Nicki Minaj was notoriously private about her love life until her breakup with longtime boyfriend Safaree Samuels and the release of her latest album, The Pinkprint. After a Twitter feud between the two erupted online and Minaj gave an emotional interview to Angie Martinez, Samuels decided to tell his side of the story. He sat down with Power 105's The Breakfast Club to talk about his relationship with the femcee and what lead to their eventual breakup. Here's what we learned:
On who he was to Minaj:
"[I was] everything. Decisions weren't made without me. That was my soulmate. It wasn't just someone I was working with. People thought, oh I'm just a hype man. No. I was the one calling all the shots."
On how he met Minaj:
"We were in a group together called The Hood$tars. We did the group thing for like two years, but it didn't really work out. So she branched out did her solo thing, packed up two cars and moved to Atlanta, and we just started bubbling from there. We were friends for a year and a half first then the relationship started."
On putting his career on the back burner to support Minaj:
"It wasn't hard at all because I'm not going to act like that's what I wanted to be so bad. We was in a rap group together, yeah. I rapped with her, but you know I just enjoyed entertainment. So whether I was in the front of the mic or playing in the back with her, I just enjoyed entertainment.
"I would never do anything publicly to try to pull her down. Whatever happens between me and her, one on one, it is what it is, that's personal. I would never put that out there. I could be out here telling a million stories and doing cornball sh*t like that, but I'm not going to do that. I never would do that, and I never plan on doing that. I just think it's crazy for her to come out now and try to be pulling me down, trying to say I'm corney. I don't care who you with, that don't mean nothing to me, I want you to move on because I'm moving on. I walked away from the situation. I'm not going to say I broke up, but I walked away. I'm the one who packed my stuff, and I left.
On why he left the relationship:
"It just got to the point where the respect was gone. Everyone around her works for her. So it got to the point where I was like, 'I'm your man. I'm the one you go to sleep with every night. I'm who you wake up with every morning.' It got to the point where I was being treated like an employee instead of her man.
On why she never went public with the relationship until it was over:
"I really don't understand it myself because to me I used to be like there's really no way people don't know."
On how he felt about her acting flirtatious with other men in the industry:
"As far as the 'Only' song, that's something that people on the outside take more disrespect than I did. I don't know maybe I've been dealing with it for so long that it kind of seemed like the norm to me. I got numb to it. I could probably feel a way about it and get over it and it is what it is and I just keep on moving."
On Minaj possibly dating Meek Mill:
"If that's who she decides to move on with then it is what it is. I'm not mad. I'm not bitter because if I wanted to make it work, I could have made it work."
On why he didn't stay for the money:
"Fame and money, you can't put a price on peace of mind because people on the outside looking in are like, 'Man you're out of your mind. You better get your girl back."
On Nicki badmouthing him after the breakup:
"She can take a picture with whomever she wants. She can get married tomorrow and be pregnant the next day, and I will wish her nothing but the best. But when you try to pull me down and discredit what I've done for you, like that's what's weak to me. Don't say I have no talent because every time it came to writing raps and doing music, it was me her and the beat. She doesn't do it by herself. It's me and her. So it's like, don't discredit what I've done for you. That's weak. I would never do that to her.
On the tipping point of their relationship:
"I don't think it was money, and I don't think it was fame. I just think when you're that big of brand, you're a walking, breathing, living corporation. It's like you always kinda got to be on. So it was to the point where, if we go out, I can't even hold your hand. And I'm an affectionate dude. I like to have my arm around my chick. I don't want to have to be walking a couple steps behind you or away from you and acting like you not my girl. After a while that puts a strain on somebody. That definitely did something to me."
On if "Bed Of Lies" was about him:
"I was there when the song was written. I was there for the writing process. So that wasn't a surprise to me. That song was written in March. That's news to y'all but, ya know."
Check out the full interview for yourself below, and let us know what you think in the comments section!
