In her Marie Claire cover story, HB Nicki Minaj spoke about a number of things — including her memorable, albeit brief, stint on American Idol, the next phase of her career, and why you need to treat a man like a dog.
On American Idol:
“The perception that people had of me completely changed because there are no cue cards, there’s no script, it wasn’t me performing a song. It was, ‘Let’s see your real personality.’ My core is a genuine human being who roots for other people. I didn’t want to blow smoke up their ass. I wanted every contestant to leave with something that they could remember.”
On doing “three more albums” before she moving on to acting:
“If I can do that, I’ll feel complete. One day, when I start getting a couple gray hairs, maybe it will all be only acting. I just never know. . . I’ve kind of become the poster child for doing the things that no one expects.”
On learning to enjoy the moment and prep for the future:
“For the first time, I allowed myself to feel proud of where music had gotten me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. You feel the need to pay it forward, which starts with analyzing yourself with a true desire to grow. I was praying every day, ‘You know what, Lord? I want to be a mom one day, and I want to start becoming the woman who I want to parent my child.’ I wanted all of the feelings of entitlement to leave me, because some people have this life for a year or five or 10 — and a lot of them lose it. I didn’t want to become a person who wasn’t enjoying the moment.”
On love:
“Don’t chase any man. Put your school first. Men love independent women. You don’t have to be a bitch, but there’s nothing wrong with it at times. And: Men are kids at heart. They want to be nourished and pet like a dog.”
[Quotes via US Weekly]
