US rappers Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks have come out in praise of Kemi Badenoch, with the latter describing her as “fucking iconic”.
Throwing their weight behind the Conservative Party leader marks an unlikely moment of agreement between the two, given they have famously feuded in the past.
Writing on X on Wednesday (May 13), Minaj responded to a clip of Badenoch mocking Wes Streeting’s leadership ambitions, writing: “The UK is truly one of a kind. They will portray her in film & TV one day…just like they did with Margaret Thatcher.”
Speaking on Friday (May 15), Badenoch responded then, saying: “It was very flattering to hear Nicki Minaj compare me to Margaret Thatcher, who is a heroine of mine, and in fact a heroine to all Conservatives.
“I do like her song ‘Starships’, I’ve been dancing to it for a long time, as do my children.
“So it’s very flattering that even in the US they can see who is holding Labour to account – it’s the Conservatives, it is me, and that’s quite a nice thing to see.”
😩 The UK is truly one of a kind.
They will portray her in film & TV one day…just like they did with
Margaret Thatcher. https://t.co/T7E1gVsbUa— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) May 13, 2026
Meanwhile, Banks – who has been vocal about her admiration for Badenoch before – also took to X recently to write: “Sorry i made fun of you guys in Britain, i rolled over and realized its actually no longer a laughing matter and I shouldnt be making jokes. I hope you all vote conservative and listen to Kemi Badenoch.”
She went on to say Badenoch was “the only candidate who knows the threat from Putin is the most pressing issue in UK politics”, and described her as “a star” in a later post.
Last month, the ‘212’ artist shared a clip of Badenoch speaking in the House of Commons on X, captioned: “Kemi Badenoch is fucking iconic. World leaders will respect her professionalism a lot more than goofball Nigel [Farage].”
Minaj and Banks both went to the same LaGuardia High School in New York, and their original feud is thought to have stemmed from Azealia reportedly turning down the chance to tour with Minaj to work on her album ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’.
When squashing the beef in 2017, Banks apologised for previous “catty” remarks and said Minaj was an inspirational figure to her in the industry.
This is so powerful.
Like she really gets it. https://t.co/HnTHhHMtAH
— AZEALIA BANKS (@iiwasinthee212) May 16, 2026
Minaj’s recent comments about Badenoch came shortly after the Conservatives suffered heavy losses in last week’s elections in England, Scotland and Wales, and also follows outcry from the music industry after the UK government announced a draft bill on a ticket tout ban in the King’s Speech on Wednesday (May 13).
Just last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to “stamp out ticket touts for good” in a letter to live music fans, promising to act “as soon as possible”, as exclusively revealed by NME.
However, in the King’s Speech delivered in the Houses of Parliament, the plans to tackle the issue were introduced as a draft bill, dubbed the Draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill. Its status as only a draft bill deprioritises this vital piece of legislation, and it will likely result in it becoming a much lengthier process than it could have been if introduced as a primary government bill.