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Cardi B Denies Involvement in Nicki Minaj Bot Controversy
Cardi B has firmly distanced herself from a recent Politico report that claims Nicki Minaj’s social media engagement is artificially boosted by bots, particularly regarding her pro-Trump content.
The controversy erupted Monday when Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz challenged the Politico article on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “100% BS” and claiming there was a conflict of interest in the research. Bruesewitz alleged that Cyabra, the AI-powered analytics platform behind the report, has ties to Cardi B through her agent Mike “G” Guirguis, who serves as an advisor and investor in the company.
“It’s incredibly unethical and inappropriate that [Politico writer Jason] Beeferman failed to disclose that relationship, given the very public disputes in the music industry,” Bruesewitz wrote, alluding to the well-documented rivalry between the two rap superstars.
Guirguis quickly responded to the allegations, drawing a clear line between his professional roles. “My advisory role and investment in Cyabra along with multiple other tech companies has absolutely nothing to do with Cardi B,” he stated on X. “I invest in innovation. I represent artists. Those are separate lanes.”
Cardi B herself addressed the controversy directly, dismissing any connection to the research. “Listen, you involved me in something that has nothing to do wit me so now we’re gonna talk about the facts,” she posted. “Cyabra is a data company with a lot of investors like Mike G, customers like Elon Musk and Pepsi that use that company for data and even has Mike Pompeo on the board of advisors.”
The Grammy-winning artist emphasized her lack of involvement, adding, “I do not have anything to do with that and I don’t give AF!!”
At the center of the dispute is Cyabra’s analysis, which examined social media activity from November to December 2023. The research identified over 18,000 bot accounts that consistently amplified and praised Minaj’s posts on X, particularly content related to her growing alliance with Donald Trump and conservative organizations like Turning Point USA.
According to Cyabra CEO Dan Brahmy, the intersection of political bots with music culture represents an unusual development in disinformation. “We don’t really see a lot of high volume, high impact orchestration of bad and fake actors within that intersection of the geopolitically driven and music culture,” Brahmy told Politico. “It is scarce in our field to see the combination of the bad and the fake online world with the entertainment world.”
The bots reportedly amplified Minaj’s posts about various political topics, including her support for Trump, concerns about Christian persecution in Nigeria, criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom, and commentary about the music industry.
Minaj’s representatives have categorically denied using artificial engagement. “Nicki has never used bot activity to promote herself on social media, because she doesn’t need to,” Bruesewitz stated to Politico. “She has one of the largest fan bases of any musician that’s alive today.”
This incident represents the latest chapter in the long-running tension between Minaj and Cardi B, which dates back to 2017 when questions arose regarding their collaboration on Migos’ “MotorSport.” The feud escalated dramatically in 2018 when Cardi attempted to physically confront Minaj during a New York Fashion Week event. Since then, the two artists have periodically exchanged barbs on social media and in interviews.
Minaj has recently become more politically active, making several high-profile appearances with former President Trump, including at the Trump Accounts Summit where they were photographed holding hands. Trump also mentioned Minaj during a Black History Month address at the White House.
Cyabra, founded in 2018, specializes in detecting fake social media accounts and disinformation campaigns using artificial intelligence. The company established a Brand & Entertainment Council in 2023 to combat the spread of AI-generated disinformation across social media platforms.
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14 Comments
This controversy highlights the challenges of maintaining objectivity and disclosure when personal/professional relationships are involved in media reporting. Transparency is key.
I hope this leads to a closer examination of potential conflicts of interest in the use of social media analytics, regardless of the specific industry involved.
Interesting to see the rivalry between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj spilling over into this social media bots story. Allegations of unethical research practices are quite serious.
I wonder if there will be any further investigation or clarification on the research methods and potential conflicts of interest.
This story highlights the challenges of separating personal/professional relationships and potential biases in media reporting. Hopefully the facts can be laid out clearly.
It will be interesting to see if the research firm provides any further details or response to the allegations.
While the music industry feud is attention-grabbing, the potential for misuse of social media analytics is the more worrying aspect here. Glad to see Cardi B addressing it directly.
Curious to see if this leads to any wider scrutiny or changes in how these types of analytics are used and reported on.
While the music industry drama is juicy, the core issue of potential social media manipulation is the more concerning aspect here. Glad to see Cardi B addressing it directly.
Curious to see how this all plays out and if there are any wider implications regarding the use of bots and analytics in online discourse.
This controversy seems to involve some complex relationships and potential conflicts of interest in the music industry. It’s good to see Cardi B and her agent firmly distancing themselves from the allegations.
Transparency around these types of connections is important, even if they are not directly related to the main issue at hand.
The rivalry between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj adds an extra layer of drama to this story, but the core issues around social media manipulation and research integrity are the real concern.
I agree that transparency is key, and hope this leads to a more thorough examination of the methods and potential conflicts involved.