Drake has a bit of a staring problem when it comes to Nicki Minaj, but honestly, can you really blame him?
Following the release of The Pinkprint, the Head Barb in Charge continues her plan to take over (with the help of her girls) on the January 2015 cover of Rolling Stone. Unlike her appearances in Vogue Italia and in a new campaign for Roberto Cavalli, Nicki strips off the opulence for nothing but a white tank on the cover of the upcoming issue.
Of course, Onika is absolutely stunning—her decision to go back to a more natural Nicki is one that worked in her favor this year—but something about the photo looks a little off. Uncomfortable and voyeuristic, even. Oh, and it was shot by Terry Richardson…
Inside, though, things get really personal as she opens up about revealing another side of herself in her music on topics like breakup and even an abortion she had as a teenager.
On opening up on The Pinkprint:
“One of my goals was to give people a glimpse into my personal life, because it’s something I’ve kept very private,” she tells us. “I had to learn to do something as simple as sleep alone,” she says. “I struggled with ‘Do I express these feelings?’ And I decided there’s no reason for me to hide. I’m a vulnerable woman, and I’m proud of that.”
On having an abortion as a teenager:
“I thought I was going to die,” she admits. “I was a teenager. It was the hardest thing I’d ever gone through.” She ended up having an abortion, a decision she says has “haunted me all my life,” though it was the right choice for her at the time. “It’d be contradictory if I said I wasn’t pro-choice. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have anything to offer a child.”
On inspiring girls to be smart and sexy:
“With a video like ‘Anaconda,’ I’m a grown-ass fucking woman!” she says. “I stand for girls wanting to be sexy and dance, but also having a strong sense of themselves. If you got a big ol’ butt? Shake it! Who cares? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be graduating from college.”
On why artists like Kanye West are hesitant to speak out about racism:
“People say, ‘Why aren’t black celebrities speaking out more?’ But look what happened to Kanye when he spoke out,” she says. “People told him to apologize to Bush. He was the unofficial spokesman for hip-hop, and he got torn apart. And now you haven’t heard him speaking about these last couple things, and it’s sad. Because how many times can you be made to feel horrible for caring about your people before you say, ‘F*ck it, it’s not worth it, let me live my life because I’m rich, and why should I give a f*ck?’”
On the “sickening” non-indictment in Eric Garner’s death and police brutality:
“I feel like when Public Enemy were doing ‘Fight the Power,’ we as a culture had more power — now it feels hopeless. I’ve been reading so many people saying, ‘Why are we surprised?’ That’s what’s really sad: that we should somehow be used to being treated like animals. It’s gotten to the point where people feel like there’s no accountability: If you are law enforcement and you do something to a black person, you can get away with it.”
For more from the titillating issue and interview, pick up a copy on January 2.
PHOTO CREDIT & SOURCE: Rolling Stone
