Ming Li attends Cardi B concert, says she wasn't trying to be shady.
Ming rejects notion of having to 'pick a side' between Nicki and Cardi.
Nicki Minaj previously appeared to publicly criticize Ming for speaking openly about their relationship.
Source: @beautybymarcia, @Mingluanli/ Savion Washington /Gilbert Carrasquillo
Nicki Minaj‘s little sister is speaking out again following her now-viral appearance at a Cardi B concert.
“I don’t feel like I got to pick a side,” said the rising artist.
During a conversation with Hip-Hop Wired, Ming addressed her decision to attend the Houston tour date of Cardi’s Little Miss Drama tour in March.
“I was shady for that, wasn’t I? I wasn’t trying to be shady,” Ming Li said. “I felt like at the time I was hanging out with my friends and they wanted to go out, I wanted to go out too. I’m not staying in the house by myself. It was either go outside, drink, have fun, or stay inside, be bored, watch TV? I’m not doing that sh*t. I was like one time for the one time.”
The moment quickly made waves online, sparking debate among fans of both camps, something Ming says comes with the territory of being tied to one of rap’s biggest stars.
“Everyone that was hating on me or loving me after that was still on my Instagram page, on my TikTok page, still following me around. So I feel like no matter what I say it’s going to be a blessing and a curse when it comes to my sister [Nicki Minaj].”
She also made it clear she doesn’t feel the need to choose sides between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, despite what others may expect.
“I don’t feel like I got to pick a side, I feel like you know, if you’re not putting money in my pockets, there’s no side to pick. Or if I feel like y’all not even my family or you’re not in our family circle to tell me anything, you can’t really let me know about what I should or shouldn’t feel.”
As previously reported, Ming’s concert cameo first sent social media into a frenzy on March 5 when she posted photos and clips from the night while shrugging off calls to “pick a side.”
“Pick a side? No side… Who said you can’t love both?” she wrote at the time, adding, “Y’all just want a drama… At the end of the day, we all grown.”
She later doubled down in comments and even posted a parody apology video, joking about “being there and having so much fun” while noting she felt “celebrated and not tolerated.”
Ming went on to defend her decision even further in Instagram comments, replying to one critic and writing:
“babe my own sister called me a ‘clown’ and a ‘mooch’ and yall still support, couldn’t even tell yall who her real daddy was.”
Cardi also weighed in, telling fans that Ming “needs guidance” while noting that she’s in her kindness era.
“I just believe the little girl needs guidance, unfortunately I can’t give it because it’s just too close.”
Nicki Minaj Seemingly Shaded Ming Li In 2024
The tension between Ming Li and her big sister isn’t new.
As previously reported, Nicki Minaj appeared to publicly chastise Ming in August 2024 following her appearance on the We In Miami Podcast, where she admitted the two were “never close” and sometimes clashed.
Shortly after, Nicki seemingly responded during a Stationhead broadcast with a pointed message about loyalty, privacy, and success.
Source: Caylo Seals / Getty
“Why would a person speak openly about a private person?” Nicki said at the time, before adding,
“Being a mooch and a clown don’t run in my DNA.”
While Nicki never directly named Ming, many Barbz believed the message was aimed at her.
After catching wind of her famed sister’s shade, Ming reposted the clip and wrote,
“I still love her… I tried as a sister to please her but I realize I gotta please God first.”
Check out the full clip of Nicki Minaj’s sister Ming Li below:
