photo credit: Ben Gabbe l Getty Images

The Queen of Young Money recently sat down with T Magazine for an in-depth interview where she looks back on her many accomplishments since hitting the rap scene, hints at what her new material will sound like, and even opens up about the many challenges she’s faced as a female hip-hop artist.

The latest offering of the T Magazine spread features Nicki Minaj, who is a part of the magazine’s 7 issues that will be released October 22nd, rocking designer, fashionable looks in a mostly black and white, minimalistic approach.

 

Throughout her career, @NickiMinaj has demonstrated a discipline and intelligence that is rare among other pop stars of her generation. She has persevered because she is always in control of her craft. Neither her work nor her success are accidental. “I believe in my gift wholeheartedly,” she tells Roxane Gay (@roxanegay74). Now, it feels like the queen of hip-hop is on the verge of another big moment in her career, and she knows it. Click the link in our bio to read our cover story on @NickiMinaj, one of 7 icons featured in our Greats issue — on newsstands Oct. 22nd. Story by Roxane Gay (@roxanegay74), photo by @patrickdemarchelier, styling by Marie-Amélie Sauvé (@marieameliesauve). #TGreats17

A post shared by T: The NYTimes Style Magazine (@tmagazine) on Oct 16, 2017 at 11:46am PDT

In the interview, Minaj speaks about her new music saying:

I know what this album is gonna mean to my fans. This album is everything in my life coming full circle and me being truly, genuinely happy…The Pinkprint was almost like my diary….I was really writing about feeling unsure. Now, I can tell you guys what happened for the last two years of my life. I know who I am. I am getting Nicki Minaj figured out with this album and I’m loving her.

Peep the entire interview here and check out some of the looks below:

 

@NickiMinaj is working on her fourth studio album, the title of which is, for now, a well-kept secret but is “super, super iconic.” “This album is everything in my life coming full circle and me being truly, genuinely happy. It feels almost like a celebration,” she says. “Now, I can tell you guys what happened for the last two years of my life. I know who I am. I am getting Nicki Minaj figured out with this album and I’m loving her.” It took a long time for her to get to a place of confidence and trusting in her instincts, and it hasn’t been without hurdles and challenges along the way. But, ever since she turned her gift into a career, it’s been nothing but a checklist of milestones. Click the link in our bio to read our cover story on @NickiMinaj, one of 7 icons featured in our Greats issue — on newsstands Oct. 22nd. Story by Roxane Gay (@roxanegay74), photo by @patrickdemarchelier, styling by Marie-Amélie Sauvé (@marieameliesauve). #TGreats17

A post shared by T: The NYTimes Style Magazine (@tmagazine) on Oct 16, 2017 at 1:45pm PDT

 

@NickiMinaj is at her most animated and unguarded when she’s talking about music, and she thinks about music in deep and complex ways. Jay-Z, Lil Wayne (@liltunechi), Foxy Brown (@foxybrown) — “Those are the three I keep in my head when I’m writing because they’ve influenced me so much,” she says. “I feel like I’m a part of all of them.” Click the link in our bio to read our cover story on @NickiMinaj, one of 7 icons featured in our Greats issue — on newsstands Oct. 22nd. Story by Roxane Gay (@roxanegay74), photo by @patrickdemarchelier, styling by Marie-Amélie Sauvé (@marieameliesauve). #TGreats17

A post shared by T: The NYTimes Style Magazine (@tmagazine) on Oct 16, 2017 at 3:31pm PDT