The VMAs have always been a hotbed of controversy amidst celebrating music, and the 2015 edition was no exception. In the past, there have been iconic moments like Britney Spears, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera sharing a kiss, Lady Gaga turning heads with her meat dress, and the unforgettable 2009 clash between Kanye West and Taylor Swift. But 2015 was a year to remember, as it brought us a showdown of epic proportions: Nicki Minaj versus Miley Cyrus.

In 2015, when Minaj and Taylor Swift patched up their feud, things took a sour turn with Miley Cyrus. The rapper had previously addressed her issues with Cyrus, setting the record straight about their disagreements.

Why did Nicki Minaj call out Miley Cyrus?

The 2015 VMAs delivered an abundance of jaw-dropping moments, from Justin Bieber’s emotional return to Ye’s surprising presidential declaration. However, it was the onstage clash between Minaj and Cyrus that truly stole the spotlight. What unfolded when Minaj decided to call out Cyrus during her acceptance speech for ‘Anaconda’ was nothing short of an intense showdown. When pressed for an explanation, she expressed her disappointment over what she saw as a snub of  ‘Anaconda’ at the VMAs.

During an interview with the New York Times, Nicki Minaj passionately exclaimed, “You don’t want to know how black women feel about something that’s so important?” As the host of the event, the feud between the ‘Flowers’ singer and Minaj became more public. Minaj did not mince words, going beyond the ‘Anaconda’ snub to express her offense at Cyrus altering her skin tone in place of Minaj’s face on the ‘Anaconda’ cover art. She saw this as a slight against Black women.

The feud that unfolded was quite the spectacle and eventually, roped in the ‘Lover’ singer, Swift, as well.

The whole VMA controversy- Minaj, Cyrus and Swift

Cyrus playfully inserted herself into Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ cover art, photoshopping her face onto Minaj’s body and even adjusting the skin tone for a more “natural” look. Minaj responded with curiosity, wondering why Cyrus chose the image as her Twitter avatar. Cyrus did not stop there, creating another meme with herself as Hannah Montana in the ‘Anaconda’ context, but that time, Minaj’s response was less friendly.

The feud initially ignited when Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ video wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year at the 2015 VMAs. She raised important questions about racial representation and body positivity in award nominations. This led to a Twitter exchange with Taylor Swift. Cyrus, as the VMAs host that year, chimed in, calling Minaj “not too kind“. Further, she even suggested jealousy as the cause of her dissatisfaction with the nominations. Ultimately, Swift won several awards, including Video of the Year for ‘Bad Blood.’

Do you think Minaj was fair for calling out Cyrus? Share your thoughts in the comments below.