--- title: Nicki Minaj Says How Drake, Meek Mill Beef Affected Career description: Nicki Minaj opened up about how Drake and Meek Mill's infamous beef was "one of the hardest parts of my career to date." canonical: https://time.com/5238629/nicki-minaj-on-drake-meek-mill-feud/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-12T21:35:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:52:07.329Z og:title: Nicki Minaj on How the Drake Meek Mill Beef Affected Her Career og:description: "I felt imprisoned in that moment" og:url: https://time.com/5238629/nicki-minaj-on-drake-meek-mill-feud/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40fd5c0e46a6b25e/69892d8cbc6cfccff73e5a61/nicki-minaj-on-drake-meek-mill-beef.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: The Meadows Music And Arts Festival - Day 2 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Nicki Minaj on How the Drake Meek Mill Beef Affected Her Career twitter:description: "I felt imprisoned in that moment" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt40fd5c0e46a6b25e/69892d8cbc6cfccff73e5a61/nicki-minaj-on-drake-meek-mill-beef.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'One of the Hardest Parts of My Career to Date.' Nicki Minaj Discusses Drake and Meek Mill's Beef > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Apr 12, 2018 9:35 PM UTC  NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Nicki Minaj performs onstage during the Meadows Music and Arts Festival - Day 2 at Citi Field on September 16, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Nicki Minaj performs onstage during the Meadows Music and Arts Festival - Day 2 at Citi Field on September 16, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images) Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Apr 12, 2018 9:35 PM UTC [Nicki Minaj](http://time.com/4936550/nicki-minaj-on-cultural-appropriation-nyfw/) blessed fans with not only two new singles (“Barbie Tingz” amd “Chun-Li”) off her upcoming new album, but a interview where the Queens rapper shared the challenges she faced when her ex-boyfriend [Meek Mill](http://time.com/3983276/drake-meek-mill-ovofest/) and her close friend and fellow Young Money label rapper [Drake](http://time.com/5042885/drake-basketball-meme/) had their [infamous beef](http://time.com/3967466/meek-mill-drake/). Minaj sat down with Zane Lowe for his _Beats 1_ radio show on Apple music where she discussed new music and what it was like to be caught in the middle of Meek and Drake’s feud, a period of time that she said was “one of the hardest parts of my career to date.” Comparing her friendship with Drake to that of an old married couple who sometimes squabble, Nicki said that the beef put her in an impossible position. “I did love both of them,” she said. “I couldn’t erase the love I had for my team, but I also couldn’t speak out. I felt imprisoned in that moment.” Minaj also disclosed that she thinks her new music is the best she’s ever created and that she plans to go on tour later this year. 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