Nicki Minaj Is A Moody Vision On ‘Dazed,’ Promises An Epic New Era
Nicki Minaj is fierce and vampy on the cover of Dazed magazine. The 34-year-old rapper poses for the publication’s fall/winter edition, and she delivers a series of fashionable looks. On one of three separate covers, the hitmaker straddles a rearing black stallion with her hair blowing in the wind. It is a striking image and a declaration of control from the feature queen. Dressed in a series of all-black outfits, she delivers a relatively stripped-back but undeniably compelling spread.
In the accompanying interview, the rapper reflects on her rise to fame that started with her debut mixtape Playtime Is Over. With ten years in the industry, she describes her ascent as a “Cinderella story” with Lil Wayne standing in as her Prince Charming. “I’m still in the magic pumpkin! I have to say it’s been magical. It’s been tough. It’s been emotional. I’ve had to deal with it all, negative and positive,” she says, ending on a positive note. “No matter what’s gone on the past ten years, I’m still here. I’m still here!”
Although the release of her forthcoming album is shrouded in mystery, Nicki makes some hefty promises in the pages of Dazed. “This era will be a billion times more epic than anything ‘Anaconda’ could have delivered. I think this era will definitely be the most memorable and the most impactful of my career,” she vows. The diva hasn’t settled on a release date, but the lack of a deadline has given her more creative freedom than she had on 2014’s The Pinkprint. “There’s so much beauty in not knowing. I just want to go in the studio and create like I used to, before there were any expectations. You know? When I was just having fun, working on my mistakes, going in and creating… writing my life.”
Her latest project is still in the works, but this has still been a banner year for the “No Frauds” hitmaker. With the release of a trio of singles (“No Frauds,” “Regret in Your Tears” and “Changed It”) in March Nicki bested a record set by Aretha Franklin to become the woman with the most hits on the Billboard Hot 100. “I don’t feel like I’ve fully wrapped my mind around that. With some of these things, I still feel like I’m in a dream.” Regardless, she expressed her gratitude for the other artists who welcomed her onto their tracks and helped her achieve the distinction and alluded to her wide range of musical abilities. “I can be sent a pop song, a reggae song, a rap song or an R&B song, and people know that Nicki Minaj is gonna deliver something special every time,” she said.
Hopefully she is able to channel that confidence whenever her latest album drops. If nothing else, Nicki said that she would be putting her all into the record for her fans. “I’ve seen my fans grow up for the last ten years, which is crazy,” she said, adding that her relationship with them has inspired her. “That’s why I’m not rushing the album, because it means to much to me. I have to release a classic at this point.” Scroll through her fashionable shoot up top and check out the rest of her feature with Dazed here.
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