S. Samuel
Nicki Minaj has divulged her disinterest in living up to dating rumors and her interest in discrediting her critics with a top-charting debut in the new issue of Out magazine.
In her cover feature, Minaj also points out her infatuation with getting on people’s nerves.
Minaj definitely has a lot to say about the politics of being a woman in the 21st-century music biz. “Everybody knows I can go out and pick a dude and date him,” she says. “But I want to do what people think I can’t do, which is have the number 1 album in the country and be the first female rapper to sell records like dudes in this day and age.” After taking some heat for identifying with one of the best-selling, and most disproportioned, toys in history–she ends phone calls with a screeched “It’s Barbie, b*tch!” — she was accused of being plastic. “It’s interesting that people have more negative things to say about me saying ‘I’m Barbie’ than me saying ‘I’m a bad b*tch,’ ” she says, getting a bit heated. “So you can call yourself a female dog because that’s cool in our community. But if you call yourself a Barbie, that’s fake.” The criticism didn’t just irk her; it inspired her. “Once I figure something is irritating people, I’m going to do it more,” she says, smiling, “because I like to get on your nerves until you realize how fucking stupid you are.” (Out)
Last December, the rapper talked about valuing music over her sex life.
“I have no dating life, I can only hope and wish and imagine and fantasize,” she said in an interview. “They demand too much. In life there’s always going to be one thing that takes precedence, and when you’re as hungry as I am you have tunnel vision. So I can’t really cater to a dude right now — I love them and I think they’re cute, but I can’t do what they want me to do for them right now. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. I really want to go there and just lay on the beach. Then, also, I could have the other rap girls feed me fruit–since they don’t have anything to do right now! [Laughs.] Strawberries, grapes, watermelon, and pineapple. I so know that part is going to make the interview.” (Complex)
Minaj recently said she felt it was her responsibility to put out a quality debut album for the sake of female emcees.
“[Young Money] won’t look to sign other female rappers if the project doesn’t do well, because they’re going to say, ‘Well, her buzz was so crazy, and if she couldn’t do it, then no one can do it,’ and I don’t want that to happen. So I’m doing this as well for all the girls…I hope it will open doors for all girls everywhere who ever wanted to pick up a mic and rap and who have been kind of afraid to do it…For a long time in my life, I was afraid to be a solo female rapper, because everyone told me, ‘It doesn’t work. It’s not going to happen. Record companies are never going to invest in you just to get it. Just be part of a group.’ … Even as far as I’ve come now is already a testament in my mind, so I hope the female rappers understand how big it is for our culture that the album does well.” (V-103)
Following Minaj’s remarks, rap veteran Rah Digga hit up SOHH to share her reaction.
“I don’t think everything should boil down to what her album does. I think people should give her room to be artist and give her room to grow so she can have some longevity so it’s not just shoot to the top and if the album doesn’t do well shoot back to the bottom. I think they’re putting way too much pressure on just one person.” (SOHH Guest Star)
Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday debut is scheduled to drop Tuesday, November 23rd.
Check out Nicki Minaj’s interview with Out down below:
