Nicki Minaj’s Ex Denies Rumors That He Ghostwrote Her Raps

Safaree Samuels is setting the record straight about Nicki Minaj’s pen game.

During an episode of the All Things Keyshia Ka’oir podcast that dropped on Wednesday, December 11, host Ka’oir sat down with Samuels, who opened up about his past relationship with Minaj.

Samuels and Minaj were together from 2003 to 2014, and throughout their relationship, rumors swirled that he had been ghostwriting her rhymes. In the conversation with Ka’oir, he hammered home that such rumors are false.

“She is far more capable to do her own music, which she has and always done,” said Samuels.

In the early stages of Minaj’s career, Samuels appeared alongside the rapper in music videos and concerts, and even ad libbed on some of her tracks. But, he’s maintained that this is as far as his contributions to her craft have gone.

“If anything, I was a hype man, that cheerleader,” he said.

Though Samuels and Minaj were together for over a decade, they kept their relationship private. Many fans didn’t even know they were together until Minaj hinted at it on several tracks from her 2014 album The Pinkprint. 

Elsewhere in the conversation with Ka’oir — who is the wife of rapper Gucci Mane — Samuels said the pressure of being in the public eye took a toll on him and led to their split. 

“I probably wasn’t happy within myself,” Samuels said. “She is one of the biggest stars in the face of this earth, and everything with her within her life was changing. It was just a lot of changes.”

Even if Samuels and Minaj are no longer together, he still holds her close to his heart and has much respect for her art. 

Back in October, Samuels made an appearance at Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour. Shortly after the concert, Samuels took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain that he has no resentment toward Minaj.

“I’m proud no cap… a lot of y’all will never understand but there is no malice in me… I’m proud,” he wrote.

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