BY: Terri Rogers Nicki Minaj has surely cemented her place as the Queen of Rap - of our generation at least! Her passion, determination, vision and work ethic has truly separated herself from her peers and broken the mould of what it means to be a female rapper. Coming from a broken home (alcoholic and abusive father), to living alone with her Grandmother in Trinidad for two years until her mother could bring her to the United States - she has survived countless difficulties with her eyes always on the prize. Now, maintaining your focus on your goals, visions and dreams is one of the most beautiful things, especially if it's to improve the livelihoods of those around you, as in the case of Nicki Minaj. Her intense drive to give her mother and younger brother a struggle-free life is what kept her going when the heaviness of hard work tried to weigh her down. |
T O P 3 L E S S O N S F R O M N I C K I
Nicki's first passion has always been acting, embodying different personas and bringing these characters to life. However, after a few rejections and disappointments, she decided to shelf her dreams and get a steady job, until she started receiving positive feedback from little raps she would make up. "I only rap because I'm good at it, like really." This is when her love for songwriting and "spitting lyrics" was born. Her big break came when she was discovered by Young Money Cash Money's (YMCMB) boss, Lil' Wayne.
This alliance serves as the foundation of her way to superstardom.
Nicki has often referred to herself as Nicki Lewinski, as in the mistress of former US President Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinski, in relation to her partnership with Lil' Wayne. "Lewinski stands for the chick that's [that] close to the President. I'm that close to Lil' Wayne. It's up to me now to use my intelligence to get to the next step - every thing is a stepping stone, every thing is a tool."
In her "This is 50" Interview, she went on to explain where Monica Lewinski failed to utilise her intimate relationship and proximity with one of the most powerful men in the world.
"She could have furthered her career, [...] she could have been a terrorist, I don't think you understand how powerful that is, she was in the room with the President - no bodyguards, Secret Service outside."
This alliance serves as the foundation of her way to superstardom.
Nicki has often referred to herself as Nicki Lewinski, as in the mistress of former US President Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinski, in relation to her partnership with Lil' Wayne. "Lewinski stands for the chick that's [that] close to the President. I'm that close to Lil' Wayne. It's up to me now to use my intelligence to get to the next step - every thing is a stepping stone, every thing is a tool."
In her "This is 50" Interview, she went on to explain where Monica Lewinski failed to utilise her intimate relationship and proximity with one of the most powerful men in the world.
"She could have furthered her career, [...] she could have been a terrorist, I don't think you understand how powerful that is, she was in the room with the President - no bodyguards, Secret Service outside."
"It's a ladder. You want to climb the ladder to success, and some people don't appreciate the first two or three steps. They just want to get to the top."Nicki has described her days working as a waitress at Red Lobster back in her early 20s where taking a break and eating was almost unheard of. "We had to steal bread and eat that." These 12-hour work days in order to put food on the table didn't end there, she was constantly in the studio and running to various producers and record labels with her demos hoping the next one would turn her vision to reality. This journey was a fairly long one as she describes it and still has quite a way to go, "I haven't gotten to where I want to be yet". Her dedication, unparalleled work ethic and drive to always test the boundaries and push herself is what has earned her the respect of best female rapper. "When I do it, I'ma do it right. When I do it, I'ma do it big. And a part of that is that grind, is the blood, sweat and tears even though it doesn't feel too good at the moment. I know I'm going to look back one day and say that it was worth it." |
"I don't care what you want to do.
If you think it's going to come without hard work,
you're insane and you shouldn't even bother trying."
Drawing on her Monica Lewinksi reference yet again, Nicki truly embraces the idea that women should use their femininity and womanhood as assets, as opposed to accepting a role of inferiority. Women have a very unique and very powerful place within a man's world, they just need to start using it. Embrace the draw that you have, spin it in your favour and take hold of your life.
Nicki has often stated that her major motivation to become wealthy and "struggle-free" was the tough times she experienced with her mother growing up. From domestic abuse to immigration and dead-end jobs, Nicki vowed to empower herself and ultimately her mother through the wealth she hoped to a. This feminist approach, although controversial and seemingly contradictory in delivery, flows through many of her songs as an effort to reach as many young girls as possible and to show them a glimmer of a happy and positive life.
After entering the rap game and experiencing the true way of the world, Nicki began understanding the innate female power in this macho world and she studied her craft and has been leading the way ever since. #GirlPower
Therefore, the lack of initiative and action on the part of Monica, in Nicki's opinion, shows a misuse of potential that could have made all the difference in Monica's reputation and future life.
Have vision, utilise the opportunities that come your way, make the best of them and never give up until you've brought your vision to life.
Nicki has often stated that her major motivation to become wealthy and "struggle-free" was the tough times she experienced with her mother growing up. From domestic abuse to immigration and dead-end jobs, Nicki vowed to empower herself and ultimately her mother through the wealth she hoped to a. This feminist approach, although controversial and seemingly contradictory in delivery, flows through many of her songs as an effort to reach as many young girls as possible and to show them a glimmer of a happy and positive life.
After entering the rap game and experiencing the true way of the world, Nicki began understanding the innate female power in this macho world and she studied her craft and has been leading the way ever since. #GirlPower
Therefore, the lack of initiative and action on the part of Monica, in Nicki's opinion, shows a misuse of potential that could have made all the difference in Monica's reputation and future life.
Have vision, utilise the opportunities that come your way, make the best of them and never give up until you've brought your vision to life.