
Loading summary
Lauren LaRosa
This is an I heart podcast. Let's get to it. Time to do it. I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything. And everybody, you know, she don't lie about that, right?
Unknown
Lauren came in hot.
Lauren LaRosa
Hey, guys, it's Lauren LaRosa. And this is the latest with Lauren LaRosa. This is your daily dig on all things pop culture, entertainment news, and the conversations that shake the room. Now, I got a bunch of A bunch of stuff for you guys today I am excited to get to because it's some of my favorite things. We gonna get into the Real Housewives of Atlanta, drop a bomb. Not so favorite thing, but two of my, you know, artists that I actually love to listen to, Nicki Minaj and sza, we're definitely gonna get into that as well, because let me tell y', all, we talking about conversations that shake the room, baby. Nicki Minaj has been trying to have a conversation for about a month or so now just about the wrongs that she allege are being done to her in this industry. This is not a conversation that we are unfamiliar with when it comes to Nicki Minaj. She is, you know, vocal and quick to let us know what is happening, according to her, allegedly. Even if we don't know what's happening. Right. So let's talk a bit about that. So there was a long, long feud yesterday on X. And when I say feud, that normally means two people going back and forth. The feud didn't last long because SZA got in and got out. Nicki Minaj continued through the end of the night. She ended her night on station Head going in on SZ because Nicki Minaj felt like TDE, SZA's manager, punch of TDE, who was president over at TDE. TDE is the label out of the west coast that has or had Kendrick Lamar. And, you know, they got sza, and, you know, they are the west coast at this at this point in time, like they have been for some time. Nicki Minaj felt as though he was trying to be funny. He tweeted Broken Barbies, which is a song by an artist named I am Luck that they are currently working with, and then tweeted the video to the song. But Nicki Minaj took it as how coincidental that you are here tweeting that. And I'm here on Twitter talking about all the things that I'm talking about and have been for the last, like, two weeks. So she started coming for him alleging that, you know, because of her not wanting to work with him, there had been retaliation on his part and also alleging, you know, that this is what, this is what happens when women get out in the field, you're going to get bloody. No pun intended. When women get out in the field, there's always issues, especially when it comes to the men in the industry. Now Sza, my baby girl homegirl caught a stray, if I'm being honest. SZA got back on X, right? And you know, let me go double check this timeline because some fans pointed out like, oh, it's very convenient the time that Sza decided to get back on X and have the and Tweet this. So SZA, her last tweet was June 29, 2025. Right? And then yesterday, and we are almost a month out, we are July 16, 2025, SZA gets on X and she tweets mercury retrograde. Don't take that bait. Laugh out loud, silly goose. Now, we talked about this on the Breakfast Club a bit, but just wanted to give you guys a little bit more context here because we have the time and I really want to know, you know, here is not more per se me telling you what happened. Even though I'm giving you some background. I want to have the convers conversation here of the way that Nicki Minaj is viewed at this point. Is this helpful or is this hurtful? Does it get her to her end goal or does it just make people turn off the noise, literally. So SZA tweeted that and then Nicki Minaj began to go off talking about SZA's BBL, talking about, you know, SZA not being able to sing all of these things. Let's take a listen.
Unknown
Listen, Mizza, okay, Find you somebody to play with MZA Les Miserable. I said find you some else body to play with. You already played with your own hoe. And we seen how that went. And you know, I don't the, the, you know, surgery shame or body shame. You know, I don't even do that. But I don't know if you fat, obese, chubby or skinny, gotta get up on my hair.
Lauren LaRosa
Now once this went down like Sza did spar a bit. She responded back to a fan and she said, you know, I get bullied by millions online every day. Then I stepped my ass out on a packed stadium tour. She's currently on the GNX tour with Kendrick Lamar, which we know because I've talked about it here is doing very well right now where people show me real. And she capitalized real love and she capitalized in real life. My parents are healthy, and I'm the most successful I have ever been. Capitalized. Get some effing perspective and bark at the wall. That's what she responded to this fan in Nicki Minaj. This was a fan who was responding to her. In response to Nicki Minaj, the fan has said, you really don't want to start this, girl. If you was crying before, you gonna really be crying now. The Barb's gonna get at you, baby. Them Barbs ain't nothing to play with but sza, you know what I mean? She's speaking for her own self. So then another Barb tweeted SZA and said, girl, you want a joint tour? Do that solo. I want to see some. And SZA responded, said, what the f. You want to see? Let me know. And she posted tour numbers. So she posted tour numbers from her SOS Tour, and what she posted was from an outlet called the Pop Tings, and it says SZA's SOS tour has grossed $100 million. SZA joins Tina Turner, Beyonce and Rihanna as the only black women to achieve the milestone with a tournament. She said, listen, I'm letting you know something right here. Don't play with me. Then she tweeted, laugh my ass off. Let me go back to being calm, shy, and meek, baby. The people took this and ran with it because she said the word meek. And meek is like, I want to go back to being humble, like, you know, nimble out of the way. But they, of course, thought that she was referencing Meek Mill because Meek Mill used to date Nicki Minaj. Lordy. She says, y' all have a blessed night. See you tomorrow night for Paris night number two. Then Sza started tweeting some of her numbers just from her, like, you know, sos, you know, plaques, and just recognition tweets that were coming her way. She started responding to some of those, and Nicki Minaj went off again talking about why SZA is not an icon. Basically told sis, listen, you can come in the room, but you can't sit with me.
Unknown
Let's take a listen, Mizza, you're not an icon. You are a yodeling fool. Who's. Who needs auto tune? Who done this? Every female entertainer, it seems, based off of, you know, the screenshots take yo yodeling on somewhere else. What the.
Lauren LaRosa
You don't try.
Unknown
They tried to break that man back or something, I think allegedly.
Lauren LaRosa
How the.
Unknown
Did you match the dots Every time you put back on the freckles is what we get. The people want to Motherf know, I.
Lauren LaRosa
Love both the girls. I am a big SZA fan. I am a huge fan of Nicki Minaj's pen. I do not agree with how Nicki Minaj goes about things majority of the time, like 90% of the time. But I am a fan of Nicki Minaj's music. I don't think that there's anybody that can argue that musically that Nicki Minaj is a miss, because she's not. But I think where Nicki Minaj misses, and this is me bringing in my opinion here. I don't even think. Let me back that up. I wouldn't even call it a miss. I think where people disconnect from Nicki Minaj is in moments like this because I don't fully know what happened. Right. I also mentioned on the Breakfast Club this morning that I spoke to the president of tde Punch, who is the manager of sza, who says, look, she reached out back, you know, a few years ago for a future, a feature. She wanted SZA to get on a feature for her upcoming project. I told her I would get it to her. It ended there. There was no beef. There was no nothing after that. I don't know what Nicki Minaj's side is. She says that she has a side and that she got the receipts of it. I don't know where her side is, but I will say that without having full context from both sides and even with full context from both sides, because SZA's side is saying, yo, this is random. We weren't even talking about you. Nobody was worried about you. What are you talking about? Nicki Minaj's like, oh, do y' all think that's just a coincidence that Broken Barbies is being tweeted? Mind y', all, this is not a. This is not an artist that Punch hasn't already been talking about. And you know what I mean? But, yeah, so he's like, look, I have no idea. I was lost. Cause I kept saying, I'm like, yo, the world is lost. Can you please provide some color, some context here? He's like, that's all I got for you. I'm lost as well, too. People disconnect from Nicki Minaj because this always comes off as, you know, there's this narrative around Nicki Minaj that she just cannot get along with the other rap girls, the other girls in her industry, Right? And I think people like to lean into that. And I think when you have a situation like this where Nicki Minaj is alleging one thing, the Other side is alleging another thing. Until we see everything laid out on the table, it's hard to make an opinion or a narrative, but people run to do it. The people who feel like Nicki Minaj just be doing too much are quick to run and be like, yo, you have a problem with everybody. Relax. Like, you're always doing too much. That girl was not tweeting about you. The people who back Nicki Minaj say she hadn't tweeted since, like, June. Something that's not a coincidence. Let's not play crazy here, because the broken Barbie's tweet had went up from her manager, and here she comes talking about retrograde and not to take the bait, because Nicki Minaj is now talking about punch on her timeline after his broken Barbie's tweet. For me, I just. I just really. I try and think about, you know, being a woman in a situation where you feel like you're not being hurt and what that looks like on a surface level. On a surface level, it can be. It can look nasty. It can give all the things that the people be saying, yo, Nikki crazy. She do too much. She embarrassing herself. Especially because if I'm being honest with you, I felt like in the Nicki Minaj Cardi B situation, and I've said this publicly before, I felt like Nicki Minaj embarrassed herself. I felt like Nicki Minaj, the icon that she is, and rightfully so, for her to claim that was upset that someone didn't want to bow and kiss the ring when she's publicly talked about being put in that position herself and how it didn't make her feel good. But I also try to look at it like, if that was done to you, you're more likely to repeat it to somebody else. That situation isn't the same here with Sza, because her issue with Sza right now on the timeline is that she thinks Sza being funny with these indirect tweets. But it always leans back into that narrative of Nicki Minaj is problematic. And I don't necessarily like to throw that on anybody, especially not in a woman, because I understand, like. And Nicki Minaj tried to get to this deeper conversation of it. You know, she talked about, when you're a woman, you get out in the field, these things happen. When you speak up for yourself, these things happen. But it's just hard. It's hard to not at least hear narrative that is out there because this continues to happen over and over and over and over again. There has been instances like I mentioned with the Cardi B situation where, you know, with me reporting on the story and knowing some of the inner workings and just honestly, even if not. Even if I didn't just watch. Watching as a fan, not reaching out, not getting digging deeper, not doing any of that. Just watching as a person who was a fan of the music at that time. When Nicki Minaj and Cardi had their feud, it very much gave Nicki, do you not know who you are? Why is there an issue here? There's no issue. So why is there an issue is what it gave, right? So that always comes back around. I want to know what y' all think, though. Like, honestly, if you remove. Because I think people are so divisive in, like, you know, when it comes to Nicki Minaj, you're either a barb, so you're hard on one side of, like, everything Nicki does is right, or you're completely against her, where you're like, yo, this lady is crazy. Why is she always doing this stuff? She's always a common denominator. I want y' all to meet me in the middle right now, and let's have a conversation about if we removed all of the things, all of the past beef, all of all of the whatever. Is there a conversation to be had with Nicki Minaj about. And I'm not alleging that any of the wrongs that she is saying happened to her. Like, retaliation or any of those things happened. I don't know if that happened. I know what I was told from the person she's alleging did it, and he said that never happened. And I know what Nicki Minaj is alleging happened. She's saying she was retaliated against because she didn't want to work with the TDE team. I don't know what is true or not true. I only can go by what people are saying for themselves, right? And present both sides of that, which I just did. But when it comes to women trying to have the conversation about feeling as if every time they get out there for themselves, they're back and back into a corner. What can Nicki Minaj do to better have this conversation? Because that's a common denominator, honestly, like, yeah, there's all these issues and she falling out with all these people and like, whatever. But at the end of the day, it always comes back to her feeling like I'm fighting for myself and y' all don't want to listen because I'm a woman. And the conversation be so missed, you can't even hear you don't want to because of all the other drama. So tweet me you for the tweets. We outside, we outside. We outside, outside in the tweet. Every other page are gold. I'm Lauren LaRosa. Everywhere L O R E N L O R O S A I'm on Instagram as well. I want to know, are there things that Nicki Minaj could do to better have this conversation? I think for me, if we taking it, you know what I mean, taking it to the streets and the tweets, what can be done to better have this conversation in a way where maybe we can understand where Nikki coming from? I think for me, I just would need to see more. Look, be mad at me for saying this or not. I need to see the receipts because other than that, everything is just claims. And that's a lot to throw on a person. Like, hey, because I'm a woman, you did this and you did that. I wanna, like, I. I wanna see the receipts. And then once we see the receipts and we know that this is happening, then we can kind of backtrack and say, okay, when she did have this conversation, here is why she did it. Until then, it's like we have nothing to point at. I've been covered on Breakfast Club, you know, her coming at Jay Z and alleging that Jay Z is trying to silence her. Right now we. I want to see the receipts. Now we talking about, you know, these big allegations. I think receipts are only valid to say, hey, before we even have the conversation, I'm asking you guys if we should have. Cause y' all know, for me, you know, I'm totally here for the conversations. That's gonna shake the room of like, yo, I'm a woman. And y' all playing with me because I am as a woman. We've all been in positions where we felt like our intelligence and you know, we've been tested because of egos that, you know what I mean, don't look like ours. Male dominated egos. We've all been there. So I'll hold that. Like, I'll. I'll keep that in the back of my mind. But we need to see the receipts. Nikki, drop them. Let's talk. Let's have the conversation. You've been alleging these things for years. It's Jay Z now that you're alleging is doing these things to you. It's Punch, president of tde. Let's see the receipts.
Unknown
Introducing family freedom from T Mobile. We'll pay off four phones up to $3200. And give you four free phones, all on America's largest 5G network. Visit t mobile.com f Family Freedom.
Lauren LaRosa
Up.
Unknown
To $800 per line via virtual prepaid card typically takes 15 days. Free phone via 24 monthly bill credits with finance agreement example Apple iPhone 16 128GB $829.99 eligible trade in example iPhone 11 Pro for well qualified credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel Contact Us Oral health.
Goes beyond just aesthetics. It's deeply connected to your general health and well being. That's why preventing oral health problems before they start is so important. When you use the Colgate Total Active Prevention System, you're not just helping to prevent oral health problems like cavities and gingivitis, you're laying the groundwork for overall wellness. Colgate Total's three product routine includes a reformulated toothpaste, an innovative toothbrush, and a refreshing antibacterial mouthwash that all support a healthy mouth. In fact, the three products were designed to work together to be 15 times more effective at reducing bacteria buildup in six weeks starting from week one compared to a non antibacterial fluoride toothpaste and flat trim toothbrush. Take control of your oral health and get the Colgate Total Active Prevention System today so you can be dentist ready. Visit Shop Colgate. Com Total.
Lauren LaRosa
This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast: The Latest with Loren LaRosa
Host: Lauren LaRosa
Release Date: July 16, 2025
In this episode of The Latest with Loren LaRosa, host Lauren LaRosa delves deep into the escalating feud between two prominent female artists in the music industry: Nicki Minaj and SZA. With a focus on unpacking the nuances of their public disagreements, Lauren provides listeners with a comprehensive analysis of the events leading up to the current tensions, the interactions on social media platforms, and the broader implications for both artists and the industry.
Lauren begins by setting the stage for the feud, highlighting Nicki Minaj's ongoing efforts to address perceived injustices within the music industry. She notes that Nicki has been vocal about various issues for approximately a month, with her criticisms often landing amidst controversies that the public finds hard to decipher.
Lauren LaRosa [00:12]: "Nicki Minaj has been trying to have a conversation for about a month or so now just about the wrongs that she alleges are being done to her in this industry."
Lauren emphasizes that while Nicki is known for being outspoken, the specifics of her grievances often remain unclear, leading to speculation and polarized opinions among fans and critics alike.
The heart of the episode revolves around a series of exchanges on X (formerly Twitter) between Nicki Minaj and SZA, exacerbating the tension between the two artists.
Lauren recounts an incident where Nicki Minaj took issue with a tweet from Punch, SZA's manager and the president of Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), a prominent West Coast label. Nicki perceived Punch’s tweet about the song "Broken Barbies" by artist I am Luck as a personal slight, suggesting retaliatory motives stemming from her refusal to collaborate with TDE.
Lauren LaRosa [02:25]: "Nicki Minaj felt as though he was trying to be funny. He tweeted 'Broken Barbies,' which is a song by an artist named I am Luck that they are currently working with, and then tweeted the video to the song. But Nicki Minaj took it as how coincidental that you are here tweeting that."
She explains that Nicki interpreted this as a passive-aggressive jab, leading her to openly criticize Punch and, by extension, SZA on her platform.
The situation intensified when SZA reactivated her X account after a prolonged hiatus. SZA tweeted "Mercury retrograde. Don't take that bait. Laugh out loud, silly goose," whichLauren interprets as a subtle jab, possibly alluding to astrological influences or personal grievances.
Lauren LaRosa [03:10]: "SZA gets on X and she tweets 'mercury retrograde. Don't take that bait. Laugh out loud, silly goose.'"
Lauren notes that SZA's timing was suspicious, given that her last tweet was nearly a month prior, prompting fans to question the motives behind her sudden social media activity.
In response, Nicki Minaj continued her tirade, addressing SZA's physical appearance and vocal abilities in a series of harsh critiques. These comments were interspersed with audio clips of Nicki's tweets, showcasing her vehement stance.
Nicki Minaj [03:51]: "Listen, Mizza, okay, Find you somebody to play with MZA Les Miserable... I don't know if you fat, obese, chubby or skinny, gotta get up on my hair."
Nicki's comments reflect a blend of personal attacks and broader industry critiques, further fueling the feud.
SZA, in turn, defended herself against Nicki's allegations by addressing fan comments and highlighting her own professional achievements. She emphasized that despite facing online bullying, she has maintained her composure and continued to succeed in her career.
SZA [04:28]: "I get bullied by millions online every day. Then I stepped my ass out on a packed stadium tour. I'm on the GNX tour with Kendrick Lamar... My parents are healthy, and I'm the most successful I have ever been."
SZA's responses aimed to shift the narrative from personal attacks to her resilience and accomplishments, countering Nicki's negative remarks with a focus on her own success and well-being.
The feud continued to escalate as Nicki Minaj dismissed SZA's status as an "icon" and questioned her artistic legitimacy. Nicki took to her platform to undermine SZA's achievements, suggesting that her success was coincidental rather than based on merit.
Nicki Minaj [06:42]: "Let's take a listen, Mizza, you're not an icon. You are a yodeling fool. Who's... Who needs auto-tune?"
Lauren interprets this as part of a larger pattern where Nicki Minaj's confrontational style often leads to public perceptions of her as a contentious figure within the industry.
Lauren provides a balanced perspective, expressing her admiration for both artists while critiquing Nicki Minaj's approach to conflict. She acknowledges Nicki's musical prowess but questions the effectiveness and impact of her methods in addressing industry issues.
Lauren LaRosa [07:18]: "I love both the girls. I am a big SZA fan. I am a huge fan of Nicki Minaj's pen. I do not agree with how Nicki Minaj goes about things majority of the time, like 90% of the time."
Lauren delves into the historical context of Nicki Minaj's relationships within the industry, referencing past feuds such as the one with Cardi B. She suggests that Nicki's confrontational demeanor often leads to amplified public narratives that overshadow her professional achievements.
Lauren LaRosa [12:30]: "When Nicki Minaj and Cardi had their feud, it very much gave Nicki, 'Do you not know who you are? Why is there an issue here?'"
By drawing parallels to previous conflicts, Lauren underscores the recurring theme of Nicki facing backlash for her outspoken nature, which sometimes derails constructive conversations about important industry issues.
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the necessity for tangible evidence ("receipts") to substantiate Nicki Minaj's allegations against industry figures like Punch and Jay Z. Lauren emphasizes the importance of transparency and factual backing to facilitate meaningful dialogues.
Lauren LaRosa [14:50]: "I just would need to see more... I need to see the receipts because other than that, everything is just claims. And that's a lot to throw on a person."
Lauren calls for Nicki to provide concrete evidence to support her claims, arguing that without such proof, the conversations remain speculative and often fuel divisive narratives rather than fostering understanding.
Lauren explores how the feud affects fan communities, particularly among Nicki Minaj's "Barbz." She observes that fans are polarized—either staunchly supportive of Nicki or vehemently critical—leaving little room for neutral or nuanced perspectives.
Lauren LaRosa [13:15]: "Because the broken Barbie's tweet had went up from her manager, and here she comes talking about retrograde and not to take the bait... For me, I just really really try to think about being a woman in a situation where you feel like you're not being hurt and what that looks like on a surface level."
This polarization, Lauren suggests, undermines the potential for constructive discussions about the underlying issues, such as gender dynamics and power struggles within the music industry.
Towards the end of the episode, Lauren appeals to both artists and their fan bases to engage in more constructive and evidence-based dialogues. She advocates for moving beyond superficial conflicts to address the substantive issues Nicki Minaj raises about industry practices and gender-related challenges.
Lauren LaRosa [14:30]: "What can Nicki Minaj do to better have this conversation? I think for me, if we taking it to the streets and the tweets, what can be done to better have this conversation in a way where maybe we can understand where Nicki is coming from?"
Lauren envisions a scenario where both parties can present their perspectives openly, backed by facts, to foster mutual understanding and drive positive change within the industry.
In wrapping up the episode, Lauren reiterates the complexity of the feud between Nicki Minaj and SZA, highlighting the difficulty in forming definitive opinions without comprehensive information from both sides. She underscores the importance of approaching such conflicts with an open mind and a demand for factual evidence to facilitate meaningful discussions.
Lauren LaRosa [15:30]: "Without full context from both sides and even with full context from both sides, it's hard to make an opinion or a narrative, but people run to do it."
Lauren concludes by urging listeners to engage thoughtfully with the situation, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding in navigating the intricate dynamics of celebrity feuds and industry politics.
Lauren LaRosa on Nicki's Vocality:
"Nicki Minaj has been trying to have a conversation for about a month or so now just about the wrongs that she alleges are being done to her in this industry."
[00:12]
Nicki Minaj's Critique of SZA:
"Listen, Mizza, okay, Find you somebody to play with MZA Les Miserable... I don't know if you fat, obese, chubby or skinny, gotta get up on my hair."
[03:51]
SZA's Defense Against Bullying:
"I get bullied by millions online every day. Then I stepped my ass out on a packed stadium tour... I'm on the GNX tour with Kendrick Lamar... My parents are healthy, and I'm the most successful I have ever been."
[04:28]
Nicki Minaj Dismissing SZA's Icon Status:
"Let's take a listen, Mizza, you're not an icon. You are a yodeling fool. Who's... Who needs auto-tune?"
[06:42]
Lauren’s Call for Evidence:
"I just would need to see more... I need to see the receipts because other than that, everything is just claims. And that's a lot to throw on a person."
[14:50]
Complexity of Public Feuds: The dispute between Nicki Minaj and SZA exemplifies how public disagreements can be fueled by misinterpretations and lack of clear communication, leading to widespread speculation and divided fan bases.
Need for Evidence-Based Conversations: Lauren emphasizes the importance of substantiating claims with concrete evidence to move beyond mere allegations and foster genuine dialogue about industry issues.
Impact of Social Media: Platforms like X play a significant role in magnifying conflicts, often stripping away context and leading to amplified and sometimes distorted narratives.
Gender Dynamics in the Industry: The feud touches upon broader themes of gender bias and the challenges women face in the male-dominated music industry, highlighting the need for more supportive and equitable environments.
Role of Media and Influencers: Hosts like Lauren LaRosa serve as mediators, striving to provide balanced perspectives and encourage thoughtful discussions amidst the chaos of celebrity feuds.
Lauren LaRosa adeptly navigates the intricate and emotionally charged feud between Nicki Minaj and SZA, offering listeners a nuanced understanding of the events and the underlying tensions. By advocating for evidence-based discussions and highlighting the broader industry implications, she encourages a more informed and empathetic approach to celebrity conflicts. This episode serves as a compelling reminder of the complexities inherent in public feuds and the importance of striving for clarity and understanding in the midst of controversy.