Well, in case you missed the latest beef in the musicverse, Nicki Minaj has officially inserted herself in the Lana Del Rey vs Ethel Cain drama. Yes, you read that right — one of rap’s biggest stars is just as glued to the chaos as the rest of us.
This all kicked off after Lana Del Rey teased a Jack Antonoff-produced diss track on Instagram that doesn’t just hint at Ethel Cain — it straight-up name-drops her.
Lana did not hold back. In the song preview she posted, she sings, “Ethel Cain hated my Instagram post / Think it’s cute re-enacting my Chicago pose,” and the cherry on top: calling Ethel “the most famous girl at the Waffle House”.
The “Chicago pose” throwback is Lana referencing her photo with her ex Jack Donoghue (of Salem fame) outside Cook County jail, a pose Ethel would later copy before hastily deleting the evidence — classic modern pop drama, really.
The internet didn’t need long to lose its collective mind. Ethel Cain hit back with an Instagram Story, letting everyone know Lana had blocked her.
Lana, clearly invested, then took time to spell things out in a comment on Pop Base’s Instagram, saying: “I didn’t know who Ethel was until a few years ago — when someone brought to my attention the disturbing and graphic side-by-side images she would often put up of me next to unflattering creatures and cartoon characters making constant comments about my weight, I was confused at what she was getting at.
“Then when I heard what she was saying behind closed doors from mutual friends and started inserting herself into my personal life I was definitely disturbed.”
Enter Nicki Minaj — instead of picking sides, Nicki just could not get Lana’s song snippet out of her head. “I’ve been singing ‘Ethel cain hated my instagram post’ all morning. Help!!!!!” Nicki posted on X.
She followed that up by saying “something about the Waffle House & a picture w/some boy? But how can a melody & instruments & background vocals & the mixing be so good that I’m walking around all day talking about a person named Ethel who I do not know hating an instagram post I never even posted?”
Nicki made it clear she wasn’t here to start World War Pop, adding, “I’m sure Ethel is a nice person.”
But of course the queen of the Barbz had to mention Lana’s wild 2020 “question for the culture” Instagram Post, recalling, “Remember that time Lana dissed all the girlies but we had no idea why but none of us said anything back? Lmaooooo not we let Lana walk in the lunchroom & run EVERYBODY pockets wit no weapon & no gang & said not one thing about it. Lmfaooooo … I fkng love this shit yo.”
Closing the loop, Nicki shared that listening to Lana’s snippet gave her a new perspective on falling deep into an artist’s entire back catalogue after just one star track. “I always hear my label & new fans of all diff artists talking about that but now I RLLY get it,” she wrote, proving she isn’t just a passive observer — she’s now an honorary member of pop beef fandom.
So, there you have it! Lana’s dropping diss tracks, Ethel remains blocked, and Nicki’s out here living her best life watching this beef unfold.
