Releasing a debut effort is a huge feat for any artist, and with as much time as Coi Leray put into Trendsetter, the rapper is shining now that her album has reached the world. However, every step of the way, it seems as if Leray has faced some obstacle. Whether it has been industry issues, the ongoing tension with her father Benzino, trolls who harass her online, or controversies regarding how her peers feel about her talents, Leray has been taking hits from every side.

Recently, rapper Erica Banks stirred the pot when she had a viral moment after she spoke about Nicki Minaj. “I just felt like, I been trying to reach out to her for a long time but I felt like she kinda ignores me and she entertains girls who really can’t rap,” said Banks.

Coi Leray
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Minaj has recently collaborated with women like BIA and Leray, so it didn’t take long for Hip Hop fans to speculate that Banks was referring to them. Leray laughed off the controversy on Twitter, but TMZ wanted to hear what else she may have had to say about Banks’s comments. The outlet reportedly caught up with Leray outside of Gunna‘s 420 party in Hollywood, Calif., this week

“Sometimes, you can’t even feed into negative energy,” said Coi. “At the end of the day, what you put in this earth is always going to come back to you. So, if that’s the energy she wants to put out there, that’s the energy she gon’ get. We all know what’s up.” The cameraperson asked if Leray believed that Banks was jealous because she had yet to have a Minaj collaboration. Leray answered that artists go through a development stage where they learn unexpected lessons, and this just may be where Banks is in her journey.

Watch TMZ Hip Hop catch up with Coi Leray below to hear what else the rapper had to say about the response to her first week’s sales.

[via]