Nicki Minaj is giving Eve her flowers. The Young Money rapper penned a heartfelt message to the Ruff Ryders’ first lady on Sunday (Sept. 22) for being a “trendsetter” and the “groundbreaking” level of “emotional and spiritual maturity” she displayed throughout her career.
Eve has been on a press tour in support of her Who’s That Girl? memoir, and she revealed that she joined therapy after finding out that Minaj was joining the Barbershop: The Next Cut cast in 2016, which seemingly prompted a response from the Barbz leader.
“Dear Eve, The various things you’ve shared recently, are groundbreaking (in my opinion) for so many reasons,” she began in her message posted to X. “First, thank you. The level of grace; the level of emotional & spiritual maturity it takes to be this vulnerable & transparent is a sign of TRUE peace, happiness, fulfillment, & mastery of self. Self reflection @ its height. I always say that I think accountability is the sexiest trait a person can have. I was one of the kids in NY watching Ruff Ryderz on TV.” “
Nicki reflected: “I DEFINITELY remember how when you took the game by storm, that there were some ppl who couldn’t hide their insecurities. Even tho it’s swept under the rug now, I remember that you handled it with grace but ALSO a big sprinkle of unapologetic TALENT & charisma. You soared & soared. Classic music w/the illest team, to the BIG SCREEN. And made it look easy, too. Trendsetter. The Eve blonde short cut, the Eve paw print tats on the chest…”
While they never released music together, the Queens artist recalled being on set with Eve for Barbershop and how they bonded amid women typically feeling the pressure to compete against one another. Eve later called Nicki a “good addition to the cast” during an interview with Larry King in 2016.
“I was so nervous coming onto that movie set every day,” Nicki added in her tweet. “You looked like a pro & I admired that so much. Thank you for trying to not do to me what was done to you. Women feel so much pressure to compete & it’s a shame b/c we usually have so much in common & could rlly benefit from one another just as human beings. We all share so many of the same experiences as artists, wives, moms, ups & downs, anxiety, etc. I remember telling a friend of mine that I didn’t think you liked me after our first day on set together.”
Minaj continued: “But you know something crazy? I swear. I KNEW that YOU could tell deep down inside that I really liked YOU. So you went easy on me. lol Loved the way the movie turned out. Blessings to you & your beautiful family. Congratulations on your new book as well as all your many accomplishments in Hip Hop & Film & TV. P.S. you STILL looK sooooo pretty.”
Eve’s Who’s That Girl? with Kathy Iandoli arrived earlier in September. The rapper’s memoir explores the depths of her decorated career and it previously made headlines when she recalled a phone call from Jay-Z where he tried to temper expectations when it came to Eve’s 1999 debut LP. However, Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady went on to top the Billboard 200 with more than 200,000 total album units sold in the first week.
As for Nicki, she’s trekking across North America for a second U.S. run of shows as part of the Pink Friday 2 World Tour. The rest of the month includes stops in San Diego, San Francisco and Las Vegas.