73 Questions With Nicki Minaj | Vogue

[hand knocking on door] [door squeaking open] - Joe, how are ya? - Hi Nicki, how are ya doing? - I'm blessed, and you? - [Joe] I'm fantastic. If you knew just how many of your fans had asked for this? - I know they have made me aware, thanks Barbs. - [Joe] 73 questions, Nicki Minaj, this is happening, let's do this. - Come on in "Vogue." - [Joe] Now, before we begin, I just wanna say how beautiful the drive was here and it's even prettier in here. - Thank you. - [Joe] Can you tell the audience where we are right now? - We are in Malibu, California at the recording studio. - [Joe] Yes we are, and what precisely were you doing just before I arrived? - Actually, I was working on a very special lyric. - [Joe] And it's in this studio where most of the lyric working happens, right? - Yes. - [Joe] And how are you feeling about life these days? - Blessed, happy, thankful, grateful. - [Joe] Given that we're in Malibu, what would you say is the biggest difference between life in New York and in L.A.? - New York has the Queens. - [Joe] Yes, it does. And how would you describe yourself to the few people on Earth who may not know who you are? - Pink, rapper, animated. - [Joe] That checks out. Now you gotta know how excited I am for your next album and that you recorded it here. - I did. - [Joe] It's pretty cool. So what exactly does a typical day at work in the studio look like for you? - Well, I tend to listen to the beat and then I get a vibe for it and if it's something that I love, then I go on the mic. My engineer, Juice, records me, I lay some ideas down, and then I listen to them, and then I write it based on what reference I loved the most. - Okay. - And then I record, and then we listen for days, sometimes months, sometimes years, and then one day it comes out. - [Joe] I'm so sorry if this is being forward, but could you freestyle a few bars for me right now 'cause I can tell you Anna will love it. - What? That's scary that, I don't, what if she doesn't like it? - How could she not? - Okay, oh my gosh. - No pressure. - First, I'd like to say that, I don't know if you know this, Joe, but I definitely have mentioned her in my songs before. - Oh, I know. - But this one obviously would be a lot more special, so let me think. - [Joe] Take your time, you got this. - Mmm, okay, let me think. [Nicki drumming on chair] Okay. ♪ I heard 'em who they sent for ♪ ♪ Said you were 10, you must have meant four ♪ ♪ Hot in the summer and the winter ♪ ♪ Hello, I know winter ♪ - [Joe] Yes, mission accomplished. Now you usually record in both of these rooms, or just this one? - Yes, come on in. - [Joe] Okay, gettin' a full tour here. Now what exactly is the difference between these two rooms? - You are entering the room where after I leave there, I come here, I sit there, Drew sits here, and we begin listening back to the iconic music we created. - [Joe] Now you've collaborated with so many artists in your career, I was wondering if you'd be willing to describe a few in just one word. - Okay. - Ariana Grande? - Ponytail. - Elton John? - Glasses. - Beyonce? - Blonde hair. - [Joe] This is all true. Who's another artist you'd work with? - Ms. Lauryn Hill. - [Joe] What inspired the title for your next album? - A feeling of whole circleness. - Hmm, and why did you call- - I'm sorry, Joe, I'm sorry, a feeling of full circleness. - [Joe] All good. Now why did you call your first album, "Pink Friday?" - Well, I wanted something that represented my favorite color, pink, and another member of my team at that time said, "Pink Friday," I fell in love right away. - [Joe] Now, if you were to describe the look for this next album in a single word, or idea, what would it be? - Vitmal, I mean, or as I said it on my album, Vetements. - [Joe] Now you've also said that Jay-Z, Foxy Brown, and Lil Wayne, were some of your biggest influences when you were coming up. What did each of them have that you wanted to emulate? - Jay-Z, business savvy, Foxy Brown, immaculate delivery, Lil Wayne, trendsetter. - [Joe] And out of all the people you can rely on, who are the ones you go to if you ever need advice? - My spiritual friends, I think, anyone who can speak with deeper meaning. - [Joe] And what would you say is the deepest meaning, wisdom, that you've ever received? - To remain humble. - [Joe] Important to be humble. Okay, so your fans have now had a peek inside two of your studios, I say we keep exploring the property. - Alright you guys, let's go outside and get some fresh air. - [Joe] Let's do it, we should just be in time for sunset. So Nicki, I wanted to ask, what would you say is your favorite feature, not by Nicki Minaj? - I would say, "If I Ruled the World," Nas and Lauryn Hill. - [Joe] Good one, and what is the one song with 100% certainty that'll make you cry? - "Hello," by Adele. - [Joe] I may have a feeling I know the answer to this one, but what was the last great movie that you watched? - "Barbie." - Yep, there it is. Updo or blowout? - I'm definitely in my blowout era. - [Joe] Freestyle or written verse? - Written verse, I like to write. - [Joe] And while you are writing, what is your go-to takeout order whenever you need a break. - Mmm, Four Wings and some french fries, hot sauce and kitchen. - Wow, delicious. And when you think about your times in history, in Trinidad, is there a favorite memory that always comes up? - My grandmother, for sure. - [Joe] Now what if that question replaced Trinidad with New York City? - The smell of snow. - [Joe] And when you think of yourself as a child, how would you describe that smaller version of you? - Hopeful. - [Joe] When did you first realize you loved performing, entertaining people, being in front of an audience? - Probably around the age of five. - [Joe] And when did you first hear the sound of your own voice on the radio? - When I was working at Red Lobster, maybe, I dunno, maybe 17 years ago. - [Joe] Hmm, must've been crazy. And what was the worst part of that job? - Having to constantly wash your clothes because they smelled like Red Lobster. [Joe chuckling] - [Joe] What performance in your career were you most nervous about beforehand? - All of my televised performances early on in my career. - [Joe] What was the first album you heard that completely changed your life? - It was "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." - [Joe] I read you wrote your first rap when you were 12 years old? - Yes. - [Joe] Do you remember any of those lyrics? ♪ Cookies the name ♪ ♪ Chocolate chip is the flavor ♪ ♪ I suck up my style ♪ like a cherry Lifesaver - [Joe chuckling] Now I wanna go back to Red Lobster for a second, what other jobs did you have before you got signed? - Lots of waitressing, customer service rep, telemarketer, receptionist. [airplane engine roaring by] And also I even sold fire extinguishers. - [Joe] Oh, random assortment of jobs. Which of those jobs did you love the most? - Office manager. - [Joe] Now you originally uploaded your first mixes to Myspace, if you remember, can you tell me who was in your Myspace top eight? - I have no idea, but I'm sure Lil Wayne was probably one of them. - [Joe] Probably. And what was your first accent that you think you nailed? - Well, I thought I nailed it, but I'm learning I did not, a Jamaican accent. - [Joe] Would you like to demonstrate a Jamaican accent for me now? - No. - [Joe] Hey, I successfully got you to freestyle, I guess I can't ask for it all. - All right, follow me to the house. - [Joe] Now Nicki, you were the first woman who signed with Young Money, do you think that that came with any pressure? - Absolutely. - [Joe] When exactly did your alter egos first start to come out in your music? - I think on like "5 Star Chick," with Yo Gotti and "Bedrock," with Young Money, I started tapping more into like the Barbie persona. - [Joe] Now I'd like to list a few other personas, do you think you could describe each of them with one word? - Sure. - Here we go, Harajuku Barbie? - Japan. - Red Ruby? - The sleeze. - [Joe] Roman? - Raa-raa. - [Joe] Now out of Harajuku Barbie, Red Ruby, or Roman, who is your favorite of the three? - I guess my favorite right now is Red Ruby, but as a whole, in our Barb community, I would say Roman. - [Joe] Okay, and how would you describe your fashion and style early in your career? - Kooky. - [Joe] Does that word still describe your style today? - I wouldn't say so. - [Joe] When did your fans first start calling themselves, Barbs? - I gave them that name because first I was calling them, Barbies, 'cause I was calling myself Barbie, and then I just thought that Barbs sounded more like a term of endearment and it stuck. - [Joe] I like it. What did you think when you first saw your official Barbie? - Oh gosh, well, I just was very emotional, grateful, couldn't believe it, ecstatic. - [Joe] Yeah, it was amazing. Now shifting gears, if you could eat only one food from a bodega, for the rest of your life, what would it be? - Well, definitely it would be a sandwich, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar, jalapenos, mayonnaise, mustard, extra turkey, extra cheese. - [Joe] Wow, there's a lot going on with that sandwich. Next time I'm at a bodega I'll order the Nicki Minaj and see what they do. - So would you like to have a drink? - [Joe] I'd love a drink, thank you, Nicki. - Okay, [indistinct]. - [Joe] Okay, I'll hang here and enjoy the sunset while you're gone. Now Nicki, what would you say Queens does better than any other borough? - Get the money. - And out of all the places you've ever given a concert, what's been your favorite city to perform in? - Well, I would say New York. - [Joe] Well obviously, New York City has to be the best. And whose style did you look up to the most when you were younger? - I looked up to a specific era of the hip-hop culture, where the image of Salt-N-Pepa is sort of really cemented into my psyche at one point, and it's why till this day I am in love with bamboo earrings and I even put bamboo earrings in my Fendi Prints online at one time. It's sort of like the girl that LL Cool J was describing on, "Around The Way Girl." - [Joe] Now I gotta ask, what's the secret to a perfect cat eye? - Well, you can't be nervous, you can't be late, you have to be very calm, and you know you just have to think angle and sharp. - [Joe] Noted. And what was your favorite Met Gala look? - Yikes. [Joe laughing] - [Joe] And what about a typical Nicki Minaj at-home look? - I rather like this look, actually. Dolce & Gabbana on the coat, and Tom Ford on the sneaker. A little YV on some jean shorts, nothing's too much, Barbie chain, of course [brrrr]. - [Joe] What was the first designer item you ever bought? - I don't remember, but I remember the first designer, fake designer item I was given from my friend, it was a fake Louis Vuitton. - [Joe] Ooh. And what clothing item do you have the most of in your closet? - I have lots of sweaters because I'm always cold. - [Joe] Who's a new designer that you're super excited about at this moment? - Well, does Demna count as a new designer right now? - Uh. - Not really, Joe? - [Joe] It counts for me. - Does it? - Yeah, I love Demna. - Okay, so let me say it, want me to? - [Joe] Yeah, shout-out to Georgia. - Okay. - [Joe] What has been the most rewarding part about being a mother? - Every single second of every single day learning that I was able to love on a whole other level. - [Joe] That is beautiful. And how did having a baby affect how you recorded your most recent album? - Well, because some of the songs started off being written about four years ago, there were songs, I couldn't record sexually explicit songs while I was pregnant, so I ended up just getting turned off for like a very long time. And I had writer's block for a while, even after I had the baby, and so now I'm doing a balance of what I think feels like Nicki Minaj, but doesn't make me, you know, feel like eek. - Yeah. And why did you go with the nickname, Papa Bear, for your son? - Well, I don't know. You know I've always been a nickname person, I give everyone I love these nicknames normally, and he actually had a couple nicknames. His first nickname, while he was in my stomach, was Bubba. And when he came out it just transformed into Papa Bear, I can't explain it, but when I looked at him, that's what I thought. - [Joe] It's really cute. Do you see any of yourself in his personality yet? - Yes. - [Joe] And what is the number one most favorite thing that he loves doing in life? - Swim, or just be in the pool, in any way in water, playing in water. - [Joe] Can you give me any hint about what his name is? - Sure. - [Joe] Amazing! So many people have asked me to ask you this. - I can. - [Joe] Okay, ready for the hint. All right, well, we'll keep it a secret. I read you've been doing voices for him will any of these show up in the most recent record? - No, that's for me and him. - [Joe] Fair enough. I also read that you quoted Lauryn Hill in your high school yearbook? - I did. - [Joe] What lyric did you use? - To survive is to stay alive in the face of opposition. - [Joe] Which of your Rap Snacks flavors is your favorite? - I'll never tell. - [Joe] What did no one tell you about being famous that you'd really like other people to know? [Nicki sighing] - It is, it's only, it's not for the faint of heart. - [Joe] You once said that being famous comes with a lot of guilt, how do you manage that today? - By just focusing on the positive energy, the love energy, and learning how to love myself enough to realize that I put in my blood, sweat, and tears into this, I deserve it, it's okay. - [Joe] What celebrity do you have saved in your phone that would completely surprise me, or anyone else out there who's a fan of you? - Hmm. Hmm, that's a very interesting question. At the moment I would say the iconic, the legendary, beautiful, boss, [indistinct]. - [Joe] I wouldn't say I'm completely surprised. When was the last time that you were truly terrified? - My son ran out of the door, in the hotel I was at recently, and ran in the hallway as if this was just another part of the house that he thought he was in, and so just for those couple moments I was terrified. - [Joe] That is scary. Nicki, what makes zero sense to you? - What makes zero sense to me is thinking that you could ever go up against the Barbs and win. - [Joe] What is the biggest misconception about you? - That, I'm mean. - [Joe] Would you still consider yourself a homebody? - Yes. - [Joe] You once said that the thing that motivates you the most is proving to yourself that you can do something, what do you have left to prove to yourself? - If it was all worth it? - [Joe] I think it was, but Nicki, you've now answered 72 questions. Before I go, I wanna ask you, 10 years ago you said you'd be married with a baby and that has come true 10 years later, what do you predict for yourself in another 10 years? - Hundreds and hundreds of billions and being able to help a lot of people that I think need help in today's world. - [Joe] Well, we can't wait to see you achieve that. What a great answer to end a great interview. It's official, you've just completed your 73 questions. - Thank you. - And your fans are gonna love it. - Thank you for having me, you guys, I love you so much, this is a dream come true. [Nicki smooching on hands] Thank you for having me, I love you.