NICKI MANJI INTERVIEW

“I talk about “Nicki Manji” in a third person because that is the only way that I know I am not suicidal"

Hate her or love her you can’t deny that Nicki Minaj has brought back the buzz for female Mcs. “Its Barbie Bitch” has become the most popular phrase among the ladies of this Hip-Hop generation that have been patiently waiting for someone to help bring the focus back to them. Nicki Minaj has not only brought back the hardcore lyrics and sexiness that was first seen in rapper Lil Kim but she has also gained the attention and respect from Lil Wayne who signed her to his label “Young Money”. I got a chance to sit in on a conference call conducted by Rapstarpromo as they conducted an open conference with Nicki Minaj.



Rapstarpromo: Wow! Where does the motivation come from? What gear are you in?

Nicki Minaj: Well, to be completely honest I have been trying to step it up. I think people were losing site of my lyrical abilities. I just slacked off. I am not even going to lie, I was dealing with a lot of and craziness and I just started relying o n stuff that was just getting me by. I was doing a lot of get by verses. I had a long talk with Wayne and its funny how a confrontation at the moment can change your life. It was crazy throughout the whole conversation but he mentioned to me “Nick you used to be cold what happened”? Having him tell me that I really had to stop and re-evaluate my lyrics and everything. Wayne said “I didn’t sign you because of the way that you looked. I wanted to sign you because I heard you and I felt that you was spitting as the dudes. We fucked with you cause of that”. For the Djs that are not familiar he was talking about the “Come-Up” Dvd volume 11. Thats what he saw Nicki Minaj do. I think that I stopped focusing on that thinking “I don’t have to do that but I do need to do that because I think its important to show that I am smart enough to do metaphors just like the boys and witty enough to do playful flows and all that stuff. Recently I stepped it up and on the Robin Thicke song it was a perfect example of me doing that.
My Motivation is that girls look up to Nicki Manaj now and I have to go hard for them. There are so many girls that argue my case everyday so now I have to give them a crazy buzz cause every time I am out there so they can say; “Nicky said this, Nicki said that.. She is nice. She can go up against the boys”. I need to do that for them.

Rapstarpromo: What was your mind frame during the “Come-Up” dvd days, before the whole Young Money thing.

Nicki Minaj: I just wanted to make money and take care of my mother. My frame during the “Come-Up” Dvd days was “grind, grind, grind, grind, grind”. I was going up on Jamaica Avenue and handing out my Cds and selling my mixtapes to the Africans in the mixtape spots and and speaking to the Djs. I would ask them “would you host my tape” and speaking to people like Jadakiss and asking “can you do a feature on my music”. It was grinding season for me at that time and it still is. It was a more grinding time at that time because I wasn’t getting that money at that time. I wasn’t being booked at that time so it was do or die. I now have that luxury to say that “ I am not doing shows for the month of December”. At that time I didn’t have the luxury so it was like my life depended on that and I think that’s why I illustrated that in the way that I rapped I was a little more hardcore at that time. When I started living a little better my rhymes started to get a little more playful so now I am just trying to balance the two.

Rapstarpromo: What projects do the Djs need to be looking out for?

Nicki Minaj: Well the Robin Thicke album I have a song with him called “Shaking It For Daddy”. I am on a record on Gucci Mane’s album called "Crazy”. I am on a record on Baby’s album, the Young Money Compilation, Wayne’s “rebirth”, and Maria Carey’s remix album. I am mostly gearing up for the Young Money tour.

Rapstarpromo: Do you miss anything from those days? Like before fame, money, facebook, twitter with the 300,000 followers.

Nicki Minaj: You know what I will say that I miss them (those days) but I have taken them with me. I allowed them to make me remember when I didn’t have anything and so many people did not believe in me so I take that. I don’t miss anything.

Rapstarpromo: I have to ask “how does it feel to be Nicki Manaj” ? You have a cult following. You got a bunch of “Barbies” coming up.

Nicki Minaj: Why does it have to be a “cult”? That is such a strong word.

Rapstarpromo: For real, for real I see chicks that used to look “bummy”, that are used to looking a certain way and I believe that you have motivated them seriously to put on a little eye shadow, whatever yall call it, for real. How do you feel about that?

Nicki Minaj: I feel blessed to be given a forum to speak to girls. That is why I try to have more if an intelligent interview now and because they watch everything I do cause they listen to everything that I say. It is is important for me to show them that they have to be smart. Being cute and sexy and all that stuff means nothing if you are stupid. You just get taken advantage of. That is all you get. I like that the girls wanna be pretty I do shows every weekend and you can ask anybody that has ever come to my shows and they will tell you that I always speak about college and being independent because that is what I want the girls to take away from Nicki Minaj. I am not going to act like I am a saint. I may say the most craziest freakiest shit in my raps at times but no matter what I say in my rap I have never been loose. Since I was little I was always the girl that the boys wanted but could never have. I anything.

Rapstarpromo: I have to ask “how does it feel to be Nicki Manaj” ? You have a cult following. You got a bunch of “Barbies” coming up.

Nicki Minaj: Why does it have to be a “cult”? That is such a strong word.

Rapstarpromo: For real, for real I see chicks that used to look “bummy”, that are used to looking a certain way and I believe that you have motivated them seriously to put on a little eye shadow, whatever yall call it, for real. How do you feel about that?

Nicki Minaj: I feel blessed to be given a forum to speak to girls. That is why I try to have more if an intelligent interview now and because they watch everything I do cause they listen to everything that I say. It is is important for me to show them that they have to be smart. Being cute and sexy and all that stuff means nothing if you are stupid. You just get taken advantage of. That is all you get. I like that the girls wanna be pretty I do shows every weekend and you can ask anybody that has ever come to my shows and they will tell you that I always speak about college and being independent because that is what I want the girls to take away from Nicki Minaj. I am not going to act like I am a saint. I may say the most craziest freakiest shit in my raps at times but no matter what I say in my rap I have never been loose. Since I was little I was always the girl that the boys wanted but could never have. I always kept myself as exclusive and that is what I speak about. You can be a freak with the person that you are with but if you are running around giving it to any and everybody then you are not a “Barbie” you are “Corny”. That is what I hope they are taking away from me.

Rapstarpromo: That was deep but you didn’t answer my original question so I gotta go back: “How does it feel to be Nicki Minaj”?

Nicki Minaj: I can’t answer that cause it is like a double edge sword because “Nicki Minaj” is either hated or loved. There is no in between so to answer that is to be reminded of some really mean things people say and to also enjoy the great things that people say so I tend to black it out o be honest. I don’t think of myself as “Nicki Minaj”. They either ‘love her or hate her”. I talk about “Nicki Minaj” in a third person because that is the only way that I know I am not suicidal.

Rapstarpromo: I think they do love you but they are not looking at themselves in a good way. A hater will be the first person to go out and buy your cd. They just add to your first week sales.

Nicki Minaj: You know what part feels great? The amount of people that have reached out to work with me. I never thought that in a million years that at this stage in my life I would be contacted by Maria Carey, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, and Puffy Daddy. Interestingly enough Jay-Z recommend me for the Robin Thicke feature. Does it get Any better than that? It really feels good when I think about it in that light.

Rapstarpromo: People wanna know when is the “Nicki Minaj” doll coming out?

Nicki Minaj: I have no idea. I am more focused on when the “Nicki Minaj” album is coming out. My album is slated for the second or third quarter of 2010. I would rather it come out in the third quarter because I try and take my time. My last mixtape that was “Beam Me Up Scotty”. I you know anything about me I like to take my time. I am not going to rush it because people think that is what you are supposed to do. I am going to let my features come out and I am going to work on a master piece. I don’t think females have had something and this is no disrespect to anybody and I respect all those girls that paved the way for me but I remember when Lauren Hill came out with “Miseducation” and you cried with her and the cd was on repeat for 10 years I want it to be monumental. I don’t want to rush it. People should know that I am taking my sweet time and that I am being a perfectionist which is what I do so when you get the album it will be worth the wait.

For More On The Interview Visit:
Young Money TV or
@rapstarpromo

More Nicki Manaj Info Visit:
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JAN/FEB 2010