Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer and songwriter. Born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, Minaj earned public attention after releasing three mixtapes between 2007–09. She has been signed to Young Money Entertainment since 2009...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRapper
Date of Birth8 December 1982
CitySaint James, Trinidad And Tobago
CountryUnited States of America
One of the first production deals I signed, the guy wanted my name to be Minaj and I fought him tooth and nail. But he convinced me. I've always hated it.
I think music gives so much inspiration. I listen to all kinds of music: pop, hip-hop, everything. I also love classical music.
I really, really don't think that, outside of maybe some pink wigs, [that] there's anything that separates me from every other woman in America.
I feel like [throughout] my entire career and life, that I've been judged by people who really did not know me. But I definitely think that they probably were right to assume what they had assumed about me, because there was so little to go on out there. If you only see videos of me being crazy and hearing little things here and there, then obviously you're not going to have any idea who I really am.
Nothing is worse than going home and having not played a gig.
I'm very proud of my team, and the way they stood behind me - and I'm very happy to show my female fans in that audience, and even my gay fans in that audience.
I don't want to hear any drama [about me]. I don't want any negativity. I don't want to hear what's on the blog. I don't care what others say about me.
I never thought I'd love nude lipstick, but I really do. I just feel sexier. Less is definitely more.
When you're working and you're busy and you're successful, no matter what, something suffers, whether it's your relationship with your mother, your relationship with your whole family. Certain things suffer and take the back burner, not because they're on the back burner in your heart but because the world just moves so quickly. A lot of people, when they're chasing their dreams, they have to leave people they love.
A lot of rappers want somebody to always sing on their records. If you can hold a note, they're gonna' ask you to come and be apart of their creativity. At that time, they were eager and on the streets selling drugs or in the studio making music. That was a big part of our lives were I grew up.
I'm not judging myself; I'm not dissing what I do. I'm proud of what I've done and I'm proud of what I'm working on. I've accomplished something and I'm not going to be ashamed to be happy about what I've done.
I wouldn't even say the internet is a gift and a curse for hip-hop. All types of music are bootlegged, including movies which are bootlegged.
Every woman is a character - but people need to see I'm a regular human. It's like you wear a pink wig and you're no longer human all of sudden.
Versace was and still is about the sophisticated woman who is elegant, not afraid of her own sensuality, and not afraid to dare or take risks in life.