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In a recent Instagram post, Nicki Minaj explained to fans that the NBA Awards would be her only awards show appearance this month. Her Young Money labelmate, Drake, is hosting the event and I imagine that her performance came as an added perk of tapping him for the gig. What has everyone’s eyebrows raised, though, is the much higher-profile awards show she will not be attending.
Airing on June 26, the NBA Awards take place the day after the annual BET Awards. Nicki is nominated for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, a title that she has won every year since 2010. However, she hasn’t attended the awards since 2015, when she performed with her then-boyfriend, Meek Mill. In the Instagram post announcing her NBA Awards performance she put the word "only" in all caps, leading many to believe that she was throwing shots at BET.
This theory isn’t a reach. I can think of more than one reason why she’s skipping the awards this year. Let’s explore.
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