Nicki Minaj took to Twitter earlier today (February 3) to lash out at Giuseppe Zanotti, accusing the Italian shoe designer of “racism” and “disrespect.”
Zanotti currently sells a line of sneakers called “Nicki,” a collection that lists 23 designs that came about after the pair met and he supposedly told Minaj that she “inspired him to design a sneaker in [her] honor.”
However, the rapper says that after reaching out to Zanotti’s PR agency, she was informed that the famed designer wouldn’t be returning her phone call. “Lil black girl can inspire u but ain’t worth a collection my nig,” Minaj tweeted in response. The rapper went on to joke about going toe-to-toe with Zanotti after the proposed fight between Chris Brown and Soulja Boy.
“This is wonderful. #GiuseppeZanotti seems to think it’s ok to name his sneakers after me but his PR says they won’t take our call. Lol,” Nicki Minaj tweeted before continuing in subsequent posts. “I met #GiuseppeZanotti years ago. At which time, he told me I inspired him to design a sneaker in my honor. Wore them on the cover of Cosmo Recently when he gave other artists capsule collections, my agency reached out and was told they’re not taking our call. Just go on google, you’ll see all the different pairs he’s named after me. Lil black girl can inspire u but ain’t worth a collection my nig? #RunMeMyCHECK #GiuseppeWhatsGood I got time today. barbz trend this cuz he gon learn today. The racism & disrespect won’t b tolerated. Take the poll. Should Giuseppe Don’t care about the money. It’s just the disrespect. You’re not taking MY call? Lol. Give some money to charity in my name or smthn. U know what I gotta go. My phone ringing. Tell Floyd, Fif & Mike Tyson to book me for the next fight. Me and Giuseppe. after cb & Draco”
Continuing with the fight theme, she posted a video of herself in boxing gloves to Instagram. Fans chimed in calling for the fight, too.
Since her posts on Twitter went viral — with the tag #GiuseppeWhatsGood trending — the Giuseppe Zanotti online store seemingly took down the shoes.
Nicki clarifies that she’s not in it for the money, but is concerned about getting the respect she deserves. She says the larger issue at hand is equal treatment of women in business and offers to match a donation of up to $500,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to help make her point.
This isn’t the first time Nicki’s stood up for equal treatment for black women as she blasted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2015 for not nominating “Anaconda” for Video of the Year.
She’s surprised? Black folk always create, white folk take and get rich. How about putting some brothers and sisters in the light? Wear their shit..keep the $ in our pockets for a change…and as far as fighting, PLEASE don’t embarrass the culture anymore. Keep rapping. Hip Hop has become the laughing stock of the music industry.
True, black people create everything. FUBU FOR LIFE!
Agree, collab wit someone cuz of his skincolor and because you like his sh*t. Makes way more sense
Let us f***ing live. Stop making everything about race. You’re NOT the only race that supports high fashion. Listen to yourselves?!
Nicki Minaj can kick Meek’s ass
I agree with smh it’s alot of black designer out here a most of us don’t support our own and we get mad when they don’t want us in they shit #support our own black designers
I don’t see you ignorant reverse racists, walking round in Oscar Boetang suits.
Who the the fuck would wear zanotti’s hideous trainers anyway. Only someone who wants to show how much they’ve spent it’s a culture.
Bitch shut up and post more ass naked pics.. that’s all we care about from you
This bitch is dumb as fuck the only racist is your own damn self you ignorant bitch does your stupid ass even know what a mandingo is? Its a black man slave to some ugly old ass white bitch and you make a song about it then call yourself a nig just straight fucking retarded seriously all this bitch is good for is photo ops and helping keep silicone supplies and plastic surgeons very happy with her huge fake ass and titties bitch needs to shut the fuck up someones not racist just for refusing to operate there business profesionaly it just means there idiots and your an idiot thru association
Agree with that she a typical black women
Don’t get beside your self your not Diana Ross or Whitney Houston , knowing you must have been disrespectful!!! Don’t bring race or gender in this ordeal, you have no one to blame but yourself!! your still a HOODRAT!!!!!
Pathetic. You black people always complain about racism #KillWhitey
For f***ing EVERYTHING! Now we’re not allowed to turn down a meeting or not return phone call without being considered a racist. What in THE f**k?! Run to social media and gas up your fans into believing that you’ve been racially profiled? And for what? Money? That’s what all of this is about. Be honest! These poor fans feed into this nonsense not realizing that they’re being used in the worst way. This race card BS has to stop. It’s becoming ALL too familiar at this point.
U only see rappers supporting European or white companies from cars to clothing. start supporting black companies u sellouts. U have so much influence to build black companies yet u enrich white people who spit when they hear ur music.
Grow up,you’re whole paragraph reeks of racism and entitlement.
White people can’t win can they? They support hip hop by buying music, archiving it, giving it air time in interviews and reviews through many forms of media, attending shows and wearing rappers’ merchandise, but they are ‘visitors of hip hop’ and now they spit when they hear hip hop…
Of course they’ll “support” hip-hop. But it’s not the same as EMBRACING THE CULTURE. They run the labels, which is what the guy is basically saying. We didn’t have sense enough to monopolize it ourselve. So there ya go….thanks
When white people embrace hip hop, they’re considered culture vultures or wannabes by black people. It’ll always be that way because racism isn’t a one-way street. And that’s fine, as long as a black person isn’t delusional to think he or she isn’t racist at all either.
stop it… genuine white people have always been embraced by blacks & hip hop… its the ones thats in it not for the love of the culture but for a check that are considered culture vultures… know the difference
Being called a ‘guest’ is embracing them now? GTFOH. If you believe that you don’t see enough BS people spout.
stop it…..genuine white people have always been embraced by blacks & hip hop… its the ones thats in it not for the love of the culture but for a check that are considered culture vultures… know the difference
So true! We’re just supposed to sit back and let them bag on us for everything. So wack. Do they want our support or not? Racism is definitely NOT a one-way street. Racism is defined as any race that feels superior to the other not just black and white. We can’t even celebrate our own accomplishments anymore without it being considered racist? But black people can celebrate everything? What kind of backwards shit is that?! @ PrimeMC: Got to websites like VladTV and read how they bag on us! We’re definitely called “Culture Vultures” and “Wannabes”. They can’t even acknowledge Em’s talent because he’s white and what he raps about? What are they rapping about? Clapping each other, drugs, lean, bitches, guns, turning up, mumbling, reverse racism, etc. Give us a break! Let us live. We’re 99.9% of your record sales and this is the thanks we get? Y’all can borrow from anybody and it’s okay, but the that we’re influenced by your culture, we immediately dragged for it.
Correction: (((They))) run the labels. The Goldbergs and Silversteins. You’re blamin the wrong white people here.
The fact that you think you can or should be able to monopolize a genre of music is the problem. So there ya go….thanks
you cant be serious
ATTENTION BLACK PEOPLE: Stop. Guilting. Innocent. White People. For. EVERYTHING! Sh*t HAS TO STOP. WEARING VERY F***ING THIN ON THE ENTIRE POPULATION’S PATIENCE! Nowhere was Nicki’s RACE even mentioned?! AND SHE IMMEDIATELY RUNS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND USES RACISM AS A MOTIVATING FACTOR?! UN-F***ING-BELIEVABLE?! Can we just f***ing live? It’s okay for you to bash us for everything when 90% of it has nothing to do with us and we’re expected to just sit back and be silent or else we’re considered bigots? What kind of backward a** sh*t is that? WE support your music and we’re considered suburban zombies and culture vultures. We support equality and movements and our efforts are scoffed at? What do you want from us?! Jesus Christ?! It’s the image that you portray in your music, media and culture. Go to ANY predominately black culture website and tell us what you see? 99.9% of the content is guns, drugs, lean, bitches, get money, threatening each other with violence, repeat. Your own artists can’t even make music without going back and forth with each other. It fuels your existence. Very sad, but very true statement. Leave us out of your BS! – Sincerely, Everybody!
this is what happen when the industry is done with you hip hop reailty shows low budget c’class celebrity boxing matches she along wit soul ja boy are washed up and used up. Chris Brown is killing himself wit drugs
Leave my fucking cuzins alone
Chris Brown should NOT be associating himself with black trailer trash hoodlums like Wack100, Nicki Minaj, Soulja Boy and shallow girls with jungle fever. Chris has talent but he fucks it all up by hanging with the wrong crowd. He’s from VA, not from Compton and all of them backstabbed him and robbed his house. Get the fuck away from trash.
Did she cut a check to Barbie where she got “insparation” from?
You mean Lil’Kim or the plastic doll oh wait they are the same thing lol
Nigga don’t talk about my fucking cuzin like that
NICKI M MY FUCKING CUZIN
Niggaz from Africa coming on boats to the Europe. Europe gonna be full of Niggas and I ain’t mad at that. #niggasinparis #niggasineurope #niggaseverywhere
LMAO talk about “Barbie” spitting her dummy out the pram; when things don’t go her way! Now, because dude- who once was “inspired” by you- is no longer feelin you, you call him a racist?! GTFOH I suppose Mattel would be racist if they were to hit you up for tickets and CD’s, because you were so inspired by them, and you were to say no. HA! What an idiot this woman is. lol I guess Giuseppe isn’t feeling her… for what-ever reasons. That doesn’t make dude racist or even disrespectful. Bitch was only reaching out for free shit anyway. Not as if she was call to wish him happy birthday. SMH
You heard that new fire Chris Brown jam produced by Rushmore Beats?
absolutely nothing he did mentions or even hints at race, how is she gonna go and call him racist? That god-damn liar, she is just using that as an excuse to justify her upset, and to draw sympathy. How sad, how low.