to do with some personal grudges involving himself, Birdman, Drake, and herself. Though her comments caused quite a stir online, she immediately clarified that she had no issue with Kendrick; rather, it was bypassing Wayne, who is, and has been, monumental within the genre.
Wayne’s video captured the unbridled emotion of disappointment. He says the decision “broke” him, detailing how he had been preparing for this opportunity for quite a while. He psyched himself up for the performance, making it even more difficult. Still, amidst the hurt, he thanked his fans and fellow artists who uplifted him through this hard time.
Minaj’s words serve as a good reminder that bonds within the hip-hop world run, especially between those who came up together, such as Wayne and herself. Collaboration-wise, the history runs deep: from “High School” to “Only” to “Truffle Butter,” the chemistry between the two is undeniable. These records show their skills and their hard work to ensure the lyrics come out strong to inspire their listeners.
This mutual encouragement and support while the artists work through the struggles of fame reflects a goal of standing by one another. For Minaj, the encouragement given to Wayne reassures the fact that even with the few setbacks in flow, the legacy left by an artist such as himself will be one to endorse generations ahead. Nor is it about receiving applause but finding the strength to stay with each other, particularly when it hurts.
