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Nicki Minaj Makes Vogue’s December Cover; Speaks About Her Private Life, Struggles As A Mom

BY Dora Abena Dzaka November 13, 2023 9:55 PM EDT
Photo Credit: Facebook @Nicki Minaj @Vogue and @ Norman Jean Roy

Well-known female rapper Onika Maraj, better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj, is December’s Vogue cover star.

The all-time best-selling female rapper opened up about her life – speaking about her son, how she became successful, and how she wrote and re-mixed Pink Friday 2.

The cover taken by Norman Jean Roy, sees Minaj sporting Irene Neuwirth earrings and a Valentino Haute Couture dress.

“For me, the idea of accepting what you can’t change—it just never clicked with me before,” Minaj stated to Vogue.

“You want to be in charge of everything, but being unhappy is easiest when you do that. Therefore, I now make an effort to remember what’s truly important if I catch myself trying to control everything.

The Trinidad-born, Queens-raised rapper opened up about her difficult childhood, marital woes, and struggle with body image. The Anaconda hitmaker discussed substance abuse and how it’s particularly prevalent among famous people while recounting her Percocet addiction.

‘’ Take a look at some of our most well-known figures. Like Michael Jackson, they eventually either face ridicule and lose interest in going outside, or they face criticism and silent struggles, like Whitney Houston, Nicky said.

“These are among the best ever recorded. And they came to the conclusion, “You know what? I’d rather stay in my own world and take care of myself. Is it worth it for you to continue giving your all during interviews in order to make people laugh? No,” the famed rapper noted.

Minaj also expressed how disappointed she was to constantly be called “mean” for her “aggressive” delivery. Reminding her that the word captures the essence of a person, Minaj says she doesn’t think the word “mean” describes her actual self.

The spread also includes Nicky’s son, whom the public knows as Papa Bear. It was an accomplishment to get a photo of him dozing off on his mom’s chest for the publication.

Nicky told Vogue: “In parenthood, there is no such thing as confidence. It would have been nice if someone had told me. You think, “I don’t know how to do this. When I look into my son’s eyes, my spirit awakens. He has no idea how difficult it has been for me to juggle being a mother and an artist.”

After the interview was released on Thursday, Minaj’s fans on X, formerly Twitter, applauded her candor by tweeting answers and tidbits along with the hashtag #NickiVogue. The rapper answered a fan who questioned how she maintains “alignment” after going through “insane amounts of spiritual growth” by retweeting a number of her tweets.

Minaj tweeted, “I don’t think any of us stay there; we’re humans.” Having the desire to remain there, though, is sufficient at times. It means you continually examine yourself, even in the face of difficulty, and periodically reevaluate with God through prayer, realizing that you are not alone.

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