A heated social media dispute erupted on X (formerly Twitter) between prominent artists Nicki Minaj and SZA on Tuesday, July 15, with the core of the conflict centering on serious allegations made by Minaj against ROC Nation CEO Desirae Perez. The escalating exchange drew significant public attention and highlighted underlying tensions within the music industry regarding leadership accountability and past behaviors.

The contention began when SZA posted a seemingly cryptic message, "Mercury retrograde .. don't take the bait lol silly goose ." Nicki Minaj quickly interpreted this as a jab and launched a series of aggressive retorts. Her initial response to SZA included phrases such as "Go draw your freckles back on bookie," and "Liar, liar pants on fire. Sounding like a fkng dead dog," setting a combative tone for the subsequent exchange.

Minaj’s accusations against Desirae Perez were central to her online offensive. She directly referenced abuse claims made by Perez’s daughter, Demoree, incorporating hashtags like "justice for demoree" and "deposition perez" into her posts. These hashtags underscored Minaj’s stance that the dispute was connected to serious, unresolved allegations of misconduct within ROC Nation’s leadership, specifically implicating Perez.

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As the spat intensified, Nicki Minaj expanded her attacks beyond the ROC Nation allegations, directly challenging SZA’s musical success and authenticity. Minaj publicly questioned SZA’s standing in the industry, stating, "Sza if every song you’ve ever done vanished right now the music business wouldn’t even miss you." She further accused SZA of having "botted numbers", artificially inflated streaming figures and resurrected old tweets where SZA had reportedly disparaged other artists like Ciara and Rihanna. Minaj also criticized SZA for her perceived silence regarding instances of "executive bullying and harassing" that Minaj claimed to have experienced.

The dispute wasn't confined to X; Minaj continued her tirade on a Stationhead live session, controversially claiming she was unfamiliar with SZA's hit songs, including "Kill Bill" or her collaboration "Luther" with Kendrick Lamar. Meanwhile, SZA maintained a succinct, dismissive stance throughout the public spat. Her primary response to Minaj’s barrage was, "I don't give a f**k bout none of that weird shit you popping," indicating a desire to disengage from the escalating conflict.

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The broader context of the dispute appears to stem from earlier grievances held by Nicki Minaj. Prior to her exchange with SZA, Minaj had publicly accused Punch of TDE of bullying her after she reportedly rejected his business propositions. SZA’s "Mercury retrograde" post then seemed to act as a catalyst, which Minaj interpreted as an implicit criticism of her position, thus sparking the direct confrontation. This high-profile celebrity dispute generated considerable buzz and confusion among fans, who tried to decipher the origins and implications of the escalating public disagreement between the two artists, highlighting the ongoing complexities and tensions in the modern music landscape.