Nicki Minaj has confirmed rumours that she’s dating Eminem, after answering a fan’s question on Instagram on Thursday.
The Chun-Li rap beauty, 35, took to the image-sharing app to promote a new single she’s featured on — YG’s Big Bank, alongside 2 Chainz and Big Sean — when one of her followers boldly enquired: ‘You dating Eminem???’
Trinidadian-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Nicki, who was most recently romantically linked to 44-year-old rap veteran Nas, simply wrote back: ‘Yes.’
Making sweet music together? Nicki Minaj, left, confirmed that she’s dating fellow rapper Eminem, right, during an exchange with a fan on Instagram on Thursday
Interestingly, she mentions Eminem during her verse on Big Bank, rapping: ‘Uh oh/Back again/Back to back Maybach, stack the M’s/Told ’em I met Slim Shady, bag the M/Once he go black, he’ll be back again.’
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Nicki Minaj and Eminem for comment.
While it’s unknown if Nicki was being serious in her response to the enquiring fan, she and Eminem — real name Marshall Mathers III — have long known each other, as they worked together on her hit 2010 single Roman’s Revenge.
After the track’s release, Nicki revealed that she sent the rap superstar another track before they landed on Roman’s Revenge, telling MTV News: ‘He didn’t say, “I don’t love it”; he just said, “Can you send me something that’s a little more me??”‘
Screenshot: On Thursday night, a fan took to Twitter to share a screenshot of the exchange
Letting loose: Nicki took to Instagram on Friday to promote a new single she’s featured on — YG’s Big Bank, alongside 2 Chainz and Big Sean – when she made the confession
Loving life: Nicki looked in good spirits in the video as she rapped to the camera whilst casually clad in a red padded jacket and printed baseball cap whilst sporing bright pink lipstick
Once they settled on the Swizz Beatz-produced beat for Roman’s Revenge, next came the lengthy writing process, which Nicki described as ‘competitive’.
‘I remember, every time I wrote a verse to Roman’s Revenge and sent it to Eminem, he would send a new verse back,’ she told XXL. ‘It was competitive, it was fun.
‘I think all the big male artists (air quotes) also treated me with a sense of respect as an emcee. They took me serious. If they were on a track with me, they knew they had to come hard.’
At the start of January, it was confirmed that Nicki and Nas had parted ways in December after the strain of a long-distance relationship proved ‘too much’, with Nicki living on the west coast in Beverly Hills and Nas based in New York City.
Looking: Late last year, Eminem — real name Marshall Mathers III — opened up about looking for love more than a decade after the end of his marriage to Kimberly Anne Scott (pictured)
The couple are believed to have started dating in June 2017, but sources close to the situation told TMZ ‘the relationship ran out of steam’.
An insider added: ‘They respect each other, and there won’t be any trash talking — but, on the other hand, they won’t be hanging out as friends either.’
The site also pointed to recent reports claiming Nicki — real name Onika Tanya Maraj — was pregnant with the couple’s 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, but states there was ‘no truth’ in the rumour.
Nas, 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, is now said to be focusing on his record label and his chicken and waffles joint, Sweet Chick, in the wake of the split, while Nicki also juggles ‘multiple business ventures outside of music’.
At the time, neither party addressed the reports via their social media channels.
The ex factor: In January, it was revealed that her romance with Nas had come to an end, after seven months of dating. Pictured in June 2017, when they are believed to have got together
The last interaction between the pair was when Nas wished Nicki a happy 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day via his Instagram page on December 8, writing: ‘Get The MFkN Money! Happy Birthday To The QUEEN OF NY / HIP HOP @nickiminaj.’
Nicki and Nas have been friends for many years, but never formally confirmed rumours they were dating.