Nicki Minaj Answers Vogue’s 73 Questions

Vogue

Before working in music, Minaj was a server, a customer service rep, a telemarketer, a receptionist and…a fire extinguisher saleswoman?  Interviewer: Joe Sabia Director: Maximillian Stenström Director of Photography: Jess Dunlap Editors: Evan Allan, Katie Wolford Senior Producer: Jordin Rocchi Coordinating Producer: Qieara Lesesne Assistant Camera: Ajiri Akpolo Gaffer: Ron Arrendondo Grip: David Gonzales Audio: Glo Marie Color: Oliver Eid Audio Mix: Nick Cipriano, BANG Associate Producer: Marisah Yazbek Production Assistants: Brock Spitaels, Lauren Boucher Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors Line Producer: Romeeka Powell Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier Assistant Editor: Billy Ward Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James Supervising Editor: Kameron Key Post Production Supervisor: Edward Taylor Entertainment Director: Sergio Kletnoy Director of Content, Production: Rahel Gebreyes Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin VP, Digital Video English: Thespena Guatieri

Transcript

00:00 (birds chirping)

00:02 (knocking)

00:06 - Joe, how are ya?

00:10 - Hi, Nicki.

00:11 How are you doing?

00:12 - I'm blessed, and you?

00:13 - I'm fantastic.

00:14 If you knew just how many of your fans have asked for this.

00:17 - I know, they have made me aware.

00:20 Thanks, Barbz.

00:21 - 73 questions, Nicki Minaj, this is happening.

00:24 Let's do this.

00:25 - Come on in, Vogue.

00:27 - Now before we begin, I just wanna say

00:28 how beautiful the drive was here,

00:30 and it's even prettier in here.

00:32 - Thank you.

00:33 - Can you tell the audience where we are right now?

00:36 - We are in Malibu, California at the recording studio.

00:40 - Yes, we are, and what precisely were you doing

00:42 just before I arrived?

00:43 - Actually, I was working on a very special lyric.

00:46 - And it's in the studio where most

00:47 of the lyric working happens, right?

00:49 - Yes.

00:49 - And how are you feeling about life these days?

00:52 - Blessed, happy, thankful, grateful.

00:54 - Given that we're in Malibu,

00:56 what would you say is the biggest difference

00:57 between life in New York and in LA?

00:59 - New York has the queens.

01:06 - Yes, it does.

01:07 And how would you describe yourself

01:08 to the few people on earth who may not know who you are?

01:11 - Pink, rapper, animated.

01:16 - That checks out.

01:18 Now you gotta know how excited I am for your next album,

01:20 and that you recorded it here.

01:22 - I did.

01:23 - It's pretty cool.

01:24 So what exactly does a typical day at work

01:26 in the studio look like for you?

01:28 - Well, I tend to listen to the beat,

01:32 and then I get a vibe for it,

01:36 and if it's something that I love,

01:37 then I go on the mic, my engineer juice records me,

01:42 I lay some ideas down, and then I listen to them,

01:47 and then I write it based on what reference I loved the most,

01:54 and then I record, and then we listen for days,

01:58 sometimes months, sometimes years,

01:59 and then one day it comes out.

02:01 - I'm so sorry if this is being forward,

02:03 but could you freestyle a few bars for me right now?

02:06 'Cause I can tell you Anna will love it.

02:08 - What?

02:11 That's scary.

02:13 I don't, what if she doesn't like it?

02:16 - How could she not?

02:16 - Okay.

02:19 Oh my gosh.

02:22 - No pressure.

02:23 - So I'd like to say that, I don't know if you know this,

02:26 Joe, but I definitely have mentioned her in my songs before.

02:31 - Oh, I know.

02:33 - But this one obviously would be a lot more special.

02:35 So let me think.

02:37 - Take your time.

02:38 You got this.

02:39 - Mm, okay, let me think.

02:45 (footsteps)

02:48 Okay.

02:53 I heard 'em who they sent for.

02:58 Said you were 10, you must've meant four.

03:01 Hiding the summer in the winter.

03:03 - Hello, I know winter.

03:07 - Yes, mission accomplished.

03:10 Now, you usually record in both of these rooms

03:12 or just this one?

03:13 - This one.

03:14 Come on in.

03:15 - Okay, getting a full tour here.

03:18 Now what exactly is the difference between these two rooms?

03:20 - You are entering the room where after I leave there,

03:24 I come here, I sit there, Drew sits here,

03:28 and we begin listening back to the iconic music we created.

03:34 - Now you've collaborated with so many artists

03:40 in your career.

03:41 I was wondering if you'd be willing to describe a few

03:43 in just one word.

03:44 - Okay.

03:46 - Ariana Grande.

03:47 - Ponytail.

03:48 - Elton John.

03:49 - Glasses.

03:50 - Beyonce.

03:51 - Blonde.

03:52 Hair.

03:53 - This is all true.

03:54 Who's another artist you'd work with?

03:56 - Miss Lauren Hale.

03:58 - What inspired the title for your next album?

04:00 - A Feeling of Whole Circleness.

04:06 - And why did you call--

04:08 - I'm sorry.

04:09 Joe, I'm sorry.

04:11 A Feeling of Full Circleness.

04:14 - All good.

04:15 Now why did you call your first album Pink Friday?

04:18 - Well, I wanted something that represented

04:20 my favorite color, pink,

04:21 and another member of my team at that time

04:26 said Pink Friday.

04:26 I fell in love right away.

04:28 - Now if you were to describe the look for this next album

04:31 in a single word or idea, what would it be?

04:33 - Vitement.

04:37 I mean, or as I said on my album, Vitamins.

04:42 - Now you've also said that Jay-Z, Foxy Brown,

04:45 and Lil Wayne were some of your biggest influences

04:47 when you were coming up.

04:48 What did each of them have that you wanted to emulate?

04:51 - Jay-Z, business savvy.

04:55 Foxy Brown, immaculate delivery.

04:59 Lil Wayne,

05:00 trendsetter.

05:06 - And out of all the people you can rely on,

05:07 who are the ones you go to if you ever need advice?

05:10 - My spiritual friends, I think.

05:15 Anyone who can speak with deeper meaning.

05:20 - And what would you say is the deepest meaning wisdom

05:23 that you've ever received?

05:24 - To remain humble.

05:27 - Important to be humble.

05:28 Okay, so your fans have now had a peek

05:29 inside two of your studios.

05:31 I say we keep exploring the property.

05:33 - All right, you guys,

05:34 let's go outside and get some fresh air.

05:35 - Let's do it.

05:36 We should just be in time for sunset.

05:39 So Nicki, I wanted to ask,

05:40 what would you say is your favorite feature,

05:42 not by Nicki Minaj?

05:44 - I would say "If I Rule The World," Nas, and Lauryn Hill.

05:48 - Good one.

05:49 And what is the one song with 100% certainty

05:51 that'll make you cry?

05:52 - "Hello" by Adele.

05:57 - I may have a feeling I know the answer to this one,

05:59 but what was the last great movie that you watched?

06:01 - "Barbie."

06:04 - Yep, there it is.

06:05 Updo or blowout?

06:07 - I'm definitely in my blowout era.

06:09 - Freestyle or written verse?

06:11 - Written verse.

06:13 I like to write.

06:14 - And while you are writing,

06:16 what is your go-to takeout order

06:18 whenever you need a break?

06:19 - Mm, four wings and some french fries,

06:23 hot sauce and ketchup.

06:24 - Delicious.

06:27 And when you think about your times

06:28 and history in Trinidad,

06:30 is there a favorite memory that always comes up?

06:33 - My grandmother, for sure.

06:36 - Now, what if that question replaced Trinidad

06:38 with New York City?

06:40 - The smell of snow.

06:42 - And when you think of yourself as a child,

06:43 how would you describe that smaller version of you?

06:46 - Hopeful.

06:49 - When did you first realize you loved performing,

06:51 entertaining people, being in front of an audience?

06:53 - Probably around the age of five.

06:57 - And when did you first hear the sound

06:59 of your own voice on the radio?

07:02 - Um.

07:02 - When I was working at Red Lobster,

07:08 maybe, I don't know, maybe 17 years ago.

07:12 - Must've been crazy.

07:14 And what was the worst part of that job?

07:16 - Having to constantly wash your clothes

07:21 because they smell like Red Lobster.

07:23 - What performance in your career

07:25 were you most nervous about beforehand?

07:30 - All of my televised performances early on in my career.

07:34 - What was the first album you heard

07:36 that completely changed your life?

07:38 - It's "Education and Learning."

07:40 - I read you wrote your first rap when you were 12 years old.

07:44 - Yes.

07:45 - Do you remember any of those lyrics?

07:48 - Cookies, the name, childless, it's the same,

07:50 but I suck up, that's the ally,

07:51 the cherry life, same, but.

07:53 - Now, I wanna go back to Red Lobster for a second.

07:56 What other jobs did you have before you got signed?

08:00 - Lots of waitressing, customer service rep,

08:03 telemarketer, receptionist.

08:09 - Mm-hmm.

08:10 - And also, I even sold fire extinguishers.

08:17 - Oh, random assortment of jobs.

08:20 Which of those jobs did you love the most?

08:22 - Office manager.

08:24 - Now, you originally uploaded your first mixes to MySpace.

08:27 If you remember, can you tell me

08:29 who was in your MySpace top eight?

08:31 - Have no idea, but I'm sure Lil Wayne

08:35 was probably one of them.

08:37 - Probably.

08:38 And what was your first accent that you think you nailed?

08:40 - Well, I thought I nailed it,

08:42 but I'm learning I did not.

08:45 The Jamaican accent.

08:47 - Would you like to demonstrate

08:48 a Jamaican accent for me now?

08:49 - Yeah.

08:52 - Hey, I successfully got you to freestyle.

08:54 I guess I can't ask for it all.

08:56 All right, follow me to the house.

08:58 - Now, Nikki, you were the first woman

09:00 who signed with Young Money.

09:02 Do you think that that came with any pressure?

09:04 - Absolute.

09:05 - When exactly did your alter egos

09:07 first start to come out in your music?

09:09 - I think on like "Five Star Chick" with Yo Gotti

09:14 and "Bedrock" with Young Money,

09:19 I started tapping in more into the Barbie persona.

09:22 - I'd like to list a few other personas.

09:24 Do you think you could describe each of them

09:26 with one word?

09:27 - Sure.

09:29 - Here we go.

09:30 Harajuku Barbie.

09:31 - Japan.

09:32 - Red Ruby.

09:33 - The Sleeves.

09:35 - Roman.

09:36 - Wah, wah.

09:38 - Now, out of Harajuku Barbie, Red Ruby, or Roman,

09:42 who is your favorite of the three?

09:44 - I guess my favorite right now is Red Ruby,

09:49 but as a whole in our Barb community, I would say Roman.

09:54 - Okay, and how would you describe your fashion and style

09:57 early in your career?

09:59 - Kooky.

10:01 - Does that word still describe your style today?

10:04 - I wouldn't say so.

10:05 - When did your fans first start calling themselves Barbz?

10:09 - I gave them that name because first I was calling them

10:11 Barbies 'cause I was calling myself Barbie,

10:13 and then I just thought that Barbz sounded more like

10:17 a term of endearment, and it stuck.

10:20 - I like it.

10:21 What did you think when you first saw your official Barbie?

10:25 - Oh gosh, well, I just,

10:30 that was very emotional, grateful,

10:33 couldn't believe it, ecstatic.

10:35 - Yeah, it was amazing.

10:36 Now shifting gears, if you could eat only one food

10:38 from a bodega for the rest of your life, what would it be?

10:42 - Well, definitely it would be a sandwich,

10:44 turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salt, pepper,

10:47 oil, and vinegar, jalapenos, mayonnaise, mustard.

10:51 (groaning)

10:53 Extra turkey, extra cheap.

10:58 - Wow, there's a lot going on with that sandwich.

11:00 Next time I'm at a bodega, I'll order the Nicki Minaj

11:02 and see what they do.

11:04 - So would you like to have a drink?

11:05 - I'd love a drink, thank you, Nicki.

11:07 - Okay, come on.

11:08 - Okay, I'll hang here and enjoy the sunset

11:10 while you're gone.

11:11 Now Nicki, what would you say Queens does better

11:13 than any other borough?

11:15 - Get the money.

11:16 - And out of all the places you've ever given a concert,

11:19 what's been your favorite city to perform in?

11:21 - Well, I would say New York.

11:26 - Well, obviously, New York City has to be the best.

11:30 And whose style did you look up to the most

11:32 when you were younger?

11:33 - I looked up to a specific era of the hip hop culture

11:38 where the energy of salt and pepper

11:42 is sort of like really cemented into my psyche at one point.

11:48 And it's why, till this day,

11:50 I am in love with bamboo earrings.

11:52 And I even put bamboo earrings in my Fendi prints online

11:56 at one time.

11:57 It's sort of like the girl that LL Cool J

12:00 was describing on "Round the Way Girl."

12:03 - Now I gotta ask, what's the secret to a perfect cat eye?

12:06 - Well, you can't be nervous, you can't be late.

12:13 You have to be very calm.

12:15 And you just have to think angle and sharp.

12:20 - Noted.

12:24 And what was your favorite Met Gala look?

12:26 - Yikes.

12:27 - And what about a typical Nicki Minaj at home look?

12:34 - I rather like this look, actually.

12:36 Delos and Gabbana on the coat,

12:38 and Tom Ford on the sneaker.

12:41 Little YV on some jean shorts, nothing too much.

12:45 Barbie chain, of course.

12:46 - What was the first designer item you ever bought?

12:52 - I don't remember, but I remember the first designer,

12:56 fake designer item I was given from my friend.

13:01 It was a fake Louis Vuitton.

13:04 - Ooh.

13:05 And what clothing item do you have the most of

13:07 in your closet?

13:08 - I have a lot of sweaters because I'm always cold.

13:15 - Who's a new designer that you're super excited about

13:17 at this moment?

13:18 - You know, well.

13:21 Does Batman count as a new designer right now?

13:27 Not really.

13:29 Joe?

13:30 - Counts for me.

13:31 - Does it?

13:32 - Yeah, I love Demna.

13:33 - Okay, so let me say that.

13:33 Want me to?

13:34 - Yeah, shout out to Georgia.

13:35 - Okay.

13:36 - What has been the most rewarding part

13:39 about being a mother?

13:42 - Every single second of every single day,

13:47 learning that I was able to love on a whole other level.

13:52 - That is beautiful.

13:54 And how did having a baby affect how you recorded

13:56 your most recent album?

13:57 - Well, because some of the songs started off

14:01 being written about four years ago,

14:04 there were songs, I couldn't record sexually explicit songs

14:08 while I was pregnant.

14:10 So I ended up just getting turned off

14:12 for a very long time.

14:14 And I had a writer's block for a while,

14:16 even after I had the baby.

14:18 And so now I'm doing a balance of what I think feels

14:23 like Nicki Minaj, but doesn't make me feel like eek.

14:30 - Yeah.

14:34 And why did you go with the nickname Papa Bear for your son?

14:38 - Well, I don't know.

14:42 You know, I've always been a nickname person.

14:45 I give everyone I love these nicknames normally.

14:48 And he actually had a couple nicknames.

14:53 His first nickname while he was in my stomach was Bubba.

14:57 And when he came out, it just transformed into Papa Bear.

15:02 I can't explain it, but when I looked at him,

15:04 that's what I thought.

15:06 - That's really cute.

15:07 Do you see any of yourself in his personality yet?

15:10 - Yes.

15:13 - And what is the number one most favorite thing

15:15 that he loves doing in life?

15:17 - Swim.

15:18 Or just be in the pool in any way,

15:21 in water, playing in water.

15:23 - Can you give me any hint about what his name is?

15:27 - Sure.

15:29 - Amazing.

15:29 So many people have asked me to ask you this.

15:31 - I can.

15:33 - Okay, ready for the hint.

15:37 All right, well, we'll keep it a secret.

15:39 I read you've been doing voices for him.

15:41 Will any of these show up in the most recent record?

15:44 - No, that's for me and him.

15:47 - Fair enough.

15:48 I also read that you quoted Lauryn Hill

15:50 in your high school yearbook.

15:51 - I did.

15:52 - What lyric did you use?

15:53 - To survive is to stay alive in the face of opposition.

15:57 - Which of your Wrap Snacks flavors is your favorite?

16:02 - I'll never tell.

16:04 - What did no one tell you about being famous

16:07 that you really like other people to know?

16:10 - It is...

16:17 It's only, it's not for the faint of heart.

16:23 - You once said that being famous comes with a lot of guilt.

16:26 How do you manage that today?

16:27 - By just focusing on the positive energy,

16:34 the love energy, and learning how to love myself enough

16:39 to realize that I put in my blood, sweat, and tears

16:43 into this, I deserve it, it's okay.

16:46 - What celebrity do you have saved in your phone

16:49 that would completely surprise me

16:51 or anyone else out there who's a fan of you?

16:53 - Hmm.

16:55 Hmm, that's a very interesting question.

17:04 At the moment, I would say the iconic, the legendary,

17:08 beautiful,

17:10 boss,

17:15 I know him too.

17:15 - I wouldn't say I'm completely surprised.

17:19 What was the last time that you were truly terrified?

17:22 - My son ran out of the door in the hotel I was at recently

17:27 and ran in the hallway,

17:28 as if this was just another part of the house

17:31 that he thought he was in.

17:33 And so just for those couple moments, I was terrified.

17:38 - That is scary.

17:40 Nikki, what makes zero sense to you?

17:42 - What makes zero sense to me is

17:48 thinking that you could ever go up against the Barbz and win.

17:55 - What is the biggest misconception about you?

18:00 - That I'm mean.

18:03 - Would you still consider yourself a homebody?

18:06 - Yes.

18:08 - You once said that the thing that motivates you the most

18:10 is proving to yourself that you can do something.

18:13 What do you have left to prove to yourself?

18:16 - If it was all worth it.

18:19 - I think it was.

18:20 But Nikki, you've now answered 72 questions.

18:23 Before I go, I wanna ask you,

18:26 10 years ago, you said you'd be married with a baby

18:28 and that has come true 10 years later.

18:31 What do you predict for yourself in another 10 years?

18:34 - Hundreds and hundreds of billions

18:37 and being able to help a lot of people

18:44 that I think need help in today's world.

18:49 - Well, we can't wait to see you achieve that.

18:51 What a great answer to end a great interview.

18:53 It's official, you've just completed your 73 questions.

18:56 - Thank you.

18:57 - And your fans are gonna love it.

18:58 - Thank you for having me, you guys.

18:59 I love you so much.

19:00 This is a dream come true.

19:02 Thank you for having me, I love you.

19:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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