Stephen A. Smith let rip on Nicki Minaj after she went on a heated rant after Kendrick Lamar was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
Minaj believed Lil Wayne should have been selected to perform in New Orleans and subbed Hov in a string of tweets.
Stephen A. Smith addressed the criticism on his podcast, calling out Nicki Minaj and defending JAY-Z.
“I respect you, I respect your work, I respect what you accomplished [but] who else [are] you going to get in a beef with?” he asked before listing artists she’s had issues with in the past. “Every time we turn around it’s something, Nicki. You disagree with the decision, you disagree with the decision, [but] you got to talk to a brother like that?”
The veteran broadcaster then gave the Roc Nation boss his flowers, pointing out his role in getting Hip-Hop acts to perform at the Super Bowl.
“And why are we talking about JAY-Z like he some damn sellout or something?” Smith questioned. “Need I remind y’all all the Hip-Hop artists, all the R&B people that have been performing at Super Bowl Halftime over the last few years since he’s been involved in 2019?”
Smith then mentioned acts that performed in the coveted show before Hov’s involvement, including The Who and Coldplay. “Do you know how hard it is for a Black man to pull off what Jay-Z pulled off?” he added.
“How unappreciative can you be?” Smith yelled. “It ain’t about you as an individual it’s about us. All of us. As Black people. And that brother right there, JAY-Z, has been front and center in pushing the envelope. You gon’ call him a sellout? You gone use the n-word to describe him?… He don’t deserve that.”
Stephen a smith goes off on the queen Nicki Minaj after her tweets she called jay z a sell out after he snubbed lil Wayne for Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/eeZw42Q3Id
— joebuddenclips (@Chatnigga101) September 11, 2024
Nicki Minaj Calls Out JAY-Z
While Nicki Minaj didn’t name JAY-Z in her posts, the implication was clear.
“Denying a young black man what he rightfully put into this game for no other reason but your ego,” Nicki Minaj wrote. “Your hatred for BIRDMAN, Drake & Nicki got you punishing Lil Wayne?!?!!! LIL WAYNE!!!!!!!!!! THE GOAT?!!!!!!!!!!! Nola what’s good?!!!!!! Eminem stood firm on having 50Cent come out. A white man. S### sad. House N###ER TINGZ. but it’s GOOD FI DEM!!!!!!! No loyalty ? Welp. then n###az will keep son’ing you!!!!! #DTLR #GagCityDC LMFAOOOOOOOOOO GOODAZ FI DEL GAL U AH GOODAZ FI DEM.”
