Peter Rosenberg dis inspires Nicki Minaj to cancel Hot 97 gig
Koi Sojer/PR Photos
Yesterday, Lil Wayne put everybody on notice: He is a very protective label boss, and he won't hesitate to ruin your party if you cross one of his charges.
The 50,000 or so people who packed into MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey yesterday for New York City radio station Hot 97's Summer Jam festival got a rude awakening when headliner Nicki Minaj had pulled out of the show — one of the biggest annual events on the hip-hop calendar.
It all started when Hot 97 DJ and Hip-Hop Squares host Peter Rosenberg threw down "Starships," on the current single from Minaj's Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, while introducing rapper Kendrick Lamar. "We're all about that real hip-hop," he told the crowd. "I know there are some chicks in here waiting to sing along with 'Starships' later. I'm not talking to y'all right now. F— that bulls—."
Lil Wayne, who heads up Minaj's Young Money label, jumped on Twitter to announce "Young Money ain't doing summer jam."Minaj immediately backed him up: "The President has spoken," she said on Twitter. "I go above and beyond for my fans. But won't ever go against wayne's word. What he says, goes."
The decision to pull all of his artists from the show also meant that DJ Khaled and recent signee Busta Rhymes also never made it to the stage. Nas, who was going to be one of Minaj's special guests, ended up taking her place, bringing out Lauryn Hill for several songs:
For his part, Rosenberg stuck to his guns. "Last night I said nothing different than I have ever said," Rosenberg wrote this morning on Twitter. "It was not a personal dis. It was starships is s—. WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS TRUE." During the festival, legendary Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex also co-signed his colleague's dismissal of "Starships." "We don't f— with commercial artists no more," he told the crowd. "We don't give a s— if you commercial or pop and you afraid to touch down in Jersey."
Readers, what do you think — should Nicki have pulled out even though she was scheduled and advertised? And is trash-talking your own headliner perhaps not the best way to promote the festival you're currently hosting?
Read more on EW.com:
Nicki Minaj rolls with Chris Brown and Nas in 'Right By My Side' video
Solve the daily Crossword
