Nicki Minaj Talks Being Single

Nicki Minaj is flying solo for the first time since she was 15 years old.

“It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever been single. I remember feeling like I could do anything at one time in my life and somewhere along the line, I just started second guessing myself for whatever reason,” the “Chun Li” rapper told Elle magazine’s July issue.


Minaj, 35, recently split from fellow rapper Nas and has joked about dating Eminem.

“Becoming single was one of the things that made me feel strong and powerful,” she explained. “The fact that I am a young woman who doesn’t need a man for money. I don’t need a man for a job. I’ve never had to f—k for beats. I’ve never had to f—k for a record deal. I don’t have those pressures. I get up when I want, shop when I want.”

Though Minaj admits that she loves flaunting her own sex appeal and embraces her exhibitionism, she admitted that she feels guilt for what she believes may have been inadvertently promoting what she calls “modern-day prostitutes” on social media and in strip clubs.

“Whether you’re a stripper, or whether you’re an Instagram girl — these girls are so beautiful and they have so much to offer,” she said. “But I started finding out that you give them a couple thousand dollars, and you can have sex with them. I was like, ‘Yikes.’ It’s just sad that they don’t know their worth. It makes me sad as a woman. And it makes me sad that maybe I’ve contributed to that in some way … I can’t look down on these girls. I may not be having sex with people, but I’m selling sex appeal.”

She added, “I just don’t know if girls who look up to me think that when I’m posting a sexy picture. I’m actually the antithesis of all of that. I’m more of, like, the snobby girl, like the ‘Uh, what?’ type of girl. And I want girls to be like that. I’d rather you be called snobby or a bitch or conceited — I’d rather you be called that than easy, and a ho, and a slut.”