Nicki Minaj Vs. Giuseppe Zanotti: Rapper Claims ‘Racism’ After Shoe Fight
Nicki Minaj is now in the fight for her life with shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti on social media. The rapper called out the designer on Twitter after the Italian designer, who used her name on his shoes, won’t return any of her calls.
After Nicki Minaj has been teasing fans with alleged pregnancy photos and reuniting with Drake, she decided to get into a feud with Giuseppe Zanotti over using her name in his shoe line. It all started when the rapper got into a social media feud against the designer for being inspired by her image in a line of shoes called “Nicki.” According to People Style, there are currently 23 styles using her name.
Minaj loved the shoes so much that she wore them for a Cosmopolitan photo shoot and even included the lyrics to her song “Pound the Alarm.” However, according to Minaj, when she reached out to the designer about a possible collaboration, he did not return her calls. Zanotti has worked with other celebrities before, including Jennifer Lopez and Zayn Malik. Minaj claims that “racism” is the reason why he won’t work with the “Side to Side” rapper.
“Dear @giuseppezanottidesign,” she wrote on Instagram. “#RunMeMyCHECK your PR must’ve fell & bumped their head when they told my agency they weren’t discussing anything with us. I’m giving you 24 hours. #GiuseppeWhatsGood 23 pairs of sneakers in my collection & they won’t take a call?”
Nicki wasn’t done yet. She continued to bash the designer and other designers for not giving credit when credit’s due.
“So tired of people taking my kindness for weakness,” she added.
While most fans supported Minaj, others were confused by her statements. She rushed over to Twitter to further explain why she felt taken advantage by Zanotti. The rapper said that the designer told her that she inspired him to create a sneaker in her name, but when she asked to collaborate with him on a collection, she was rejected.
“Recently when he gave other artists capsule collections, my agency reached out and was told they’re not taking our call,” Minaj wrote on Twitter.
She continued by polling her fans on Twitter, asking them what they think Zanotti should do. Since the one-sided social media war started, the hashtag #GiuseppeWhatsGood started trending worldwide on Twitter. But, Zanotti has yet to comment on the feud. As for Minaj, she has been through her share of celebrity feuds with Demi Lovato, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift, among others.
According to the Fader, the brand has removed the “Nicki” line of shoes from its U.S. and U.K. online shops, but the shoes are still available for shipping to Canada. This comes after it was reported that Nicki and her boyfriend Meek Mill have split. She took to Twitter to confirm that she’s single, while her ex-boyfriend took to Instagram to throw some shade at Nicki and her fashion sense, reports Perez Hilton.
He also managed to insert himself into Nicki’s ongoing feud with Giuseppe. Ironically enough, the “Litty” rapper posted a photo of a white pair of heeled Giuseppe Zanotti sneakers with the following caption, “If you walk out don’t wear these they wack.”
According to Perez Hilton, Minaj wore these very shoes in a music video with Ciara back in 2013 for their breakup song, “I’m Out.” According to Hollywood Life, she wore them during her 2014 MTV Video Music Awards performance. Check out the video proof for yourself below.
Nicki Minaj’s fans had a meltdown when she confirmed on January 5 that she is newly single.
“To confirm, yes I am single,” she wrote. “Focusing on my work & looking forward to sharing it with you guys really soon. Have a blessed New Year. Love U.”
Do you think Giuseppe Zanotti should collaborate on a capsule collection with Nicki Minaj, or do you think this social media feud should just fade away? Sound off below in the comments section.
[Featured image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
