Respect goes a long way in the hip hop community, especially for those who opened the doors for contemporary artists. International sensation Nicki Minaj has quickly gathered a group of hip hop artists that believe she could do with a bit more respect, especially towards one pioneer rapper in particular. "Without Kim, you wouldn't be here," fellow female rapper Eve recently said, in reference to Minaj's refusal to cop to apparent similarities between herself and Lil' Kim. That's not to say that the self-acclaimed "pitbull in a skirt" wouldn't be down to collaborate on a record with the Harijuku Barbie. "People want me to hate her but I haven't got anything to say about her," said Eve. "I wouldn't have a problem putting her on a record–I try to be nice."

Whether haterade or honest concern, hip hop artists, critics, and journalists have been coming out of the woodwork crying "copycat" ever since Minaj first stepped onto the scene with her raunchy look and multicolored wigs. Still, Minaj has responded to the claims time and time again in the same manner, insisting that her fame and acclaim is the real cause of her naysayers. In fact, when not rapping about why female rappers are mad at her, Minaj is reminding them that she's actually opening the door a bit wider for more female rappers to enter the game. Either way, Minaj is winning with her multiple million dollar endorsements and "Roman Reloaded" sales, so while men and women may lie, numbers certainly don't.