Nicki Minaj Says She & Lil Kim Deserve Covers On U.S. Vogue

Despite their differences in the past, Nicki Minaj insists that Lil Kim's influence in music and fashion is undeniable.

BYAron A.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

It looks like a Nicki Minaj rollout is currently underway. The rapper came out of hiatus at the top of February with the release of two singles, "Do We Have A Problem?" and "Bussin," which both feature Lil Baby. Both singles aren't necessarily enough to determine the direction that Nicki will head on her new project but it certainly has us intrigued.

 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

While she has a few things on the way, along with the relaunch of Queen Radio at its new home at Amazon's Amp, she recently sat down with Joe Budden for an in-depth conversation. During the convo, she dived into her influence in both music and fashion and how that's never really been widely acknowledged, especially among fashion publications. However, she feels similarly about Lil Kim's impact on hip-hop and fashion at large.

"The same way I feel like I should have already been on the cover American Vogue, so should Lil Kim. If we being all the way a thousand," she said, adding that the publication prides itself on how influential it is in the first place. "When myself or Lil Kim goes on the internet, every day we see our influence," she continued. "We will see our influence so I’m not going to say it’s about me only, right? And not give that woman her just due about what she did.”

Of course, there's been friction between Nicki and Kim over the years but this might be the first step towards repairing their relationship. 



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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.