Lil Wayne had a few words for former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins after he mentioned Nicki Minaj during a recent broadcast.
The Young Money Entertainment founder is fiercely protective of his close friend and collaborator and was thoroughly unimpressed by Perkins’ remarks about Minaj.
The athlete-turned-sportscaster downplayed Minaj during a recent discussion about Jimmy Butler’s move to the Golden State Warriors on ESPN.
“I’m thinking that the Warriors are gonna go out there and get a Beyoncé or a Taylor Swift,” Perkins said of the trade. “They end up getting a Nicki Minaj.”
Kendrick Perkins says the Warriors wanted a Beyoncé/Taylor Swift but ended up with a Nicki Minaj 😬
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 6, 2025
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/7ipKaZ0yO3
Although Perkins didn’t rank Minaj as an A-lister like the other female artists he mentioned, many of her fans strongly disagree—especially Weezy, who signed the NYC rapper back in 2009.
Lil Wayne returned the shade on social media, flipping Perkins’ comment to fire back.
“The Warriors thought they was getting a Taylor Swift or a Beyoncé and ended up getting a #kendrickperkins,” he tweeted. “Stop playin bish.”
In addition to Lil Wayne, The Barbz, Nicki Minaj’s loyal fanbase also stuck up for their idol, littering his social media posts with insults.
The intense backlash prompted Perkins to apologize for his remarks on social media.
“Wish I would’ve known about the Barbz before my Nicki Minaj take,” he wrote. “Don’t charge it to my heart. My apologies, I don’t want no smoke!”
He also pleaded for forgiveness during a subsequent appearance on ESPN.
“Let me apologize to Nicki Minaj and the Barbz,” he said. “They’ve been on my ass like pockets. I apologize, I’m a fan. Please, forgive me. I don’t want no smoke.”