Inside the Nicki Minaj and SZA Feud of 2025: What Really Happened?

It started with a subtweet but turned into a chart-shaking clash

Just when fans thought the music scene had reached its drama quota for the year, Nicki Minaj and SZA found themselves in the centre of a fiery fallout that’s dominating social media in July 2025. What began as a cryptic tweet quickly snowballed into a full-on feud involving accusations, insults, and even shade over Billboard records.

In classic internet fashion, nothing stayed subtle for long, and both fan bases are riding hard for their faves.

From label beef to personal blows

It kicked off when Nicki Minaj called out Punch, the president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), SZA’s record label. She accused him of bullying her publicly on X (formerly Twitter) and claimed he had lied about her after she rejected a business proposal.

While Punch stayed silent, SZA seemed to respond indirectly with a tweet warning people not to “take the bait,” classic Mercury retrograde energy. But Nicki wasn’t buying the ambiguity and fired back at SZA directly, mocking her freckles and appearance in a string of now-viral posts.

“Go draw your freckles back on, bookie,” she wrote, and that was just the beginning.

Billboard backlash and real-life receipts

The feud hit a new level when Nicki began questioning the legitimacy of SZA’s SOS album achievements. The record recently went 9x Platinum, becoming the only Black artist album to spend over 80 weeks in the Billboard Top 10, a record that overtook even Michael Jackson.

Nicki accused SZA of gaming the system by re-releasing the album with deluxe tracks to boost sales. “I thought she was a real artist? Girl, bye,” she posted, clearly unimpressed.

The accusation didn’t sit well with SZA fans, many of whom pointed out that SOS had charted consistently since its original 2022 release, long before the deluxe drop.

SZA claps back without name-dropping

SZA didn’t directly name Nicki in her response, but the tone was clear.

“I get bullied by millions online every day,” she wrote. “Then I step out on a packed stadium tour where people show me real love, in real life. My parents are healthy, and I’m the most successful I’ve ever been. Get some perspective.”

It was a dignified rebuttal, one that resonated with fans tired of petty drama and more interested in watching two successful women thrive.

Image 1: X (formerly known Twitter)/@enews

Fans are picking sides and watching closely

Across platforms like X, TikTok, and Instagram, fan reactions have ranged from support to straight-up outrage. Nicki’s Barbz defended her statements with hashtags and memes, while SZA’s supporters praised her grace under pressure.

Some South African fans even weighed in online, saying they were “tired of seeing women in music torn down over records instead of celebrated.” Others argued that award season pressure and sales expectations often spark these tensions in the first place.

Why this feud matters now

At its heart, this isn’t just celebrity gossip. It reflects deeper issues in the music industry, the pressure to outperform, the politics of chart success, and how quickly relationships can sour in the public eye.

With both women at the peak of their careers and influence, the clash serves as a reminder that fame, legacy, and ego don’t always mix well in the age of receipts and reposts.

Will they reconcile?

Only time will tell. For now, the internet remains split, the tweets are still flying, and the spotlight has once again turned toward the often messy world of music royalty.

But if there’s one thing we know about both Nicki and SZA, it’s this: they are unapologetically themselves, and they don’t back down easily.

Also read: Siya Kolisi Single and in the Spotlight: Fan Reactions and Rachel’s Post

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Source: E! News

Featured Image: TMZ