Nicki Minaj Throws Shade, Says She Almost Died in BET Awards Speech

Nicki Minaj did it on 'em at the BET Awards on Sunday evening, June 29, when she took home the honor of Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. The rapper, 31, beat out Angel Haze, Charli Baltimore, Eve, and Iggy Azalea to win the category. 

Minaj took the stage at the awards show in Los Angeles in a classy black sleeveless gown, happily accepting the award, which she won for the fifth year in a row. 

After expressing her gratitude for the honor and saying that she doesn't "take it for granted," the "Pills N Potions" performer continued, "What I want the world to know about Nicki Minaj is, when you hear Nicki Minaj spit, Nicki Minaj wrote it." 

The words were seen by many as a shot against hugely successful Azalea, 24, who has burst onto the scene in the last year. The Australian performer, who raps on her two current hits, "Problem" with Ariana Grande, and "Fancy" with Charli XCX, has yet to comment on the supposed criticism. 

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Minaj herself hedged her words in the speech, adding, "No, no, no, no shade!"

She went on to include another surprising tidbit, explaining offhand, "The other day, literally I didn’t tell anyone this, I really thought I was about to die. Like I was saying my prayers to die. And I didn’t even wanna call the ambulance because I thought, 'Well if I call the ambulance, it’s gonna be on TMZ.' And I would rather sit there and die… and it made me realize, I don’t care what anybody gotta say. I’ma do me, I’ma do me. And I hope and pray that BET continues to honor authenticity. And that’s all I’m gonna say about that."

The rapper has yet to expand on the nature of her reported brush with death. 

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