Nicki Minaj Cancels Summer Jam Gig After DJ Insults 'Starships'
Nicki Minaj pulled out of her gig at Hot 97's Summer Jam festival in East Rutherford, N.J., at the very last minute following insulting remarks made by Hot 97 radio personality Peter Rosenberg about her music.
Minaj, who is signed to Young Money Entertainment, was forced to cancel her performance after the label's founder, Lil Wayne, advised her to in retaliation. Rosenberg had blasted her music as not being on par with real hip-hop, according to TMZ.
"I know there's some chicks here waiting to sing 'Starships' later, I'm not talking to y'all right now. F--- that b---s---. I'm here to talk about real hip-hop s---," Rosenberg told the crowd.
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Minaj is said to be so furious that she later made it clear that she will never return to perform at Hot 97's annual Summer Jam festival despite being invited to perform next year by the radio station.
Rosenberg, who also hosts MTV's "Hip-Hop Squares," insisted that he has nothing personal against Minaj but maintains that her hot single "Starships" is "wack and corny."
Shortly after, Minaj canceled her scheduled performance her boss, Lil Wayne, and took to Twitter to inform fans about what was happening.
"Young Money ain't doing summer jam," Lil Wayne tweeted.
Minaj is no stranger to criticism about the nature of her music, and in April she was forced to explain her changing style, which some critics believe has transitioned from traditional hip-hop to pop music.
"I'm still me, hip-hop culture is still in my heart. That can never leave me," Minaj told MTV News.
Minaj called in to Hot 97 personality Funkmaster Flex's show on Monday night where the two engaged in a heated argument about Sunday's incident after Rosenberg publicly insisted that his remarks were simply his opinion.
"It's not about his opinion. I have opinions about Hot 97 and DJs and Hot 97. But I wouldn't come on your stage or even say something to my fans negative about Hot 97. I'm a grown … woman, everyone is grown enough to keep their opinions of themselves," Minaj said.
"I travel all over the world and people come to have a good time, not to have their favorite artist ridiculed. When you disrespect Nicki Minaj … you're disrespecting my fans. Don't make those 3 million people who downloaded 'Starships' or whatever feel inferior for their tastes. When you invite someone to their home, you treat them with respect," she added.
