Shannon Sharpe has set the record straight after a social media moment sparked speculation that he shaded rapper Nicki Minaj. The misunderstanding began when a fan asked Sharpe to bring “Nicki” onto his ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast. Unsure of which Nicki the fan meant, Sharpe simply responded, “Nicki who?”
The exchange, which originally took place on X (formerly Twitter) in February, resurfaced online and appeared to catch the attention of Nicki Minaj herself. She later referenced the interaction in her verse on the remix of Lil Wayne’s Banned From NO, a track featured on Wayne’s recently released Carter 6 album.
“If I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that sharp!!!! Yeah n*a you thought I forgot that ‘Nicki who’ st you did?…” she rapped, blending humor and sharp wit into the bar.
Sharpe responded to the incident during an episode of his Nightcap podcast alongside Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson. He explained that he had no ill intent and genuinely thought the fan might have been referring to Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador and politician, due to his past disagreements with some of her statements.
“It wasn’t meant as disrespect. Yes, I know who you are,” Shannon Sharpe clarified.
To clear any lingering tension, Shannon Sharpe offered a direct apology to Nicki Minaj and extended a warm invitation.
“Nicki, I apologize. I meant no disrespect. You always have an open invitation if you ever want to come sit down and have a conversation. Even if you just want to have a private conversation on the phone or something,” he said.
The sports commentator’s response has been widely seen as a respectful and sincere effort to clarify the mix-up and mend fences.
