Nicki Minaj is once again sparking conversation online after publicly praising Elon Musk during SpaceX’s latest Starship launch event in Texas. While attending the event today at Musk’s Starbase facility, the rapper gave a shoutout to the billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla founder, telling the crowd: “Major shoutout to Elon. Thank you for everything that you’re doing for humanity.”
The moment quickly spread across social media. Fans and critics debated Minaj’s continued support of controversial public figures tied to conservative politics and the Trump administration.
The SpaceX launch itself did not go exactly as planned. The company came within about 40 seconds of launching its newest and largest Starship rocket before a series of technical issues forced the countdown to stop. The 12th test flight has since been pushed back to Friday. According to reports, the launch was also set to debut a third version of SpaceX’s massive rocket system from a new pad at the company’s Starbase location.
Nicki Minaj’s appearance at the event arrives during an especially polarizing period for the artist politically. Over the last several months, Minaj has received heavy backlash online for publicly supporting United States President Donald Trump and aligning herself with several right-wing talking points.
Read More: Hip Hop Has Always Been Political
Nicki Minaj Praises Elon
For some newer fans, Nicki Minaj's political stance has made her even more appealing. Others, particularly longtime listeners who oppose conservative views, have voiced disappointment and confusion over what they see as a major shift from her earlier public image.
Social media reactions to her Elon Musk comments reflected that divide almost immediately. Some users applauded her for supporting innovation and space exploration, while others accused her of embracing controversial billionaires and political figures for attention.
"Dear old Nicki, please call back," one person wrote.
"Not yall mad she’s going see a rocket launch with her family," another person defended.
Despite the backlash, Minaj has continued speaking freely about her political beliefs and has shown little interest in walking back her support for either Trump or Musk. Whether fans agree with her or not, the rapper continues to prove she can dominate online conversation with just a few words.
