Someone might call A$AP Ferg a brave man, because he has tempted fate not once, but twice by upsetting the Barbz. Nicki Minaj’s vocal fanbase was already mad at him after “Move Ya Hips,” the collaboration between Ferg, 31, Nicki, 37, and MadeinTYO, 38, failed to score the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. That anger appeared to reach a critical point on Aug. 12 after the music video premiered – and Nicki wasn’t in it! Shot like a horror movie, the video featured a man ordering a sexbot, only for it to go horribly wrong. One could be interpreted this video as a statement on men’s attitude towards sex workers — or the patriarchal views towards women in general –but that was all lost on the Barbz. When Nicki didn’t show up in the vid, they just had one thing to say: “Ferg Is Over.”
“Not only is she not in it, the video is f-cking horrible, also a video like that in 2020????” one fan tweeted. “We been bamboozled, lead a stray(sic), and robbed. I’m sick of this sh-t. #MoveYaHips #Asapfergisoverparty.” “The Move Ya Hips video wasted time I will never get back in my life.” “Yo @ASAPferg wtf was that bullsh-t with the Move your hips video. Man wtf was you thinking. Where tf was nick at? #MoveYaHips #MoveYaHipsVIDEO”
It’s safe to say that the Barbz will not be buying anything from Ferg in the near future. The drama first began when “Move Ya Hips” was released on July 30. Nicki’s fanbase mobilized in their efforts to get the song to the top of the charts, only to see it debut at the No. 19 position on the Billboard Hot 100. This was Ferg’s first Top 20 hit, but this placement left Barbz seeing red. They were mad that the song wasn’t at No. 1, let alone within the Top 10. In the search for an explanation, the Barbz focused their d disappointment at Ferg, with many making the (so far, unconfirmed) accusation that he “forgot” to submit the approximately 66,700 units sold on his website, according to HipHop DX. Nicki’s fans claim that a total of 80,065 orders of the song were sold, with 13,300 being bought through Nicki’s website alone.
The Barbz were really hoping that this would be Nicki’s third No. 1 in 2020. So far, they’ve have been successful in optimizing their efforts, helping Nicki – by way of Doja Cat (“Say So“) and 6ix9ine (“Trollz“) – reach the top of the Hot 100. However, in defense of Ferg, Nicki doesn’t have a perfect record for the year. She was featured on Meghan Trainor’s “Nice To Meet Ya,” but that song only reached No. 89. “Yikes,” Nicki’s own song that she released in February, peaked at No. 23 position on the Hot 100.
While some claim Ferg didn’t promote the single, Nicki encouraged her fans to pick up a copy of “Move Ya Hips” by lounging about in her underwear. In an IG video, posted on July 30, Nicki mouthed along to her verse on the track while wearing a pair of sky-blue underwear, along with a strawberry-blond wig and her trademark QUEEN necklace. Her baby bump was in full display while she moved her hips, and many have called this their “music video.”
Even though Nicki is very pregnant, she seems more prevalent than ever. Plus, she may actually appear in another music video before the year is over. NBA Youngboy teased on Aug. 7 that he and Nicki were working together on something. In a series of now-deleted photos, apparently taken on a futuristic music video set, Youngboy posed alongside Nicki with the brightest smile on his face, per HotNewHipHop. “What that speed about,” the rapper — who famously released a song titled “Nicki Minaj” in 2018 — captioned the shot. Whether this is titled “Nicki Minaj Pt. 2” remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Nicki continues to “dominate” the rap game, even while carrying a bun in her oven.