Nicki Minaj and Cardi B are both set to appear at the VMAs on September 12, almost five years to the day from their scuffle at a New York Fashion Week event.
Minaj will be reprising her dual role as emcee and performer for the second consecutive year, while Cardi B has just been announced as one of the ceremony’s acts, meaning that Minaj may be tasked with introducing her on the stage.
The event — which is also set to include performances by Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Wayne — will bring the two rappers together publicly for the first time since their altercation at a New York Fashion Week event in September 2018. According to reports at the time, Cardi B was elbowed by a security guard as they tried to split the rappers up, per Rolling Stone. A video of the incident, shared by TMZ, shows security rushing in to separate the pair as Cardi B yells at Minaj.
Cardi B left the party at The Plaza in New York City with a visible bump over her left eye, no shoes, and a rip on the back of her red Dolce & Gabbana dress, per Rolling Stone.
In the aftermath, Cardi B turned to Instagram where she alluded that the scuffle had started because Minaj — who she did not name directly — had threatened artists not to work with her and made “comments about my abilities to take care of my daughter.” Now that the two women are set to be in the same venue as one another again for the first time since they came to blows, some people are expecting more drama.
“Megan and Cardi performing BONGOS at the VMAs that Nicki Minaj is hosting … MESSY VMAs are back!” one X user wrote, while a handful of other users also described the choice to book Cardi B as “messy” and “awkward.”
Others were hopeful that the decision to book both artists on the show could indicate that they wanted to publicly make up and end their feud.
“OKKK BUT LIKE imagine they do this whole thing (where) they make up on stage and stomp on their beef,” another X post read in response to MTV’s announcement of Cardi B’s appearance.
Minaj has never addressed the feud between her and Cardi, although some fans have speculated that she has taken aim at the “Bodak Yellow” rapper in her songs “We Go Up” and “Hard White.”
