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[Exclusive Interview Part 1] Nicki Minaj Talks To NewLilWayne.com About Her Musical Relationship With Lil Wayne, Her Young Money Family, And More

In a rap world dominated by males, there are few female MC’s that are being recognized, however this is not the case for up and coming Young Money artist Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj who goes by names like Nicki the Ninja, Nicki Lewinsky, and the Queen Bee; is stepping her cookies up and working her way to the top as one of the fiercest female rappers out there. She has been compared to the likes of Lil Kim and Lauryn Hill, however “she wants to be known for her own sense of style and flow”. Recently we caught up with Nicki and had a chance to talk about everything from her new mixtape “Beam Me Up Scotty” to her musical mentor Lil Wayne. So check out our exclusive interview below with the baddest bitch in the industry.

Newlilwayne.com: In terms of your start in the music business, we know Wayne discovered you on the Comeup DVD, can you tell us how you began to work with him and develop a relationship musically after that?

Nicki Minaj: I just wanted to see him. He wanted to meet with me and I just wanted to see him, and I think a couple months later I went back in the studio with him and we started working. We did “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”, “Playtime Is Over”, “Higher Then A Kite”, and “Big Spender”. You know it would just be when I came down there we would work and or if I had something that I really wanted him to jump on I would send it to him and he would send them back. You know working with him is like I always say “It’s like playing ball with Michael Jordan”. You know you’re playing with the best, and so not only are you a fan but your learning. So it’s like I say “Wayne is like my sensei because being around him I learn so much, and without him teaching me you know per say like how a teacher would sit you down and write things out, with him doing that I feel I learn so much watching him, his growth, watching his methods, so you know it’s exciting”.

NLW: Not a lot of people realize that you’re not just a female rapper. Can you tell us about your acting, singing, and songwriting as well?

Nicki: Well I have already written my own music and now you know when you hear my singing stuff, not only am I singing it, but I’m writing it. So a lot of people when they heard “Kill Da DJ” they didn’t think that I was singing on the hook, but of course that’s me. You know I also went to school for acting, so I am actually trained as an actress. I’m not trained in anything else but acting and I like all three. I love singing, I love rapping, and I love acting. I just felt that I was the best at rapping at that time you know because it was what made me excited. It was fun, and I like more so than rapping was the hip-hop culture which is what I feel in love with. So you know definitely I would say next year around this time you will see me doing some acting, and I will be looking at some scripts and when the right one comes along will definitely piggyback that on my rap career and see how that works out.

NLW: You have traveled all over the world with Wayne and Young Money. What was a great experience with you and Wayne that you will cherish in terms of touring and traveling with him?

Nicki: Let’s see, well when we did the show and made the New York stop on the “I AM MUSIC” tour you know he announced me to over 20,000 people and said “This is Nicki Minaj and she is a bad motherfucker and she is Young Money”. You know I think that was a good thing, I think it’s the same thing like when I was little Jay-Z was that dude. So when I saw him embracing any female I was like wow that girl is so lucky to be up under the best rapper of her time, so I think I sit in that seat now having the best rapper of my generation embracing me and announcing me in my home town of New York. I think that was one of my best memoires from the tour.

NLW: We recently interviewed Shanell and she told us what it was like to share the girl power on Young Money with you. Can you tell us about your relationship with her and if you’re going to be working on any future projects with her?

Nicki: No, I mean Young Money is a whole, so I don’t think I’ll be working on anything with one person in particular, will do everything together I think probably for the compilation album. That’s pretty much it, I do a lot of show dates so I don’t get a chance to be with them as much as I would like to. You know I can’t say we going to do something, because truthfully were not around each other that much. I’m busy, I’m on the road every week, so if something crazy comes along I am pretty sure will do it in girl power fashion.

NLW: You recently embarked on a club tour for your successful new mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty. Can you tell us what that was like, and how it was different from doing shows with Wayne?

Nicki: You know when I do my own shows it’s exhilarating. I’m on the stage alone and I have my own set, and these people are here to see me “Nicki Minaj”. That alone for a new artist shows you that you’re doing something right. You know when Beam Me Up Scotty came out, I didn’t realize it was a success until my first show. You know I went to my show, and all the girls knew every word to “Itty Bitty Piggy”, “I Get Crazy”, and “Kill Da DJ”; and I’m looking around like I just put these records out. The mixtape was like a week or two weeks old, and that was a good thing for me to experience because it was like reassuring me that you have a fan base out there and now you have to feed them. Fans need to be fed and need to see that you are progressing and working; so it’s a great thing to be on the tour but when you do shows alone it’s the most exhilarating feeling in the whole wide world.

NLW: Yea, I made it out to the Baltimore show and it was just crazy; like it was a packed house full of energy and it was just ridiculous. At the Armory it was just nuts. It was crazy.

Nicki: Oh my god you were there.

NLW: Yea, you shut it down.

Nicki: Oh wow, thank you!

NLW: You’re welcome.

Nicki: I didn’t know you were there. Ok that’s what’s up!

NLW: I was also at three of the “I AM MUSIC TOUR” dates as well.

Nicki: Oh ok, so you are definitely a Young Money fan. That’s what’s up.

NLW: Yup, and I will be at the DC show on the upcoming tour and most likely the VA Beach show, so I will be looking out for you.

Nicki: Ok, I’ll definitely be looking out. If you see me tap me and be like “remember me”, and I’ll be like oh my god and start screaming and give you a hug and a kiss; will take pictures and crack up laughing and that will be that.

NLW: Can you describe to us your musical relationship with Wayne when you’re in the studio, because we know you guys have great chemistry and it’s easy for you to just bounce ideas back and forth off each other?

Nicki: You know, usually in the beginning Wayne would have an idea and I would just write a verse around Wayne’s idea. However, for the new stuff that you guys haven’t heard yet that will probably be on Wayne’s rebirth and the Young Money compilation album; I went in there and choose beats, did the hook, and wrote my verse. Wayne then came in and loved it and he added his stuff on it, so it all depends on who vibes to the beat first and feels something. I know if I like something I can get an idea in 2.5 seconds. So the great thing about Wayne is sometimes he laughs at my crazy ass, because I have these crazy bizarre ideas and he’ll be like “hell no”. He’s a lot of fun and he’s very funny, but on a serious note whenever I do something that I really love he usually says “Yea, I fuck with it Nicki”. He allows me to be me and he doesn’t really tweak me too much. He doesn’t say no, or tell me to re write stuff, or anything like that. He just allows me to be me and that’s what I love about him.

NLW: One of the things we love about you is some of your outlandish slogans and catch phrases; such as “step your cookies up” and “my harajuku barbies”. Can you tell us how you developed your own certain unique Nicki Minaj language and what it means for you to interact with the fans on that basis?

Nicki: I’ve always been a very weird person in that I like making up words and I also like making up names to call people. You know I have like multiple personalities, “I swear I do”. Sometimes when I wake up I’m just in a really weird mode and I feel like a tingling sensation going through my body; and I just need to make up a word or a term. It’s almost like I won’t be thinking about it but some weird term will just come to me like “its Barbie bitch”. Then it’s in my head and I can’t stop saying it; and I tell all my barbies. I think its fun and you know I feel like girls don’t have enough fun, I think female rappers tend to take themselves very seriously and I don’t understand why. I think it’s all about being smart but at the same time being business savvy, I mean I always say that; but you need to have fun. You’ve got one life to live, I mean don’t have irresponsible fun; but have fun. Know that this is the only time you will have to do this; you won’t get to do these years over. You know what I mean? So right now that’s a great way for me to interact with my fans, the “nictionary”. I don’t like to say fans; I like to say “my barbies”. I don’t call myself the “queen barbie” or the “baddest barbie”, I call myself a “barbie”. I am a “barbie” just like “you’re a barbie” and “she’s a barbie” and so on. We are all barbies, all girls are dolls. We need to be treated like were dolls and how do you treat dolls; there fragile. You know what I mean? I think it’s weird because girls spend so much time trying to act hard, but inside we are not like that; and it’s ok. We are emotional, we’re sensitive, and we’re just weird random creatures and we like to make up weird phrases. So I mean who is going to stop us; “It’s Barbie Bitch”.

NLW: Yea. I definitely think that’s a great way for you to interact with your fans and a lot of them really feel they can be on the same page with you that way. So congratulations on your “nictionary” and finding a great way to interact with the fans.

Nicki: Thank you.

NLW: If you had to pick one piece of advice that Wayne has given you, what do you think that would be? Because he has been in the business for so long and I am sure he has taught you and given you lots of influence, so I mean can you pick one thing in particular?

Nicki: You know one of the things Wayne told me one time when I was talking to him about toning down my image was “Nick a big part of what makes you “you” is when you do say those things”. He made a comment that it’s the same way when he “makes alien references”, and everybody knows that’s Lil Wayne; no matter what the song is about, no matter what he is talking about “he might just slip in an alien reference”. Its unique to Lil Wayne, he said “I don’t think you should completely take out the little sexual catchphrases and stuff like that”. He didn’t feel like I should completely do away with those because in a weird way those are what make me “Nicki Minaj”. You know even though I tone it down, he felt like I shouldn’t completely do away with it, he felt like it was interesting and he said “I like that about you, and I don’t think you should change that for anybody”.

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