Cardi B vs Nicki Minaj (2017-present)

Summary

The Cardi B vs Nicki Minaj feud is the most prominent rap feud of the late-2010s and a defining case of a conflict that has played out primarily through interviews, social media and live appearances rather than diss tracks. Per Vibe, Complex and Rolling Stone coverage, tensions were widely reported through 2017-2018, including disputes about subliminal lyrics, guest features and competition for label positioning. Both artists were on Migos's 'Motorsport' (October 2017); a public disagreement about how that collaboration came together became one of the early flashpoints. The most visible incident was a physical altercation at the Harper's Bazaar Icons party during New York Fashion Week on September 7, 2018, at the Plaza Hotel, where Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj. Per New York Times coverage at the time, Cardi was escorted out with a visible injury to her forehead; the incident was widely reported across the music press and went viral on social media. Unlike many of the canonical rap beefs of earlier eras, this conflict has not produced canonical diss tracks. Per Rolling Stone, Vibe and Complex coverage through 2024, the beef remains unresolved; both artists have continued intermittent public commentary in interviews, on social media and across multiple album cycles, without a formal reconciliation.