A vintage Notorious B.I.G. verse was used by Nicki Minaj to take aim at Atlantic’s laid-off executives and A&Rs on Thursday.
The layoffs at Atlantic Records reportedly affected between 150 and 175 employees, according to Billboard. The news comes after 300/Atlantic’s CEO Kevin Liles stepped down. In reaction to the news Nicki tweeted, “Dear fired executives & A&R’s: Don’t be mad, UPS is hiring.”
The reference stems from Biggie Smalls’ verse on 1994’s “Flava In Ya Ear.” Atlantic Records is the home of Minaj’s rival Megan The Stallion.
In a memo to staff, Atlantic CEO Robert Kyncl hinted at more changes on the horizon, stating the company would soon unveil “a new dynamic structure” for the label group. These cuts mark the fourth round of layoffs within Warner Music Group in the past 18 months, reflecting a larger trend of industry-wide shifts amidst evolving market dynamics.
After the line, Nicki suggested the unemployed executives can apply at her own label, Heavy On It. She tweeted, “Feel free to submit your resumes for a job @ #HeavyOnIt.”
Then she made claims of the industry’s obsession with her. Tweeting, “They’ve been wanting empty arenas so bad. Obsessed with me while all your friends are getting fired is nasty work.”
In the second leg of her Gag City 2 tour, Nicki is receiving mixed reviews from her fans. She announced earlier this week that she will be releasing Pink Friday 3 instead of a deluxe version of the sequel.
Minaj revealed Thursday that she is still not a citizen of the United States. Revealed during a TikTok Live, Minaj said:
“I’m not a citizen of America. Isn’t that crazy? I was born on a beautiful island called Trinidad and Tobago. But I’ve been in the States for many years. You would think that with the millions of dollars that I’ve paid in taxes to this country that I would have been given an honorary citizenship many, many, many thousands of years ago.”