Nicki Minaj Claims Jay-Z’s Obama Friendship Turned Rappers Against the Former President

Nicki Minaj is pulling back the curtain on her political evolution — and she’s taking aim at one of rap’s biggest names in the process.

In a new Time interview with Eric Cortellessa, conducted at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, the rapper leveled a pointed critique at Jay-Z, asserting that his close relationship with Barack Obama may have worked against the former president. “I think Jay-Z ended up costing Obama a lot, whether he knows it or not,” she said. “Lots of rappers don’t like Jay-Z and were afraid to say it.”

The allegation carries a notable backdrop. Jay-Z hit the campaign trail for Obama during the 2008 election, rallying voters at multiple events alongside stars like Diddy and Mary J. Blige. Obama later inducted Jay-Z into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, saying the two shared a mutual understanding rooted in similar upbringings. During Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, Jay-Z and Beyoncé were involved at essentially every major turn, and the two couples developed what Obama publicly described as a genuine friendship.

For Minaj, that closeness was apparently a liability — particularly among hip-hop artists who resented Jay-Z’s dominance. She has previously accused his Roc Nation of working to sabotage her career and alleged he owes her between $100 and $200 million.

Her disillusionment with the Democratic Party, she explained, predates her public MAGA alignment. A 2021 controversy over COVID vaccine skepticism, several unsolved swatting incidents at her Los Angeles home, and a lack of response from California Governor Gavin Newsom all contributed. When Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna reached out after an April 2025 swatting attack, it became a turning point.

“I was shocked,” Minaj said. “I’d never seen anyone in politics treat me that way … That’s what made me say that I don’t care to keep this a secret anymore.”