Nicki Minaj believes that the Hip-Hop community tends to leave her hanging when she speaks up for herself but throws their support behind other rappers when they do the exact same thing. The “Hard White” rapper graces the cover of i-D Magazine’s Royalty issue and had her interview conducted by City Girls’ JT, who quizzed Nicki on why it’s important for her to speak her mind and no longer hold back.

“Well, there’s a huge misconception with people who come across as outspoken,” she responded. “Just because a person fights back, doesn’t mean they’re not afraid. I have suppressed years’ worth of things that I’ve wanted to say. People have lied about me and didn’t respond.” Nicki noted that being a rapper is still a job at the end of the day, so the same way people can lose their jobs working a nine-to-five is the same way she could lose hers if she doesn’t stick up for herself. “They can lose their spot; they can lose their money.”



As of late, however, the New Yorker no longer feels the need to hold back on things that bother her — regardless of whether people agree with her or not. She asserts that while the hip-hop community applauds other artists for defending themselves and speaking up when they feel the need to; when she does it, people take issue with it. “The last part of it is that if I never rap again, I will still leave this earth as an icon,” she added.

“I guess there is a little less fear now at this point in my career because I realize that my fans aren’t going anywhere. I’ve paid my dues.”

Also in the candid interview, Nicki shed light on when she’s finally planning to release her fifth studio album, which is her first body of work since 2018’s “Queen,” featuring the singles, “Chun-Li,” “Bed,” “Barbie Dreams,” and “Good Form.” The album fared well in its first week on sale, selling 185,000 units and debuting at number two on Billboard’s Hot 200.

 

And while Nicki has continued to stay busy in the recording booth, having worked with countless artists on their projects, it appears as if a new solo album is on the horizon. While she wouldn’t disclose an actual date, the mother of one confirms that her fifth record “will be out soon.”

Furthermore, Nicki says she plans on opening up her own nail design company, allowing fans to purchase her press-on nails with creative designs.