Nicki Minaj owns the distinction of being one of the highest-selling artists across all genres with over 100 million records sold worldwide and continues to influence and captivate aspiring artists and her supportive fanbase alike. The Queen from Queens took time out of her schedule to sit down with Joe Budden for an intimate chat discussing her influence, the early days of her career, and so much more.
The chat opens up with Minaj discussing how she came to the point of getting surgery due to her Young Money cohorts in Lil Wayne and others having shapely women in the studio serving as muses for the artists. In a vulnerable moment, Minaj shares that while she was always viewed and respected as a sister to Wayne and Mack Maine, she confided in Budden that their jokes about her lack of curves did play a part in her getting work done.
Minaj rightly sees herself as a trendsetter and the early portion of the conversation reveals that she’s aware of what trails she blazed for the current crop of female rappers and how isolating it was for her in the beginning to be the only one with her sense of style. Minaj also acknowledged that Lil’ Kim was an inspiration not only for herself but other female rappers, stating that the Brooklyn veteran should’ve shared the cover of American Vogue with her due to their range of influences and innovation in the space.
Budden masterfully conducted the interview, using skills he’s learned as a broadcaster and media mogul. The wide-ranging conversation can be viewed below. Keep scrolling to see reactions from Twitter regarding the chat.
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Photo: The Joe Budden Network
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