Nicki Minaj's success cannot be understated. And, by in large, the "Queen of Hip Hop" has earned her position on the top through her own talents and abilities. However, the Queens-born rapper recognizes that her fame did not manifest without the help of some extremely important players. The Cash Money team, lead, in this case, by Lil Wayne, was active in the promotion and tutelage of the groundbreaking female rapper. In a new interview, the Grammy nominee discusses the massive influence and role that Lil Wayne and Drake had on her musicianship, and success in the industry.
Nicki told HITS Daily Double that she hoped, by winning the three Grammys for which she was nominated, she could inspire women around the world to pursue the dreams and achieve the impossible.
"I've put so many years into this culture that I often feel is overlooked," The Pinkprint rapper says. "Prior to my three albums, I put out three mixtapes, which also changed the game for women in rap. I would literally sit in a room for days and write, and my sole purpose was to be better than the boys and to prove that women are just as smart, creative, witty, business-savvy, etc. I never really felt that male rappers saw us as their equals. I was determined to change that."
"Well, I loved the fact that Wayne didn't write his lyrics down-he just memorized them," the 33-year-old Queens rapper continued. "In the studio, he'd stress the importance of me writing my verses quicker than I'd become accustomed to. So it made me better and more confident. With Drake, he spent a lot of time narrowing down the actual beat he wanted to rap on. It was great for a young artist to pay attention to that."
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