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Video: Behind-the-Scenes of Nicki Minaj’s Teen Vogue Photoshoot

ANTFEENZ — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:48:50 +0000

Nicki Minaj speaks on her new look and feel for 2013, American Idol, and more. The June/July issue of “Teen Vogue” featuring Nicki Minaj will hit newsstands and shelves May 21st.

PHOTOS: Nicki Minaj Attends “PUNK: Chaos To Couture” Costume Institute Gala

JOEY — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:09:34 +0000

Nicki Minaj attends the Costume Institute Gala for the ‘PUNK: Chaos to Couture’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013 in New York City. Check out the photos below.

May 6 – “PUNK: Chaos To Couture” Costume Institute Gala

MUSIC VIDEO: Birdman – Tapout ft. Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine & Future

JOEY — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:00:33 +0000

MUSIC VIDEO: Nicki Minaj – Up In Flames

JOEY — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:55:49 +0000

Behind The Scenes: Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Pill Commercial”

JOEY — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:52:36 +0000

Nicki Minaj teams up with Beats By Dre for the official launch of her Pink Pill. Visit Beatsbydre.com for more information.

MUSIC VIDEO: Nicki Minaj – High School Ft. Lil Wayne

JOEY — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 02:46:04 +0000

Nicki Minaj Covers April’s Issue of ‘Elle’ Magazine!

KENNYKEN — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:45:26 +0000

Nicki Minaj wears many hats—rapper, singer, fashion designer, and judge on “American Idol,” but now she’s taking on a new role. The rap diva plays reporter, interviewing herself during a mock interview for ELLE magazine. An inquisitive Nicki asks the superstar Nicki about her childhood and what she wears at home.

“I love black thongs,” says superstar Nicki, while offering other wild quotes. “I’m gonna be artificially inseminated so I don’t ever have sex with anyone.”

Nicki graces the cover of ELLE’s April issue. She trades the wigs and makeup for a more natural look, but it wasn’t easy for her. “To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes—you know, nothing—I felt naked. It was scary!” she said. “So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”

She also revealed that she was bullied as a child. “I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell.”

Get a sneak peek of the issue before it hits newsstands on March 26.

Nicki Minaj has her hands full as a judge on “American Idol” Now, Nicki shows more of her playful side for ELLE magazine.

Elle Magazine Photoshoot (2013)

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On her make-under for Elle‘s shoot: “When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I’m so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it’s hard. I feel that it’s become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes- you know, nothing – I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”

On advice to women on how to command respect: “My advice to women in general: Even if you’re doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want- and don’t allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge. You want everyone to know, Okay, I can’t play games with her. I have to do right by this woman. That’s what it’s all about.”

On world domination: “My goal in the beginning was to buy my mother a house. Now I realize, Okay, if I really focus and become a key player in business, then I can build an empire. I’m thinking of a legacy that I can be proud of and wealth that my grandchildren can use to go to college. So world domination- in terms of providing for my family – is absolutely my goal.”

VH1: 10 Reasons We Love Nicki Minaj on American Idol

JOEY — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:45:28 +0000

When fans of American Idol found out that three new judges were joining Randy Jackson for season 12, there was all sorts of speculation that Mimi would be diva-licious, Keith Urban would provide legitimacy and Nicki Minaj would just…be there. As it turns out, Nicki Minaj is probably the breakout star (along with Angela Miller, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison) of American Idol this year. We’ve compiled our top ten favorite reasons why we love to watch Nicki Minaj hold court on American Idol

1. She Refuses To Conform.

When Sarah Restuccio auditioned first as a country pop singer and then added a playful rendition of Nicki’s own “Super Bass”, she confused the entire panel…except for Nicki, who argued, “She’s every little girl! There are so many girls who identify with her, who are coming from where she is, maybe lives on a farm, and they sing Super Bass!”

While Mariah, Randy and Keith are still stuck in the age where singers can only fit in one demographic, Nicki is a hip hop diva, a pop star and a mogul. You can and should do more than one thing in order to stay current. Also, it’s pretty amazing to see Nicki wear the panel down until they agree with her.

2. She Is A Self-Help Guru.

Jessica Kartalis messed up her audition by playing her guitar in the wrong key. While she was obviously talented, her audition wasn’t strong enough to send her through. All four of the judges passed on her politely, saying that she should definitely come back in a year or two after she had matured as a performer.

Naturally, Jessica wasn’t hearing this so she tried to reason with the judges by saying, “Today’s my only shot.” In response, Nicki laid down some realness that I want tattooed on my arm, emblazoned on a poster and engraved on a coffee mug:

“It’s not your only shot. It will never be your only shot until you decide it is.”

3. She’s Really, Really–I Mean, REALLY–Honest.

Matheus Fernandes is incredibly talented. He wowed the judges in his audition and made it all the way to Hollywood. The thing is he started making excuses for his performances and referring to his extremely short stature in his song lyrics. There’s nothing wrong with owning who you are, but Fernandes was making the fact that he was a little person such a big part of his persona that it was distracting from his voice.

Nicki did the un-PC thing and called him out on it, saying, “I felt like every time you perform you like keep on making reference to your height. Sometimes things can go from being inspiring to becoming you want a pity party. And once you’re great, we don’t even notice your height. You don’t have to milk that ever, ever again. Be you. Be great and just rest in, you know, your talent after today.”

Which is good advice. Matheus is ridiculously talented and should rely on that–and not sympathy.

4. She’s Flirty.

American Idol is no stranger to flirtatious judges. Simon Cowell would always tell the ladies when they looked good. Sometimes it was a compliment (as in, “You look like a pop star tonight.”), sometimes it was an insult (as in “Well the good news is you look fantastic.”), and sometimes it was just him kind of being a middle aged creep. Back in the day, Paula Abdul caught flack for flirting so much she allegedly had an affair with a contestant and Kara DioGuardio famously made a contestant take his shirt off.

When Nicki flirts with the male contestants, it’s an art form. With her it’s all swagger and charm and punchlines. She sees what she likes and she comments on it. It should also be noted that she doesn’t just presume the dudes are ever single. She always asks if they have a girlfriend first. So, she’s classy in her sexual aggression.

5. She’s Also Flirty With The Girls.

Look, Nicki Minaj is an equal opportunity flirt. No sexism here. After Kree Harrison killed it with Faith Hill‘s “Stronger” last week, Minaj exclaimed, “Well, you know that you are my wife!..And your sexiness level went up another notch tonight, again, seriously, what did you do?’ To which Kree gamely responded, “I’m just trying to do my wife proud.”

The thing is after Nicki flirts with Kree–or with any contestant for that matter–she drops the cuteness and plunges straight into a legitimate musical critique. The flirting is just for fun, but she takes judging seriously.

6. She Has A British accent.

For years, the thing that set Simon Cowell apart from other judges wasn’t just his brutally honest insights or his tight black shirts, but his British accent. Having a British accent in the United States adds a bit of class, a bit of foreignness, and a bit of distinction to the proceedings*.

Now that Nicki Minaj is on the American Idol judges’ panel, we have a British accent critiquing the contestants again. In fact, we might have two…

*So long as it’s not a Geordie accent like the delightful X Factor UK judge Cheryl Cole has. In which case, American producers are so worried that you’ll need to be subtitled that they are afraid to hire you Stateside for a job you nailed. (But rumor is she’s going to replace Britney Spears on X Factor USA next year!!!)

7. She Has Amazing Hair.

It’s a frivolous statement, sure, but never underestimate the power of a coif–or an amazing wig. Depending on her headgear, Nicki can be a cream puff or a dictator. That kind of versatility helps her pivot between giving a contestant a “yes” or a “no” with the greatest of ease.

8. She Also Has Amazing Eyes.

Nicki Minaj might have the most expressive eyes on Earth. She can say more with a squint or a raised eyebrow than Randy Jackson can using all of the words he knows in the English language. I know that some people find Nicki’s constant eye rolling annoying, but I absolutely love it. Minaj can voice her dissent with just an eye roll. Like here:

9. She Gives Hilarious Nicknames.

Okay, there’s no real intellectual reason to explain why Nicki Minaj nicknaming a kid wearing green pants and a collared shirt, “Collared Greens”, is so delightful, it just is. Sometimes her nicknames are silly. Sometimes they are absurd. Sometimes they are actually quite witty. No matter what, though, Nicki’s nicknames are entertaining.

10. She Doesn’t Crush People–She Inspires Them.

In past seasons of American Idol, judges either had to be brutally honest to the point of cruelty or sugary sweet and ineffectual in their critiques. Nicki might be one of the only judges in the history of the show who can be both earnest and empathetic.

In previous seasons, someone like James Bae would have been laughed out of the room–and he almost was–until Nicki stepped in and gave him a heartfelt pep talk complete with a hug and kiss.

She will break someone’s dreams, but she doesn’t want to break their hearts.

And that’s got to be the biggest reason why we love Nicki Minaj.

Nicki Minaj’s Interview with HELLO! Magazine

JOEY — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:32:03 +0000

Nicki Minaj is a rule breaker, game changer and style setting rap star with platinum selling albums, a staggering 15 million twitter followers and fans around the world who hang on her every word, she sat down with HELLO! Online to tell us about her style icons, playing dress up and how she is now also the princess of perfume.

You have turned your creative eye to perfume, tell me more about Pink Friday?
‘I have always wanted to create a perfume, I mean it’s every girl’s dream right? But I didn’t think anyone would want to take a chance on me, a female rapper. Now it’s an extension of my personality and a way for my fans to feel closer to me.’

Did you enjoy the new creative process of choosing notes and helping design a flacon?
‘I loved choosing and experimenting with the different scents. I loved the fact that I could say that I liked a certain note in a certain perfume and then the perfumer would create a new combination and I would see it come to life as Pink Friday. It’s fun it’s almost like playing with makeup and playing dress up. You put all of these things together and hope it comes out well. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s a mess, but when it works perfectly then that’s when you have a new fragrance.’

CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR FULL GALLERY

Talking of dressing up, tell me about the new Couture clothes for the bottle?
‘I really enjoyed choosing what the bottle looks like and, seeing my vision come to fruition, was one of the best parts of the process because I know my fans will love the bottle and the smell. For the Couture the designers took direct inspiration from my outfits, so there is a dark, sexy moment, a fun, pink moment and more of a fairytale, fantasy moment. It’s indicative of my personality; I like to change my hair, my clothes, my makeup a lot so we thought that because I am so close to the UK and I always have such a great time when I visit, we are like soul mates, I wanted to do something unique just for the UK. This is like icing on top of the cake. I know my UK fans are getting the scent later, but now they get to pay dress up with it, and no one else does.’

You are famous for creating different characters in your music, do the same characters influence your style?
‘Not really, when it comes to clothes I just put on whatever I want to wear and when it’s all on me then it creates a character but I never get up and say “I want to dress up as Barbie or Roman” . I like change but I think all women do, they have to create characters even when they are not an artist, whether you wear a ponytail or your hair down, whether you’re a sexy character on a night out or the girl next door at work. It’s what every woman does; it’s just magnified in my life.’

You have also created two best selling lipsticks as part of the MAC Viva Glam campaign, tell me why you got involved?
‘I am honoured to be part of this movement. It is important for our young generation to understand that HIV/AIDS will continue to be a global issue unless we work together to fight the disease. Awareness leads to education, education leads to empowerment and empowerment leads to change.’

You have great skin, what’s your secret?
‘I never go to bed with my makeup on – ever. I drink tons of water and slather myself in cocoa butter. I have a dermatologist in LA who gave me some great advice; never use anything to wash my skin that contains alcohol or oil, and those rules really work for me. Before I would buy something from a store and I would either dry out or break out.’

You are as experimental with your makeup as you are with your fashion, what are your makeup favourites?
‘I’m really into contouring to change the shape of my face. When it comes to putting on fake eyelashes, I use a little imagination, a lot of eyeliner, a steady hand and no fear! For me, more is more!’

Do you have any salon treatments?
‘Right now I am wearing a lot of sparkly gel nail polish; for me they look good and last a really long time, which is great when I a travelling.’

You wear lots of wigs, how do you look after your natural hair?
‘I do a wash and set, I go to a Dominican hairstylist who uses a lot of hot oil treatments and I use really moisturising Mizani shampoos and masks.’

You’re famous for your curves but they are very firm curves, how do you stay in shape?
‘I’m not really into working out; not that I’m proud of that as I do want to start. But when I am on tour singing and dancing and moving around for ninety minutes is a real work out. Then if I’m not on tour and I have to do something on camera I will follow a quick diet and drink lots of water, cut out all carbs, all sugar, all dairy and all fried food. So I would rather diet than exercise.’

What’s your one indulgence?
‘Normally I’m a real chocolate person and I love snacks rather than food, so when I have to lose a little bit of weight I just cut back on my snacks and drink water instead of soda and juice. That’s really my thing; working out puts me in a bad mood, it’s annoying to me.’

Who are your style and beauty icons?
‘Cyndi Lauper because she is the first person who used colour in a way that made me feel excited. She used it on her face and hair, her clothes, her accessories. She would put different coloured shapes and cut outs in her hair, and that made me want to explore the world. I remember thinking ”I want to get to that part of the word where people dress like that and act like that”. And of course I am obsessed with Marilyn Monroe, and for high fashion Naomi Campbell, Iman and Grace Jones. All of the pictures I would see for references for my early photo shoots were of Grace Jones and I got to meet her about two years ago in Hong Kong, and that was a really great experience for me.’

Minaj Must Haves
Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Fragrance £39, with Couture Editions Whip It Like Minaj, Starships Minaj and Duchess Pink for a limited time with all purchases of the 100ml scent, exclusive to Selfridges March 15th
Dior Style Liner in Black £22.50
Dove Deeply Nourishing Body Wash £2.40
Jergens Cocoa Butter £5.15
Mac Viva glam Nicki 2 Lipstick £13.50, all the money raised goes towards helping people affected by HIV/AIDS. The Mac Aids Fund has raised more than $270 million through the sale of VIVA GLAM products
Mac Viva Glam Nicki 2 Lip Glass £14
Mizani Rose H2O Crème £17.25, visit lookfantastic.com

Report: Nadine Baggott

NEW MUSIC: Birdman Feat. Lil Wayne, Birdman, Future, Mack Maine & Nicki Minaj – Tapout

JOEY — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:43:48 +0000

Exclusive Birdman off Rich Gang project featuring Lil Wayne, Birdman, Future, Mack Maine & Nicki Minaj

DJ RellyRell