Nicki Minaj’s promotional onslaught continues. After taping “106 & Park” on Monday, the green-haired diva rose bright and early on her album release day to pay a visit to SiriusXM Radio’s “Sway in the Morning,” where she discussed her evolution, newfound confidence, “Beez in the Trap” video with 2 Chainz, M.I.A.’s Super Bowl stunt, and her controversial Grammy performance.
On her evolution: “I think I went from being a caricature in people’s eyes to someone with a lot of layers. You just gotta realize that I’m never gonna be one dimensional. Even my core fans at times thought I was one dimensional when I was doing the mixtapes. However, even on the mixtapes, I was singing and I was doing songs like ‘Can Anybody Hear Me.’” … When mainstream got a hold of Nicki Minaj, they turned her into a girl that wears wigs and has funny voices. So then we had to get past that. And then I had to reel it in and say, ‘Hey, actually I’m a businesswoman.’”
On her newfound confidence: “I am not nervous, I am not fearful. All of those emotions have left. The stuff that I felt from the first album, I no longer care.”
On 2 Chainz: “He’s an incredible person. He’s a hard worker and I love seeing hard-working people that’s like, by any means necessary. That makes me passionate because that’s how I was.”
On the video for “Beez in the Trap”: “That video is very sexy, a lot of big booty girls in that video. We actually had to do a clean and a dirty.”
On M.I.A.’s Super Bowl incident: “I don’t think M.I.A. should have done it. It’s possible that she didn’t even plan to do it. Sometimes when you are nervous, you do things that you normally don’t do. I feel that may have been a defense mechanism at that time out of nervousness. I was kind of disappointed because it was on Madonna’s set. We were her guests and so if it was something planned, I think it was corny. I wouldn’t have done it, but M.I.A. is still cool with me.”
On her polarizing Grammy performance: “It was my favorite performance that I’ve ever done in my life. When I watched it back, I was jumping for joy. I wish I could watch that performance over and over like a fan.”
On her evolution: “I think I went from being a caricature in people’s eyes to someone with a lot of layers. You just gotta realize that I’m never gonna be one dimensional. Even my core fans at times thought I was one dimensional when I was doing the mixtapes. However, even on the mixtapes, I was singing and I was doing songs like ‘Can Anybody Hear Me.’” … When mainstream got a hold of Nicki Minaj, they turned her into a girl that wears wigs and has funny voices. So then we had to get past that. And then I had to reel it in and say, ‘Hey, actually I’m a businesswoman.’”
On M.I.A.’s Super Bowl incident: “I don’t think M.I.A. should have done it. It’s possible that she didn’t even plan to do it. Sometimes when you are nervous, you do things that you normally don’t do. I feel that may have been a defense mechanism at that time out of nervousness. I was kind of disappointed because it was on Madonna’s set. We were her guests and so if it was something planned, I think it was corny. I wouldn’t have done it, but M.I.A. is still cool with me.”
Exactly. That is one of the problems with the industry.
It makes artists come off as fake when they are simply trying to make themselves marketable.
You need a balance between the creative and the marketability.
Exactly. That is one of the problems with the industry.
It makes artists come off as fake when they are simply trying to make themselves marketable.
You need a balance between the creative and the marketability.
Rihanna does the same, as well as Gaga, as well as Beyonce etc, etc. They all aim toward expanding their brands. They need to think in those terms if they want to keep giving their fans what they want. I'm not sure why that would make them come off as fake.
Exactly. That is one of the problems with the industry.
It makes artists come off as fake when they are simply trying to make themselves marketable.
You need a balance between the creative and the marketability.
According to interviews she said this album is "100% her" but I'm sorry I just can't believe it for myself. I think the first half is all her.
Rihanna does the same, as well as Gaga, as well as Beyonce etc, etc. They all aim toward expanding their brands. They need to think in those terms if they want to keep giving their fans what they want. I'm not sure why that would make them come off as fake.
Their music is still consistent & cohesive from album-to-album, something Roman Reloaded lacks in the second half.
Debatable. Regardless, that's unrelated to what I'm getting it.
I see.
Nicki wants to be taken seriously but she dresses herself covered in children's toys at the VMAs & wears gummi drops. What frustrates me is that she WAS being taken seriously in 2010 with her debut album but this new album will be more of a setback than a gain for her respectability in my opinion, except for in terms of hits & sales since I'm sure Roman Reloaded will have hit after hit after hit.
She could & should be the more respected than she is but she holds herself back. Starships is currently the representation of the era to the general public, but what is showing people?
Reed, I know you're a good passionate fan about her so I'm probably pissing you off but this girl is frustrating me.
Rihanna does the same, as well as Gaga, as well as Beyonce etc, etc. They all aim toward expanding their brands. They need to think in those terms if they want to keep giving their fans what they want. I'm not sure why that would make them come off as fake.
All pop stars need a good business aesthetic, but it's the way Nicki is conducting herself as business woman that is the issue. She is letting her need for money/commercial success rampage the artistic qualities that made her a unique artist.
Nicki wants to be taken seriously but she dresses herself covered in children's toys at the VMAs & wears gummi drops. What frustrates me is that she WAS being taken seriously in 2010 with her debut album but this new album will be more of a setback than a gain for her respectability in my opinion, except for in terms of hits & sales since I'm sure Roman Reloaded will have hit after hit after hit.
She could & should be the more respected than she is but she holds herself back. Starships is currently the representation of the era to the general public, but what is showing people?
Reed, I know you're a good passionate fan about her so I'm probably pissing you off but this girl is frustrating me.
You're not pissing me off at all I promise. You're one of her usual critics on this site who can go a whole argument without using a derogatory term to describe either her music or her as a person. As a matter of fact I agree with everything you just said, and I've expressed that countless times. What I said still stands though and is unrelated to what you want to talk about.
at me reading the title as "Nicki Talks Evolution of Her BUTT." 
Nickis doing the most!
