Fresh off of her ‘Starships’ music video release and recent trip to London, Nicki Minaj is featured in the UK Guardian with a sub caption that suggests she has a body like Marilyn Monroe and a mouth like Eminem. Inside, the interview,Nicki stressed the importance of the business aspect of her career and music, as well as discusses the black communities support (or lack of) her music. She also chatted about whether her father’s abusive relationship with her mother affected her relationships with men as she grew older and disliking her stage name, which was changed from her last name Maraj to ‘Minaj’ during the first production deal that she signed.
The interview, however, took a few weird turns when Nicki Minaj was asked if her teeth were real (who asks that?) and was told by the interviewer that her album cover art looks like a spoof of Lady Gaga.
Check the excerpts:
On being a business woman
Everything I do, I do with business in my head. If you’re not savvy, this business will eat you alive. A lot of people see it as a big party. And when that party is up, what are you going to do? – I want to show little girls that the possibilities are endless. That’s my goal – to not only do it for myself, but to show them I can do whatever I put my mind to. I don’t give a damn if I was born poor, I can come out of this shit with something to offer my children and grandchildren.
On if she will stop using derogatory language in her songs
Why do people ask me to lose swear words? Do people ask Eminem to lose swear words? Do they ask Lil Wayne to lose swear words? I did an interview the other day and when I saw it back I’m like, why the hell did she make the interview all about some goddamned kids? It was crazy. Five-year-old children shouldn’t be the subject of a Nicki Minaj interview.
On the black community not being supportive
Why in the black community have we got to hate on each other? Gaga didn’t on Madonna… we’re helping each other.
On Singing on Her Records
That’s the thing. I really want you to write that. Because it’s the most bullsh-t thing I’ve ever heard – you liked me only when I was doing rap. I never only did rap. My first single was called Your Love, and it was a pop song. I did a song called Knockout with Lil Wayne about three years ago. Nobody said anything about that. Why? Because it didn’t become huge like Starships. That’s what irritates me. People always want to talk about who I was, but I’ve always been singing, always been experimenting with pop music. So the fact that it got huge one day, should I apologize for that? Should I apologize that Starships and Super Bass did well, and children like them, and Middle America can sing along? There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just broadening my fan base. I think everyone should enjoy music.
[Sidenote: Nicki Minaj sung on the bulk of her songs on the Beam Me Up Scotty Mixtape]
On why she can’t change her image just to satisfy others
Sometimes it feels like I have to change, but I can’t. What rapper changes themselves for children?
On being persuaded into changing her stage name
Why did Maraj turn into Minaj? “Somebody changed my name. 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.
The interviewers also asked her about her body parts and the exchange went a little like this:
She refuses to talk about her body these days and looks aghast if it’s suggested anything might have been worked on.
“Your teeth are beautiful,” I say.
“Thank you,” she says.
“Are they natural?”
She gives me a ferocious stare “Are your teeth natural?” she replies.
“You can tell they are,” I say. “They’re disgusting.”
Now one of half a dozen big men sitting in the room with us stares at me. “I can see your plaque from here,” he says, in an intimidating voice.
The interviewer also asked her about her album cover art and whether it was a spoof of Gaga:
The cover image confused me, I say. At first glance I thought it was Gaga, or at least a spoof of her.
Minaj gives me a look that could kill at a thousand paces. “You think that looks like Gaga? Absolutely not. I have no idea what you’re talking about… Maybe little black kids shouldn’t wear blond hair?”
At which point there is much muttering about my manners from the men in the room, and I’m told there is no time for any more questions.
That interviewer definitely knew which buttons to push.
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