Whatever personal relationship Coi Leray once had with Nicki Minaj appears to have cooled, but Leray is not interested in watching the rapper’s political alignment erase what she believes Minaj has contributed to Hip Hop. During her appearance on The Jason Lee Show, Leray defended Minaj’s legacy while questioning why some listeners now seem unable to separate her music from her support for President Donald Trump.
When Lee asked whether the two artists still had a relationship, Leray answered, “No, I don’t think so.” That distance did not change how she spoke about Minaj. Leray said she remains a fan first and still has “a lot of love” for an artist she considers one of Hip Hop’s greats. “I truly got a lot of love for that woman, because I’m a fan, first, before anything,” Leray told Lee. “I don’t know her personally, but I have a lot of love for her because I’m a fan.”
Her frustration was less about people disagreeing with Minaj than what she sees as those controversies becoming the dominant way the rapper is discussed. Leray also referenced the criticism Minaj has faced during conflicts with other women in Rap, including Latto, and said watching those disputes overwhelm conversations about the music has made her reconsider what happens when artists she admires become defined by public backlash.
“I think she’s an icon, I think she’s still one of the greatest artists when it comes to Hip Hop,” Leray said.
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Minaj Has Publicly Embraced Trump
Politics have become a major part of the conversation surrounding Minaj in 2026. In January, she appeared alongside Trump during an event promoting his administration’s investment accounts for children. Reuters reported that Minaj endorsed the initiative and called herself the president’s “number-one fan,” adding that criticism would not change her support.
By May, Minaj was speaking openly about identifying with Trump’s political movement. In an interview titled “How Nicki Minaj Went MAGA,” TIME reported that Minaj said she had previously kept her support for Trump private because she expected backlash within the music industry. She also told the publication that she no longer wanted to hide those views.
Leray questioned how much that affiliation has come to dominate reactions to Minaj. “How are you gonna sit there and say you’re a fan and you love somebody so much, or you love the song, and the only thing you can think about is her sitting next to Trump?” she asked. “Since when was y’all into politics?”
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She then invoked Barack Obama while criticizing the amount of attention Minaj’s political choices receive. “I don’t even think Obama got that much press and that was our first Black president,” Leray said. The comparison was Leray’s own assessment of the attention surrounding Minaj and Trump.
The respect also has some history behind it. Leray and Minaj collaborated on “Blick Blick” in 2022, a record that nearly became collateral damage after Benzino prematurely revealed the collaboration. Complex reported at the time that Minaj initially pulled her verse, then changed her mind after a private conversation with Leray.
“You can’t take away or stop greatness,” Leray said.
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