Nicki Minaj Talks Competing With Male Rappers In ‘Marie Claire’ Cover Story

Nicki Minaj has a lot going on right now. In addition to currently working on a new album (and subsequently trolling us all about it), Minaj is also the latest celebrity to don the cover of Marie Claire. Not only does the rapper touch on subjects like female empowerment and the double standard women of color face in the media, she also talks about having to compete with men in the music industry.

“I don’t need to read a book about [business],” she tells the publication. “I can look at someone’s career and just pinpoint the dos and the don’ts, and the one person I’ve done that with for my entire career was Jay Z. He did such a great job being an authentic street guy and a businessman, and I was like, ‘Why aren’t there women doing that, taking the success from rap and channeling it into their empire?’ I felt like anything he could do, I could do.”

The “Trini Dem Girls” MC also talks about her relationship with Beyoncé, noting “Every time Bey and I do something together, I see how women are inspired, and it has nothing to do with how we look. It has to do with how we are owning who we are and telling other women you should be the boss of your own career and the brains behind your life or your decisions or your art.”

The full piece will be in the November issue of Marie Claire, which will be out on October 18. Read more highlights from the interview here.

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