Nicki Minaj’s Vocal Roast Sparks SZA Showdown Across the Pond
Oh, fantastic: Nicki Minaj took to social media to mock SZA’s vocals, triggering an international backlash. In what started as a routine barb aimed at Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, the Pinkprint star zeroed in on SZA after misreading a Mercury retrograde tweet, and now fans are watching this diva dust-up unfold in real time.
SZA kicked off Tuesday on X by posting “Mercury retrograde … don’t take the bait lol silly goose,” a comment meant to warn followers about cosmic chaos. Unfortunately for her, Nicki Minaj saw red, convinced it was a veiled jab amid her own tirade against Roc Nation leadership. Critics note that SZA was in Paris on her joint GNX tour with Kendrick Lamar, fresh off a midnight set at the La Défense Arena, so any reference to the “bait” was purely celestial, not personal.
Without waiting for clarification, Nicki launched into a roast rivaling her recent jabs at Jay-Z. She satirized SZA’s singing—likening her high notes to a dying pooch and a concertgoer’s bee-sting squeal—leaving fans divided. Some Barbs cheered on the theatrics, while others cautioned against dragging SZA into a dispute that had zero connection to her.
Not one to stay silent, SZA calmly clapped back, explaining that her tweet had nothing to do with Nicki or American drama. She reminded everyone (and the Barbz) that European time zones apply—the post went live long after her Paris finale—so any claim of shade was a misunderstanding. SZA’s manager, Terrence “Punch” Henderson, also weighed in, pointing out that his earlier nod to “Black Barbies” celebrated Lyric Michelle’s new track from the Room Full Of Mirrors collective and wasn’t a shot at Minaj.
As of now, Nicki has yet to acknowledge SZA’s public clarification or Punch’s context, seemingly undisturbed unless the topic circles back to Desiree Perez’s daughter, Demoree Hadley. Meanwhile, fans are left wondering if this spat will fade into social media white noise or spark a round-two of celebrity sniping.
And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have a straightforward tweet. Go figure.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
