Nicki Minaj has once again proven why she’s still the queen of hip-hop. More recently, she reconnected with her longtime mentor Lil Wayne for a blazing remix of “Banned From NO.” Her lethal penmanship on the single comes just days after Lil Wayne‘s Tha Carter VI debuted on June 6, an album fans assumed would feature a verse from Nicki. Although she was missing from the original tracklist, this unexpected remix more than made up for it. With razor-sharp bars and unfiltered energy, Nicki turned heads (and made headlines) with ruthless bars that emphasize her rap prowess to the fullest extent.
In her rhymes, she didn’t hold back and even threw shots at Shannon Sharpe, the NFL, and JAY-Z. For instance, she spits “If I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that Sharpe,” seemingly referencing Sharpe’s mean comment about her earlier this year. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Shannon tweeted “Nicki Who?”.
The NFL and JAY-Z were next to feel her fury due to choosing Kendrick Lamar over Lil Wayne to perform at the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans, Weezy’s city. Without missing a beat, she rapped “NFL, fire some ni**as and then call us!” which highlights how music executives behind the scenes often leave rap legends like Wayne on the sidelines.
This remix marks the first time Nicki and Wayne have appeared together on a track since “RNB” on her Pink Friday 2 album in 2023. She celebrated the release with a nostalgic Instagram post featuring throwback Young Money photos and a heartfelt caption calling Wayne “the GOAT.”
Meanwhile, Wayne’s Tha Carter VI brings 19 tracks packed with a plethora of features, from Bono and Andrea Bocelli to MGK and his son Kameron Carter, underscoring his mastery in blending genres and hard-hitting bars.
All in all, Nicki and Wayne’s “BANNED FROM NO (Remix)” show music enthusiasts worldwide what happens when two hip-hop icons join forces.
