Nicki Minaj Receives Heartfelt Apology from Shannon Sharpe After “Banned from NO” Diss
Nicki Minaj has received a public apology from NFL legend and media personality Shannon Sharpe after the rapper took a jab at him in her new collaboration with Lil Wayne, “Banned from NO.” The pointed lyric, “’Bout to cop you slides, all you do is flip-flop / If I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that Sharpe,” stirred a conversation online—especially after fans connected it to a past moment when Sharpe appeared to shade Minaj on his podcast.
The line is widely believed to reference Sharpe’s dismissive “Nicki who?” comment after a fan suggested she should be a guest on his Club Shay Shay show. Now, Sharpe has taken the opportunity to clear the air and offer an earnest apology.
In a recent episode of his Nightcap podcast, Sharpe directly addressed the diss and explained that the situation was a misunderstanding. “I was talking about Nikki Haley,” he said, referencing a previous debate. “Nicki, I was not trying to be disrespectful. Of course I know who you are.”
Sharpe continued, “I would be remiss to say I thought you knew who I was, or that you even cared about Club Shay Shay. I’m not that arrogant. I meant no disrespect. You’ll always have an open invitation if you ever want to come sit down and have a conversation. Even if it’s just on the phone and stays between us.”
Wrapping up his statement, Sharpe added, “That was not my intent, but intent only matters to me. Clearly you’re still offended. So I apologize sincerely, and hopefully we can move forward.”
Minaj has yet to publicly respond to the apology, but the moment marks a rare example of a mainstream celebrity offering accountability in real time for a perceived slight.
The “Banned from NO” track, released as a fierce showcase of Minaj and Lil Wayne’s chemistry, didn’t just stop at Sharpe. Nicki also took direct aim at the NFL and JAY-Z for allegedly snubbing Wayne for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
“NFL, fire some n-ggas and then call us,” she rapped, expressing her frustration at the league’s approach to Black artists. She went on to take what many interpreted as a clear swipe at JAY-Z: “One n-gga took a knee. The other n-gga took the bag. He gon get you ‘n-ggers’ in line every f**king time.”
Minaj has been vocal in the past about what she sees as performative inclusion by the NFL, especially when it comes to icons like Wayne being overlooked despite their global influence.
This latest exchange between Nicki Minaj and Shannon Sharpe illustrates just how intertwined hip hop and digital media have become. With stars from different worlds constantly intersecting—whether through music, sports commentary, or social media—miscommunications are bound to happen.
Still, Sharpe’s open apology is a refreshing reminder that accountability still has a place in the spotlight. Whether or not Nicki takes him up on the offer to join Club Shay Shay, the door remains open for a dialogue between two of pop culture’s most talked-about figures.
