Nicki Minaj “got into some things” as the rapper would say. Recently, Nicki Minaj sat down with Joe Budden for an exclusive interview. Nicki opened up about her cosmetic surgery, new projects, current industry trends, and motherhood.
After a brief hiatus Nicki Minaj recently released singles with storytelling visuals to match, gearing up the Barbs for more. In a recent interview with Joe Budden via Joe Budden TV, she was very transparent and authentic, displaying a great sense of growth and maturity throughout their conversation. Nicki has always been able to speak her truth and has not been afraid to use her voice, on and off her tracks. We dissected the interview and came away with five key takeaways:
1. Nicki Minaj speaks on cosmetic surgery
Nicki Minaj went into detail about her personal experiences with cosmetic surgery. During her rise as a rapper, she explained how she felt being in the studio with Lil Wayne. “I was around them all the time,” said Minaj. “All I would hear them talking about is big butts. I didn’t feel complete or good enough.”
The Barbie stated that specific body types were a muse for rappers and that they have a major impact on the journey of a rapper’s career. She went on to speak about how they would have women in the studio with the body that the men desired. While being in that environment some things were said in a joking manner that made Minaj feel self-conscious about herself. She went on to tell us how that influenced her decision. She was in Atlanta when she decided she wanted cosmetic surgery. And instead of seeing a professional surgeon she went underground and got “a** shots”. This was a very transparent topic to speak on. Minaj expressed that “some things you can’t say to women.” How others perceive you is not as important as how you perceive yourself.
2. Live in your moments without thinking of what tomorrow may bring.
Nicki spoke about some times in her life when she wasn’t fully present in the moment. Oftentimes, people think of the future more than the present. Nicki related to this, saying she can think about the next day or the next year and end up missing the present moment. Being in the present moment is a major takeaway. Time is precious and something that can’t be given back. Nicki has always been a working woman which has often caused her miss out on family moments and even holidays. She mentions one of the worst moments, “I remember screaming at my mother because she didn’t call me for his (her brother) graduation.” Nicki goes on to explain how some fans would want to hear the ‘old sound’ from their favorite artists. She attributes that ‘old sound’ to regular life experiences that celebrities often miss. And now artists don’t have much to rap about because those moments and experiences aren’t there. Minaj said, “If you’re not experiencing real life or real love and real heart felt emotions, what are you writing about? I have to tell myself all the time, come back to the moment.”
“Play on your strengths and own that place”
-Nicki Minaj
3. Be a Trendsetter. Don’t chase a Trend. Don’t become ”Faceless”
Since her mixtapes days, Nicki was a trendsetter and she continues to have a major influence on the music industry. “I remember I would never see any female rapper wearing pink hair. Pink hair became a part of that starter kit. Every female rapper will put on a pink wig at some point, and I remember that was just the Nicki Minaj thing.”
From the pink hair and Chinese bangs to the Burberry prints, Nicki made her mark and left her Pinkprint. Joe Budden pointed out that there is a female rapper “starter kit”. We can see on social media how the trends come and go, but the impact lasts forever. Following trends, while playful and experimental, has its downsides. Nicki states “after a while, you can become faceless”.
Another point she made was how her and Lil Kim’s influence have impacted the industry. “You would think the biggest female rapper of all time who has set so many trends would have been on the cover of American Vogue but she hasn’t.” Nicki calls for change-makers in fashion to give credit where it is due. ‘No, people have to pay attention to what they’re doing, how they’re treating Black artists and Black people, and there has to be representation.”
4. Don’t limit how far you can go. Be inspired and be influenced.
Nicki has called herself the “Female Weezy” in past raps. She was heavily inspired by Lil Wayne as we all know but, Nicki spoke about how she wants to be on Jay-Z level. Minaj has been in the music industry for more than a decade and foreshadows continued longevity within her career. She looks back on OG’S and fellow female rappers before her and thinks they should be moguls. “Why isn’t there a female Jay-Z, who at that time, even when I was coming in, we could see that he was on mogul status … I’m going to be that person, I’m gonna do that, full out mogul” said Nicki. Even with Nicki being at the status she is, she still finds inspiration in fellow artists.
5. Being around like minded people fuels success
Finally, Budden mentioned that Nicki has placed herself among top rappers such as Drake and Lil Wayne. Nicki talked about how she needs that “pressure” around her in order to rap sometimes. In her words “having a sparring partner”. She also spoke about how she fell in love with the hottest MCs and said “That’s how I always been. So I gravitated to Foxy Brown cause I felt she used to spit like a dude.” Also to give credit, she mentions Biggie and Jay-Z again as the people who had the best verses. Nicki says “At one point, people tried to bully me out of that mindset so that the bar could be lower for women.”
Over the years, Nicki has always given gems through her raps and throughout her essence as a female rapper. This interview definitely gave her fans a different side of Nicki Minaj, displaying wisdom and growth. Her impact on the industry will always be relevant and present.
Next up from the Barb in Charge: Coi Leray and Nicki Minaj released “Blick Blick”. Looks like Coi got that collab afterall.
If you haven’t watched the interview yet, you can watch it below.
How much impact do you think Nicki Minaj has had on the music industry? For more, Follow MEFeater on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for more updates!