One thing can be said about the newly released video “Feeling Myself” by Nicki Minaj featuring Queen Bey, its taking the internet by storm. The newly released Nicki Minaj video is only the second of its kind featuring Beyonce and Vevo is not too happy about it. With the recent launch of Jay Z’s streaming music platform the only place you can see the video is, you guessed it, TIDAL.

Of course there is also the talk of Tyga and Nicki’s jab to the Young Money artist. Whose making assumptions? Nicki Minaj rocks a number 17 jersey labeled “PERVERT”, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put together Tyga’s recent feud with other Young Money artists Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki. Throw in that he’s dating 17 year old Kylie Jenner and you have a recipe for one subtle yet blatent diss.

Lets back up to October of 2014 when Tyga had this to say:

“I don’t like Drake as a person. He’s just fake to me. I like his music; you know what I’m saying? I think his music is good, but we’re all different people. We were forced together and it was kinda’ like we were forcing relationships together. It is what it is. But I been friends with Chris [Brown] for like six years. That’s my real genuine friend. We hang out all the time. He lives up the street from me, so we don’t just do music we hang. I think being signed to Young Money, everybody felt like they had to force a relationship ‘cause Wayne put us together. At the end of the day the reason why I signed to Young Money is because of Wayne. Not because of Drake, not because of Nicki. It was because of Wayne and my relationship with him. I try to be cool with everybody, but sometimes, everybody just has different personalities, motives, and different characters. When you realize that, you realize that’s not a place where you want to continue to grow. ”

Now to a topic that most people are not talking about. Yes we get it, cheeseburgers, twerking, Beyonce is banging, Nicki got Tyga, the video is dope. But the hook? We’ve heard this before, 11 years ago when then not so famous bay area rapper Mac Dre aka Andre Hicks released his album “Ronald Dregan: Dreganomics“.

“Feeling Myself” was the first song on the album! Who is Mac Dre you may ask? Mac Dre was before his time and was one of few artists who prospered after his demise shortly after the release of his album. He was a legendary bay area rapper from the streets of Oakland and Vallejo, often collaborating with artists such as Coolio, Spice 1, E-40, B-Legit and Warren G. Hicks was killed 4 months after the release of the album while driving along the interstate when unknown assailants began shooting at the vehicle he was riding in. Hicks was the only passenger killed in the assault. The murder to this day has still not been solved. While its a big accusation, if it is the case that the hook was hijacked, who is to blame? In a recent interview with Sways Universe, 24 year old singer and songwriter SZA states: “she wrote “a nice chunk” of the track and spoke about meeting Queen Bey herself.” The direct quote from the interview says: “It was dope meeting Beyoncé, she’s tight, she’s perfect actually,” said the “Warm Winds” singer. “The call just got put in and then I arrived [laughs], I have no idea. Hit-Boy produced and I wrote the lyrics so Nicki and Beyoncé are singing some of the things that I wrote to it.”

Now we can’t be certain who wrote what, and we can’t even say for certain that any of the artists have heard the song by Mac Dre, and for all we know it could be a tribute. Take a listen to the first “Feeling Myself” song below and will leave that decision to you.

Mark A. Macpherson
@the541guy