Coi Leray ended last week with news that she earned two Grammy Award nominations. However, the attention quickly shifted to her father, Benzino, as the television personality shared his thoughts on his daughter.
At first, Benzino congratulated Coi Leray for picking up Grammy nods for Best Pop Dance Recording and Best Rap Performance. The former co-owner of The Source magazine then took issue with what the “Players” rapper had to say about him in a recent interview.
While appearing on Angie Martinez’s IRL podcast, Coi Leray discussed her father possibly being envious of her success. Benzino responded by chastising Leray and blasting Martinez on Instagram.
“In my 40 years in Hip Hop I’ve never ever seen an artist DOG their parents out the [way] Coi does and it’s embarrassing and sad,” Benzino wrote. “And one last thing, [Angie Martinez] knows she doesn’t like me so she’s just being manipulative and messy.”
Additionally, Benzino returned to Instagram to provide more comments about his parenting. The former Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta cast member claimed he played an important role in helping Leray’s mother and raising Leray’s siblings.
“None of y’all was there when I was providing for her mother, her two brothers who were mine and her two older brothers I raised who [weren’t] mine so keep your negative opinions to yourself. I’m a real dad and I’m proud of that,” declared Zino.
He also posted a note that read, “It’s so easy to hop [on] the bad dad bandwagon because 75 percent of Black women and girls were without their dad in any capacity. Well, I feel for y’all, but that was not the case for Coi Leray.”
According to Coi Leray, her early life changed after her parents separated. Hulu’s RapCaviar Presents included her stating, “My mom and dad didn’t stay together… At that point, my mom couldn’t really give us everything we wanted… We didn’t get the nicest things or have the nicest things.”
This is not the first time Benzino and Coi Leray addressed their seemingly rocky relationship in public. Leray once suggested her father needed help. The 26-year-old performer also asked people to pray for Zino following a social media meltdown.