Nicki Minaj's long-awaited third studio album The Pinkprint has officially arrived. Ahead of it's release Minaj checked in with DJ Whoo Kid to address rumors of a rift within YMCMB, how Jay Z's The Blueprint influenced her project, her relationship with Beyoncé, not sleeping with "any man in the industry, ever," working with Meek Mill and Ariana Grande, and more.
On the internal status of YMCMB following Lil Wayne's comments that Birdman was holding him hostage at the label:
"When you're at the top, there's only one place to aim at. They gon' aim at us. We good. Love conquers all. I do know that, no matter what, we're a family. We're not always the best of friends and chummy chummy, but we're a family and we love each other underneath it all.
"I know that Wayne and Baby (Birdman) love each other. And I know they're going to resolve anything that needs to be resolved. I am Young Money. I'm Young Money. I ride with Wayne on whatever. That's just how I am. But Baby has played such a huge role in my mental stability. I don't know if people know, Baby will call you and text you all day, just making you feel good. Making you feel inspired. One time he called me like, 'Yo Barbie,' he's like one of the only people who still calls me Barbie by the way, he's like, 'Yo Barbie, I'm seeing your posters all around, you doing your thing Barbie. I respect that.' This is Baby on my phone telling me he respects my business move.
"With Wayne I have such a different relationship with Wayne, such a cute relationship. I love both of them. I'm praying that everything resolves itself like it always does with family affairs. There just ain't no malicious nothing, ain't no hate."
On working with Beyoncé on what their relationship is like:
"Even I was surprised with 'Flawless.' Now I can say I have a No. 1 record with Beyoncé. That's insane — without it even going on iTunes. I think people were hungry for a Beyoncé-Nicki Minaj movement for a long time. I think for a long time I thought I was too risqué for her image. I think she felt like that, too.
"When I met her when I was doing 'Flawless' in New York, she was like 'I freed myself on my last album.' That inspired me so much because that's what I was trying to do with The Pinkprint. When she said that, I was still in the middle of writing The Pinkprint, but I just understood her so much as a woman. Forget being an artist or a rap artist, just as a woman, the beauty of freeing yourself and the peace that comes with that, people have no idea because you live in a world where you're so scrutinized, especially when you're a famous woman, and there's nothing harder than freeing yourself and letting your guard down and saying, 'This is me, take it or leave it.' If you can do that, and overcome it, and win with it, it's a blessing.
"So it was really inspiring when she said that, and now I see the other side of her, which is this really funny girl. I just think she's such a multifaceted woman, and she really uplifts me. Any sort of conversation I have with her, I always feel like she's listening and she's also teaching at the same time."
On Jay Z's influence on her album and how his opinion validates her work:
"Lyrically he always tries to prove that he's the best. I just respect people like that. When I met him-well, I'd already met him, but when I saw him this last time, he told me how much he f**ked with 'Chi-Raq' and 'Lookin Ass N***a' That's crazy. The n***a who's opinion I trust more than just about anyone, is telling me.
"That's why it's so upsetting to me when people don't give me my credit. When I got the biggest n***a in rap saying, 'Yo, 'Chi-Raq,' 'Lookin Ass N***a.'' And then I have people that don't say what Nicki Minaj has done for hip-hop culture in 2014. Like, c'mon. You're not gonna not remember 'Lookin Ass' and 'Chi-Raq' and 'Danny Glover' and 'Boss Ass Bitch' and 'No Flex Zone.' I do that and still put out 'Anaconda' and go double platinum. So it's like, I don't want hip-hop to not see what I'm doing. People are either doing one or the other. It's very few people that can do both."
Listen to the full interview below, and let us know what you think in the comment section!
