Nicki Minaj - Nicki Minaj Should 'go Out There And Perform, Says Dr Dre

With the Nicki Minaj and Hot 97 spat showing no signs of abating, two of rap's biggest legends have weighed in on the debate, with Dr Dre and Ed Lover first addressing the issue of whether the star was a sell-out, before going on to specifically talk about the argument between her and the New York-based radio station, which saw her pulled from a gig hosted by them after their DJ Peter Rosenberg criticized new single 'Starships.'

"You can't look at anybody that crosses over and achieves pop appeal as a sellout, because that's what you're trying to do when you put a record out," Lover said. "So if Nicki Minaj ain't real hip-hop, then Public Enemy wasn't real hip-hop, then Run-Dmc wasn't real hip-hop, then Eminem ain't real hip-hop." Dre meanwhile pointed out that Minaj' response to the slur in pulling out hurt her fans more than the station. "First of all, Nicki Minaj was the only one who ruined 55,000 fans' expectations of the night," he commented. "It has nothing to do with Rosenberg. You go out there and you perform for your fans."

That said, he didn't mince his words when discussing Rosenberg either, commenting "We have too many what I call 'semi-super experts' who always try to redefine hip-hop from its infancy. She's an artist whether I like her or I don't like her. My daughter loves her and thinks that she's the world, and that's the case." Challenging the DJ he said "You make your record and get in the ring and let's see how you react, whether you start to sell out or not."