Behind the Scene with Nicki Minaj "New York Times"

Nicki Minaj strikes a pose for a photo shoot with New York Times’ T Magazine.

Here’s what she had to share:

On her thoughts on Pink Friday: “Sometimes I get tired of some of the songs because they have been with me for so long but overall I never imagined that it would be something that I would cherish so much and be so proud of. Having the album out feels like I am finally a real artist, like I have the stamp of approval as an artist from myself.”

On her style: “When I’m just at home or in the studio, I’d rather be chill. I like to dress down on my personal time but when it’s time to go out it’s on. I do like a pop of color. To me it’s less about wearing the tightest thing than wearing what makes me feel confident. Sometimes if something is too tight I’m not confident, I’m like, Don’t look!”

On her beef with Lil’ Kim: “The thing that I want to promote is that if you see someone doing their thing, give them their props. We all have it hard and face the same challenges as female emcees. Show some mutual love and respect for each other so that it doesn’t get nasty. And she can be a nasty character.”