Lil' Kim vs. Nicki Minaj: Who's the baddest Barbie of them all?

To quote Lil' Kim herself, "Hot damn ho, here we go again." The comparisons between Nicki Minaj and Lil' Kim have been made since early on in Nicki's career, especially given the "Hardcore"-like images that circulated a few years ago. But the fact is, even if Nicki hadn't "paid homage" to Kim's iconic image, she still would've gotten the comparisons to Kim just by virtue of being a female MC. Lil' Kim was one of the best, and most successful, female rappers to dominate the music industry and for some, she's the standard against which other female MCs are measured. Her legacy is a testament to what she, Puffy and B.I.G. built and she deserves to be respected for that.

But there's always something to be said about something new. Nicki Minaj's appearance on the music scene has sparked a frenzy. People are buzzing about her putting female MCs back on the map. She's now the go-to rapper to make a hot single for everyone from Usher to Christina Aguilera. Her fanbase grows by the week and her dedicated fans, who she refers to as Barbies, are already dressing up like her. Like Lil' Kim before her, Nicki's intrigue lies in her ability to play on the exaggerated and outrageous. Her wigs are colors and cuts that no sensible person would wear. And her rhymes come in multiple accents and voices. But Kim is laying claim to Nicki's style and branding her an ungrateful biter, despite the fact that Nicki has already cited Kim as an influence and trendsetter. As blogger Kid Fury points out, Lil' Kim certainly did not invent colorful wigs, so exactly what she is laying claim to is unclear.

Kim, however, won't hear any of it. She has lashed out in interviews saying that Nicki hasn't paid "homage" to her properly and slammed her as a mimic. She even went so far as to bring out the thirsty, scrappy YouTube rapper Keys, who's been riding a wave of buzz off of a diss freestyle against Nicki Minaj. That Lil' Kim would reach out to a bit player like Keys just to get under Nicki's skin shows that she is clearly thirsty. Like Jay-Z said, "You need more people."

The one-sided "beef" has even extended beyond the two ladies, with Nicki's fellow Young Money teammate Drake, slamming Lil' Kim's disses in concert and Ray J, a rumored (former?) lover of Lil' Kim's, dissing Nicki at Lil' Kim's concert. This is clearly shaping up to be a very Team Jolie/Team Aniston drama and soon, celebrities will be asked to pick a side in interviews. Drake touched on why the Kim diss left such a bitter taste in his mouth: It's totally unecessary.

He's absolutely right. And in the end, Kim will inevitably lose this battle. You cannot fight the future. No matter how much Kim tries to battle aging with ill-advised plastic surgeries that render her face and body a mutated, alien-like mishmash of Play Doh, she'll never look as fresh and vibrant as Nicki Minaj. That's the way the game goes. New replaces old. Youth is fleeting, so enjoy it while you have it.

That's not to say that Kim's legacy is in anyway tainted or harmed by Nicki's rising star. On the contrary, it only adds to its shine. Old guard divas who feel threatened by newcomers and subsequently try to strangle and suffocate those who follow in their footsteps are missing out on an opportunity to mentor and also introduce their work to new generations. Madonna understands this. That's why she's embraced the baby pop tarts, like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Even Jay-Z understands this, which is why he's done nothing but extend his hand out to newbies like Drake and J. Cole. But Kim? She'd rather get her Wicked Witch on and have a temper tantrum.

Kim has a history of this with fellow women though. She's locked horns with several women in the entertainment industry. From Charli Baltimore to Trina, Foxy Brown to Remy Ma, Kim just can't keep a good girlfriend. Nicki should feel honored that she's on Kim's hit list. It means she's doing something right.