Nicki Minaj takes on Miley Cyrus as the MTV VMAs prove yet another must-see

Screw the Grammys, the Junos, and the Brit Awards—Sunday proved, once again, that there’s only one must-see music event of the year. Take a deep bow MTV Video Music Awards, because you’ve done it again.

Last night’s edition featured some repeat offenders stepping up to the mike to perform. Amazingly, Kanye West was one of them, the bizarre thing being that he was even let in the building after his infamous bumrushing the stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech back in 2009.

This year, Yeezus was positively restrained, mostly using the VMA’s to announce that he’ll be running for president in 2020. Watch out Donald Trump—you’re going to have some competition.

The real fur flied when Nicki Minaj took to the stage to accept a best hip-hop video for “Anaconda”. Why bother being gracious when you can bitchslap the show’s host, which the rapper did after thanking her pastor.

To help you understand the clip above, remember than Cyrus suggest to the New York Times earlier this year that Minaj wasn’t being polite when she publicly criticized the VMA nominations for 2015.

Minaj also wasn’t very polite at the VMAs when she looked at Cyrus, who was onstage a short distance away, and spat “Back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me in the press. Miley what’s good?”. Watch the clip here. 

Cyrus retorted with “We’re all in this industry. We all do interviews. We all know how they manipulate. Nicki, congratulations." 

The VMA’s then promptly shut off Minaj’s mike, which didn’t stop savvy lip-readers from catching the rapper responding with “Don’t play with me, bitch”.

Over to you Polaris Prize people—time to step up your game.