Key Takeaways:
- Nicki Minaj’s verse on Lil Wayne’s “Banned From NO (Remix)” was in response to a “Nicki who?” comment made by Shannon Sharpe.
- Sharpe addressed the confusion on his “Nightcap” podcast, claiming that he was referring to Nikki Haley.
- The media personality issued a public apology and invited Minaj to appear on “Club Shay Shay.”
Shannon Sharpe is offering peace to the Barbs.
The NFL Hall of Famer-turned-media personality issued a heartfelt apology to Nicki Minaj following a lyrical jab she delivered on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter VI bonus track “Banned From NO (Remix).” In her fiery verse, Minaj took aim with the line, “If I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that sharp.” The bar appeared to reference a past viral moment when Sharpe responded, “Nicki who?” after a fan told him the rapper was interested in being on “Club Shay Shay.”
Minaj’s verse quickly went viral, prompting Sharpe to address the diss directly on his “Nightcap” podcast with co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. “Nicki, I apologize,” he said sincerely. “I meant no disrespect. Of course I know who you are.”
Shannon Sharpe explains the “Nicki Who?” comment
According to Sharpe, the mix-up stemmed from confusion during an online back-and-forth about a former U.N. ambassador. He explained, “We were talking about Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley says it’s really great for everybody [in] Black America. And I was like ‘When has it ever been great?’”
In addition to clearing up the misunderstanding, Sharpe extended an open invitation for Minaj to join him for a one-on-one conversation, on-air or privately. “Even if you just want to have a private conversation on the phone or something, it won’t go any further between you and I... I didn’t mean any disrespect.
Johnson also chimed in, acknowledging the Pink Friday artist’s very loyal fanbase. After also admitting fault in the situation, he said, “You gotta apologize to the Barbs too, you can’t just apologize to Nicki, you gotta apologize to the whole congregation.” UPDATE: Nicki has since responded (positively) to Sharpe’s apology. All is well in Gag City.
Nicki Minaj might have also called out JAY-Z and the NFL over Lil Wayne’s Super Bowl Snub
Sharpe beef aside, “Banned From NO (Remix)” contained additional lines from Minaj that sounded like a potential jab at JAY-Z. “French vanilla hazelnut in my Starbucks, NFL, fire some n**gas and then call us,” the "Super Bass" talent stated on wax.
Presumably, it’s a continuation of her criticism regarding the NFL’s decision to overlook Wayne for this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Back in 2024, she wrote on X: “ One n**ga took a knee. The other n**ga took the bag. He gon’ get you ‘n**gers’ in line every f**kng time.”